Traditional Chinese medicine health preservation focuses on adjusting according to individual constitution differences, and a simple way to identify constitution is to observe personal drinking habits. For example, those who often feel thirsty and enjoy drinking cold water may belong to the Yin-deficiency constitution, which is related to internal heat patterns, dryness patterns, or excessive depletion of body fluids. For this type of constitution, maintaining adequate hydration and avoiding excessive sweating, wearing warm clothes is crucial. At the same time, one should choose a light diet, reduce intake of spicy foods, and ensure sufficient rest.
Some people occasionally feel thirsty but do not like to drink a lot of water, preferring warm drinks, which may be a manifestation of the Phlegm-dampness constitution, characterized by heaviness in the body, easy fatigue, and turbid urine. For this, regulating the spleen and stomach, consuming foods that invigorate the spleen and remove dampness such as Chinese yam, white radish, as well as drinking water in small amounts at intervals can help improve the constitution.
There are also some people who hardly feel thirsty, without a strong desire to drink water, which may be a feature of the Yang-deficiency or Qi-deficiency constitution, indicating that there is poor circulation of qi and blood in the body. Intensifying exercise, consuming sweet and warm foods like lamb, Chinese yam, avoiding raw and cold foods are particularly important for such individuals. Those with Yang deficiency can drink ginseng soup, while those with Qi deficiency can use Atractylodes or Codonopsis soup to replace their daily water intake.
In addition, selecting suitable fruits according to constitution differences is also beneficial for health preservation. For example, people with a Wind constitution are suitable for warm fruits such as red dates, peaches, which help balance their nervous system and gastrointestinal functions; individuals with a Fire constitution need cooling fruits like oranges, watermelon, to alleviate excessive internal heat; those with an Earth constitution, prone to water retention, are suitable for consuming low-fat, low-calorie fruits like apples, kiwi, which help reduce fat and boost metabolism.
In conclusion, by identifying personal drinking habits and constitution types, taking corresponding health preservation measures can better promote health. Different constitutions correspond to different adjustments in dietary and lifestyle habits, precise health preservation can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
