Article 50: Health Preservation for Common Unhealthy Constitutions: Yin Deficiency, Yang Deficiency, and Qi Deficiency

In the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic), body constitution is mainly classified in the following ways:

1. Yin-Yang and Five Elements Classification

The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in its chapter "Twenty-Five Types of Yin-Yang Constitutions," categorizes constitutions into five major types-Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water-based on differences in physical form, skin color, cognitive abilities, emotional responses, willpower, personality, and adaptability to seasonal climates. Furthermore, based on the relative abundance or scarcity of the five musical notes and the physiological characteristics of the three Yang meridians of the left and right hands and feet, as well as the amount of Qi and blood reflected in the head, face, and limbs, each type is further divided into five subcategories, totaling twenty-five types, collectively known as the "Twenty-Five Types of Yin-Yang Constitutions." This method emphasizes adaptability to seasonal changes as the basis for constitution classification.

2. Yin-Yang and Five Elements Classification

The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in its chapter "Tong Tian" (Connecting Heaven), categorizes people into five types: Taiyin, Shaoyin, Taiyang, Shaoyang, and Yin-Yang in balance. This method explains a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics based on the amount of Yin and Yang Qi they are born with.

3. Classification by innate courage and cowardice

The "Ling Shu: On Courage" classifies constitutions into two categories based on the strength of the body's internal organs, the difference in inherent courage and cowardice, and physical characteristics. Those with vigorous heart, gallbladder, and liver functions and robust physiques are considered courageous, while those with weakened heart, liver, and gallbladder functions and frail physiques are considered cowardly.

4. Body shape classification (fat/lean)

The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in its chapter "Reversal and Order, Fat and Lean," categorizes people into three types: fat, thin, and moderately fat. The chapter "Disorders of Wei Qi" further classifies fat people into three types: "Fat," "Oily," and "Flesh." Since many elderly people are obese, this method can be considered the earliest classification of the constitution of the elderly.

II. Health Preservation for Common Unhealthy Constitutions

Currently, the most influential method for classifying body constitutions is the "Classification and Determination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitutions," developed by Professor Wang Qi and issued by the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine on April 9, 2009. This method, known as the "Nine-Type Method of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitutions," divides constitutions into nine types: Balanced (Type A), Qi Deficiency (Type B), Yang Deficiency (Type C), Yin Deficiency (Type D), Phlegm-Dampness (Type E), Damp-Heat (Type F), Blood Stasis (Type G), Qi Stagnation (Type H), and Special Constitution (Type I). The latter eight types are considered unfavorable. Based on years of clinical practice and the opinions of many scholars, we believe that in addition to Professor Wang Qi's eight unfavorable constitutions, there are two other common constitutions: Blood Deficiency and Yang Excess.

The following introduces the health preservation methods for seven common unhealthy constitutions: Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, Qi deficiency, Blood deficiency, Phlegm-dampness, Qi stagnation, and Blood stasis.

(I) Yin Deficiency Constitution

1. Physical characteristics

The patient is thin, has a flushed face in the afternoon, little saliva, is often irritable, has hot palms and soles, sleeps little, has dry stools, yellow urine, is intolerant of spring and summer, and prefers cold drinks; the tongue is red with little coating, and the pulse is thready and rapid.

2. Key Points of Health Preservation

(1) Mental and Emotional Regulation: People with Yin deficiency constitution are often irritable and easily angered. This is due to Yin deficiency and excessive Yang, which disturbs the mind. They should follow the principles of "tranquility and emptiness" and "preserving the inner spirit" from the "Suwen·Shanggu Tianzhen Lun" to nourish their spirit. They should cultivate self-discipline and consciously develop a calm and composed habit. They should avoid participating in intense social activities and competitions, and instead practice traditional fitness exercises such as Tai Chi and Qigong, or engage in activities such as fishing and gardening to regulate their mental and emotional state and thus improve their physical constitution.

(2) Environmental regulation: People with Yin deficiency often experience hot palms and soles, dry mouth and throat, and aversion to heat and preference for coolness. They also find winter cold easy to bear but summer heat difficult to endure. Therefore, they should pay attention to avoiding heatstroke in the hot summer. "Nourishing Yin in autumn and winter" is especially important for people with Yin deficiency, as the dry autumn climate is most likely to damage Yin. The living environment should be quiet.

(3) Dietary Therapy: The principle of dietary therapy is to nourish yin and subdue yang, with a light diet and less spicy and hot foods. Suitable foods include sesame seeds, honey, white fungus, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, tofu, fish, and duck meat. Pay special attention to consuming ginseng porridge, lily porridge, wolfberry porridge, mulberry porridge, and yam porridge. If conditions permit, bird's nest, sea cucumber, mussels, turtle meat, and crab meat can be consumed. Onions, ginger, garlic, leeks, peppers, and alcohol should be consumed sparingly.

(4) Exercise: Avoid excessive activity and focus on nourishing liver and kidney function. Tai Chi and Baduanjin are more suitable. In terms of Qigong, it is advisable to do exercises such as the essence-strengthening exercise, health-preserving exercise, and longevity exercise, and pay attention to the saliva swallowing exercise.

(5) Herbal Remedies: Yin-nourishing and heat-clearing herbs can be selected, along with other herbs such as Ligustrum lucidum, Cornus officinalis, Schisandra chinensis, Eclipta prostrata, Ophiopogon japonicus, Asparagus cochinchinensis, Polygonatum sibiricum, Polygonatum odoratum, Scrophularia ningpoensis, Lycium barbarum, Morus alba, and tortoise shell. These can be chosen according to the specific symptoms. Commonly used traditional Chinese medicine preparations include Liuwei Dihuang Wan and Dabu Yin Wan. Since Yin deficiency can manifest in different ways, such as kidney Yin deficiency, liver Yin deficiency, lung Yin deficiency, and heart Yin deficiency, treatment should be tailored to the specific type of Yin deficiency.

(II) Yang Deficiency Constitution

1. Physical characteristics

The patient is plump and fair-skinned, with a pale complexion. They are sensitive to cold and prefer warmth, and their hands and feet are often cold. They have frequent and clear urination, loose stools, pale lips and a mild mouth, and often sweat spontaneously. Their tongue is pale and swollen, and their pulse is deep and weak.

2. Key Points of Health Preservation

(1) Mental and Emotional Regulation: People with insufficient Yang Qi often exhibit poor mood; those with liver Yang deficiency are prone to fear, and those with heart Yang deficiency are prone to sadness. Therefore, it is important to regulate one's emotions and eliminate or reduce the influence of negative emotions. It is advisable to listen to more music, make more friends, and participate in more social activities to invigorate the spirit and strengthen the body.

(2) Environmental regulation: People with Yang deficiency often have cold limbs, prefer warmth and dislike cold, and are intolerant of autumn and winter. Therefore, in the cold winter, one should "avoid the cold and seek warmth"; "nourish Yang in spring and summer", and pay attention to nourishing Yang Qi in spring and summer. In addition, one should not stay outdoors in summer, and should not let electric fans blow directly on one's body while sleeping. The air conditioner temperature should not be too low, and one should avoid staying under the shade of trees, in pavilions by the water, or in corridors with strong drafts for a long time.

(3) Exercise: Since "movement generates Yang," people with Yang deficiency should strengthen their physical exercise, persisting through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, 1-2 times a day. Specific exercises include walking, jogging, ball sports, swimming, Tai Chi, Five Animal Frolics, and Eight Pieces of Brocade, depending on physical strength. In terms of Qigong, persist in practicing strengthening exercises, standing meditation, health-preserving exercises, and longevity exercises.

(4) Dietary regulation: Consume more foods with warming properties, such as dog meat, venison, mutton, and chicken. According to the principle of "nourishing yang in spring and summer," during the three periods of intense summer heat, one can eat medicinal dishes such as aconite porridge or mutton and aconite soup to strengthen the body's yang during this time of abundant yang energy. On ordinary days, it is advisable to eat and drink less cold and cooling foods, such as watermelon, bitter melon, mung beans, and green tea.

(5) Herbal Health Preservation: Warming and cold-dispelling herbs can be selected. Commonly used herbs include deer antler, seal kidney, gecko, cordyceps, morinda root, epimedium, curculigo, cistanche, psoralea, walnut, eucommia, dipsacus, and cuscuta. For prepared Chinese medicines, Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan, You Gui Wan, and Quan Lu Wan can be selected. If there is a deficiency of spleen yang, Li Zhong Wan or Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan can be selected; if there is a deficiency of both spleen and kidney, Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan can be used.

(III) Qi Deficiency Constitution

1. Physical characteristics

The patient is thin or slightly overweight, with a pale complexion, a weak voice, and often sweats spontaneously, especially when exerted. They are also fatigued and unable to endure physical labor. Their tongue is pale with a white coating, and their pulse is weak.

2. Key Points of Health Preservation

(1) Mental and emotional regulation: People with Qi deficiency often have low spirits. Therefore, in terms of mental and emotional regulation, they should think less and worry less to avoid damaging Qi and harming their health.

(2) Daily life regulation: People with Qi deficiency are prone to fatigue, so they should have regular daily life, combine work and rest, and prevent overwork.

(3) Exercise: People with Qi deficiency are generally weak and should not exercise excessively to avoid excessive sweating and damage to Qi. They should choose low-intensity exercises such as walking, jogging, Tai Chi, or Qigong exercises such as strengthening exercises, standing exercises, and health exercises.

(4) Dietary regulation: It is advisable to eat foods that replenish qi, such as japonica rice, glutinous rice, indica rice, millet, yellow millet, wheat, barley, yam, potato, carrot, shiitake mushroom, tofu, chicken, rabbit meat, quail, beef, grass carp, and silver carp. If the qi deficiency is severe, ginseng and lotus seed soup or astragalus chicken or Four Gentlemen Duck can be used for nourishment.

(5) Herbal Health Preservation: People with Qi deficiency should regularly take Qi-tonifying herbs such as jujube, astragalus, codonopsis, and ginseng. For severe Qi deficiency, especially spleen Qi deficiency, Sijunzi Decoction or Shenling Baizhu Powder is recommended; for lung Qi deficiency, Bufei Decoction is recommended; and for kidney Qi deficiency, Shenqi Pill is recommended.

The following are chapters 51-58 (the entire book is now complete).