Deficiency of Both Qi and Blood

Deficiency of Both Qi and Blood

Characteristic Manifestations

A deficiency of both Qi and Blood leads to a weak constitution.

• Qi deficiency is characterized by aversion to cold, cold limbs, spontaneous sweating, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue, weakness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and developmental delays.

• Blood deficiency can manifest as a pale or sallow complexion, dry skin, withered hair, dry and brittle nails, blurred vision, numbness in the hands and feet, insomnia with excessive dreaming, forgetfulness, heart palpitations, and a state of mental confusion.

• When both Qi and Blood are deficient, symptoms include mental and physical fatigue, shortness of breath, reluctance to speak, a pale or sallow complexion, dizziness, pale lips and nails, heart palpitations and insomnia. In women, it can lead to scanty menstruation, delayed periods, or amenorrhea.

Treatment and Conditioning

Chinese Herbal Formula

• Treatment Principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Blood.

• Formula: Modified Ba Zhen Tang (Eight-Treasure Decoction).

• Ingredients: Shu Di (Prepared Rehmannia Root), Dang Gui (Angelica Sinensis), Bai Shao (White Peony Root), Chuan Xiong (Szechuan Lovage Rhizome), Dang Shen (Codonopsis Root), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes Rhizome), Fu Ling (Poria), Gan Cao (Licorice Root).

• Modifications:

  • For severe Qi deficiency, add Huang Qi (Astragalus Root).

  • For severe Blood deficiency, add more Shu Di and He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti Root).

  • For palpitations and insomnia, add Yuan Zhi (Polygala Root) and Chao Zao Ren (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae).

  • For loose stools, add Bian Dou (Hyacinth Bean) and Rou Dou Kou (Nutmeg).

  • If edema is present, add Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea Fruit).

Dietary Therapy

Foods that replenish Qi and Blood include peanuts, lotus root, black fungus, chicken, pork, lamb, sea cucumber, mulberries, grapes, red dates, and longan.

1. Two-Rice Congee

   • Take equal amounts of rice and corn (about one handful of each) and cook them in a pot to make congee. This recipe, combining rice and corn, is a particularly effective food therapy for tonifying both Qi and Blood. If a side dish is desired, “scallions mixed with tofu” is the top choice.

   • Efficacy Analysis: This is a simple blood-tonifying recipe. Grains, as seeds, possess vital energy and are excellent for nourishing Qi and Blood. Among them, rice tonifies the middle burner and boosts qi, corn calms the heart and invigorates blood, and soybeans benefit qi. Tofu, primarily made from soybeans, also has qi-tonifying properties. Scallions are pungent and warm, capable of unblocking yang and invigorating blood. Therefore, this is an excellent recipe for nourishing Qi and Blood.

2. Goji Berry and Red Date Boiled Eggs

   • Combine 20g of goji berries, 8 red dates, and 2 eggs in a pot. Boil until the eggs are cooked, then peel the shells and simmer for a little longer. Eat the eggs and drink the soup.

   • Efficacy Analysis: The goji berries and red dates in this recipe are superior ingredients for nourishing Qi and Blood. The ingredients are easy to find, and their effectiveness is comparable to that of expensive supplements. Regular consumption can promote health and well-being.

3. Lamb Soup

   • Ingredients: Lamb, goji berries, pepper.

   • Preparation: Wash and chop the lamb, place it in a pot with a suitable amount of water, and simmer. When the meat is cooked, add goji berries and continue to cook until the lamb is tender. Season with scallions, ginger, salt, and pepper.

   • Health Benefits: Tonifies the kidneys, strengthens yang, nourishes blood, and benefits the essence. It is suitable for individuals with conditions such as dizziness, tinnitus, sore and weak lower back and knees, emaciation, kidney deficiency impotence, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and general debility in the elderly.

4. Yam Sweet Dumplings (Tangyuan)

   • Ingredients: Yam, glutinous rice, brown sugar, pepper.

   • Preparation: Grind the yam into a powder, steam it until cooked, then mix with brown sugar and pepper to create a filling. Soak glutinous rice for a while, grind it into flour, and then use the yam filling and glutinous rice flour to make sweet dumplings. Cook them in boiling water until ready.

   • Health Benefits: Strengthens the spleen and tonifies the kidneys. It is suitable for patients with conditions such as depleted kidney essence and a weak spleen with poor appetite.

Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Massage

1. Massage Dadun (LR1) Acupoint

   • Sit with your knees bent and feet bare. Use your left thumb to press on the Dadun point of your right foot (on the lateral side of the big toe’s distal phalanx, 0.1 cun from the corner of the nail). Press and rotate 15 times to the left, and then 15 times to the right. Afterward, use your right hand to press the Dadun point on your left foot using the same technique.

2. Massage Taichong (LR3) Acupoint

   • Sit with your knees bent. Use your left thumb to press the Taichong point (on the dorsum of the foot, in the depression anterior to the junction of the first and second metatarsal bones). Press and slide back and forth along the gap between the bones 20 times. Then, use your right hand to press the Taichong point on your left foot with the same technique. Do not use too much force when massaging; a slight sensation of soreness and distension is sufficient.

3. Pat the Instep

   • Sit with your knees bent. Along the path of the Liver meridian on the top of the foot, use your five fingers together to pat the instep. Do this once a day for 5-10 minutes.