Chapter 51: Key Points for Health Preservation for Those with Blood Deficiency, Phlegm-Dampness, Qi Stagnation, and Blood Stasis Constitutions
(iv) Blood Deficiency Constitution
1. Physical characteristics
The patient has a pale or sallow complexion, pale lips, dizziness, insomnia, poor memory, pale tongue, and weak pulse.
2. Key Points of Health Preservation
(1) Mental and emotional regulation: People with blood deficiency often suffer from low spirits, insomnia, forgetfulness, and poor concentration, so they should invigorate their spirits. When feeling depressed and in a bad mood, they can listen to music, appreciate opera, watch crosstalk or skits, which can invigorate their spirits.
(2) Daily life regulation: Blood deficiency will cause the head and face to be malnourished, so you should pay attention to resting appropriately, especially avoiding excessive use of the brain and mind to deplete yin and blood; pay attention to avoiding excessive use of the eyes and beware of "prolonged staring injures blood".
(3) Exercise: People with blood deficiency are also weak. They should not exercise too much or too vigorously to avoid excessive sweating and blood loss. They should choose exercises with low activity levels and gentle movements, such as walking, jogging, Tai Chi, or Qigong such as Neiyanggong and Baojiangong.
(4) Dietary regulation: It is advisable to eat foods that have the effect of nourishing blood, such as black fungus, spinach, carrots, animal liver, black-boned chicken, soft-shelled turtle, and sea cucumber. If the blood deficiency is severe, medicinal diets such as Angelica sinensis and ginger mutton soup or donkey-hide gelatin and sheep liver can be used to nourish the blood.
(5) Herbal Remedies: People with blood deficiency should regularly take blood-nourishing herbs such as mulberry, angelica, rehmannia, prepared he shou wu, and donkey-hide gelatin. For those with severe blood deficiency, they can regularly take Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang, Si Wu Tang, and Gui Pi Tang. If both qi and blood are deficient, both qi and blood must be nourished, and Ba Zhen Tang, Shi Quan Da Bu Tang, or Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang can be selected.
(V) Phlegm-Dampness Constitution
1. Physical characteristics
Obese physique, loose muscles, fondness for rich and sweet foods, fatigue, heaviness in the body, lethargy, drowsiness, sticky mouth, or loose stools; swollen tongue with teeth marks and greasy coating, and a soft and slippery pulse.
2. Key Points of Health Preservation
(1) Mental and emotional regulation: People with phlegm-dampness constitution often experience fatigue, drowsiness, and depression. Therefore, they should participate in social, public welfare, and interest activities to invigorate their spirits and make reasonable arrangements for leisure, travel, and vacation activities to soothe their emotions.
(2) Environmental adjustment: It is not advisable to live in a damp environment; it is advisable to engage in more outdoor activities, and to sunbathe or bask in the sun frequently. In rainy, damp, and cold weather, outdoor activities should be reduced to avoid catching a cold or feeling damp.
(3) Dietary regulation: The diet should be mainly light, with less fatty meat and sweet, sticky, and greasy foods. Alcohol should also be limited, and one should not overeat. Eat more foods or medicinal foods that strengthen the spleen, promote diuresis, and resolve phlegm and dampness, such as kelp, winter melon, white radish, water chestnut, seaweed, jellyfish, onion, loquat, ginkgo, jujube, lentils, red beans, and broad beans.
(4) Exercise: People with phlegm-dampness constitution are often obese and prone to fatigue. Therefore, they should exercise gradually and persistently according to their specific conditions. They can choose from various sports such as walking, jogging, table tennis, badminton, tennis, swimming, Baduanjin, Wuqinxi, and other sports that are suitable for them. Qigong exercises such as standing meditation, health preservation exercises, and longevity exercises are recommended, and they should practice breathing exercises.
(5) Medicinal Health Preservation: The formation of phlegm and dampness is most closely related to the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. Therefore, the focus of medicinal health preservation is to regulate and nourish the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. If the phlegm is caused by the lungs failing to disperse and descend, the fluids failing to be distributed, and the fluids accumulating and forming phlegm, the formula should be Er Chen Tang (Two-Ingredient Decoction for Dispersing the Lungs and Resolving Phlegm). If the phlegm is caused by the spleen failing to transport and transform, and dampness accumulating and forming phlegm, the formula should be Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction for Strengthening the Spleen and Resolving Phlegm) or Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction for Fragrant Sand). If the kidneys are deficient and unable to control water, and water overflows and forms phlegm, the formula should be Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (Kidney Qi Pill from the Golden Cabinet).
(vi) Qi stagnation constitution
1. Physical characteristics
The patient is thin or overweight, with a sallow or ashen complexion, irritable and easily angered, or melancholy and unhappy, with chest tightness and discomfort, and a tendency to sigh frequently; the tongue is pale red with a white coating, and the pulse is wiry.
2. Key Points of Health Preservation
(1) Mental and emotional regulation: People with Qi stagnation constitution are introverted and often in a depressed mental state. They should actively seek happiness. They should participate in more social activities and group cultural and recreational activities, watch comedies, crosstalk, skits, and movies and TV shows with an inspiring effect. They should avoid watching tragedies and dramas, listen to more relaxing and exciting music, and read more books that are positive, fun, and show the beauty of life in order to broaden their minds and relieve their depressed state.
(2) Daily life regulation: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "stagnation should be released." Therefore, in terms of daily life regulation, one should have regular daily routines and adjust one's daily life according to the changes of the four seasons; appropriately increase outdoor activity time, have more contact with society, and relieve stagnation; the room should be spacious and bright, and clothing should be loose and comfortable to avoid stagnation of Qi.
(3) Exercise: Participate in more physical exercise and travel activities. Both sports and travel can exercise the body and promote blood circulation. At the same time, appreciating the beauty of nature can also regulate depressed mood. In terms of Qigong, focus on strengthening exercises, health-preserving exercises, and standing meditation, and pay attention to practicing breathing techniques to relieve depression.
(4) Dietary regulation: A small amount of alcohol can be consumed to relieve stagnation, promote blood circulation, and invigorate the spirit. Eat more foods that promote qi circulation, such as oranges, leeks, fennel, garlic, sword beans, and onions. In addition, cold foods such as watermelon and bitter melon, as well as astringent foods such as plums, persimmons, sour dates, and plums, should be eaten sparingly or avoided because they have the effect of stagnating qi and blood.
(5) Herbal Health Preservation: Commonly used prescriptions are mainly composed of herbs that soothe the liver and relieve depression, such as Buddha's Hand, Rose, Cyperus, Lindera, Sichuan Chinaberry, Fennel, Green Tangerine Peel, and Curcuma. If qi stagnation causes blood stasis, it can be combined with herbs that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, such as Angelica sinensis and Salvia miltiorrhiza.
(vii) Blood stasis constitution
1. Physical characteristics
The complexion is dull, the lips are dark, the eye sockets are dark, and the skin is dry; the tongue is purplish or has petechiae, and the pulse is thin and hesitant.
2. Key Points of Health Preservation
(1) Mental and emotional regulation: People with blood stasis constitution should cultivate an optimistic mood in terms of mental and emotional regulation. A cheerful mood promotes the smooth flow of qi and blood, and the circulation of nutrients and defensive qi, which is beneficial to the improvement of blood stasis constitution. On the contrary, depression and melancholy can aggravate the tendency of blood stasis.
(2) Daily life regulation: People with blood stasis constitution have poor blood circulation. Blood flows when warm and congeals when cold. Therefore, in terms of daily life regulation, one should have regular work and rest, ensure good sleep, and try not to stay up late; one should pay attention to the combination of activity and rest, and not be too comfortable; one should pay attention to the warmth and comfort of clothing and living environment, and avoid cold stimulation.
(3) Exercise: Do more activities that are beneficial to the heart and blood vessels, such as Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Zhan Zhuang Gong, Changshou Gong, Neiyang Gong, and various fitness exercises and health massages, with the principle of getting all parts of the body active, helping the flow of Qi and blood, and relieving Qi stagnation and blood stasis.
(4) Dietary therapy: You can eat more foods that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, such as rapeseed, onion, arrowhead, and black soybean. You can drink a small amount of alcohol regularly, eat more vinegar, and hawthorn porridge and peanut porridge are also suitable. Foods with cold, greasy, or astringent properties should be avoided or eaten in moderation, such as watermelon, bitter melon, peanuts, egg yolk, cheese, dried plums, and persimmons.
(5) Herbal health preservation: You can choose blood-activating and blood-nourishing products, such as peach kernel, hawthorn, rose, salvia miltiorrhiza, angelica sinensis, chuanxiong, eleutherococcus senticosus, and notoginseng.
Health preservation for different professions
Different professions have different effects on a person's physical and mental health. Therefore, according to the principle of individualized health preservation, different methods should be used for people in different professions.
The following section introduces health and wellness practices for different occupations, categorized into manual laborers and mental laborers.