2. Warming Vitality Plan

Purpose: Helping Yang Deficiency

Last time we looked at the condition of Qi Deficiency. Now let’s turn our attention to Yang Deficiency, which is a deepening of the condition of Qi Deficiency.

So first let’s look at what Yang is. Simply put it is a warm, active form of energy in the body. It is like a pleasant, warm spring day. The sort of day to encourage you to get up and get out in the sunshine.

If we lack this energy, we tend to feel sluggish, lack motivation, possibly feel a little low and down. In terms of feeling temperature, on an average day, we will feel chilly when others are feeling okay. And on a cold day, we will feel very cold and unable to warm up. In terms of the other conditions I have covered already, it is very like Qi deficiency: only in a worse form and with a colder character. How can we eat better then to help boost our Yang?

Simply put: with warmer food, both in temperature and “heat” as in spice. Cooking techniques will be those again that are “warmer”. Grilling for instance is very warming, as is frying. So steaming in contrast is not so good, and less good for sure is not cooking at all: avoid raw foods in general. Of course: moderation and balance in all matters food wise is always worth considering, and on a hot day cooling foods are still worth including. But on a cold day, do avoid raw or uncooked food.   Much the same goes for drinks: avoid cool drinks and favour instead warming teas. Using spices like ginger further heats our drink, so for instance hot lemon, ginger and honey drink on a cold day.   In terms of alcohol, choose a red wine (warmer) over a white wine, and avoid the relatively cool and damp forming beer/ larger. However: all alcohol is warming relatively to other drinks so in the summer a larger might be about right.

Typical Yang improving foods are…   Meat:   Beef Chicken Chicken Liver Lamb Venison   Seafood:   Prawns Sardines Trout   Grains (slow growing grains are “warmer”):   Oats Millet Yellow soybeans   Vegetables:   Spring onion Leek Onion Sweet Potato   Fruit: Apricot Cherry Peach   Spices:   Cardamom Cayenne Chilli Cinnamon Garlic Horseradish Pepper   Foods to avoid or reduce: Dairy Cold foods e.g. cucumber If you feel that you need more advice about which condition best fits your type do get in touch with me and I can discuss more fully your situation. It is worth adding that using acupuncture (and the very warming moxibustion) as a therapy can supplement your dietary changes and make them more effective in the long term, should you feel that you need a stronger approach than that outlined above.