Health Preservation Principles for Eight Body Constitutions.
Health Preservation Principles for Eight Body Constitutions
Introduction: Introduction: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and clinical practice—including symptomatology, pulse diagnosis, and tongue examination—there are eight primary constitutional types: Yin-deficiency constitution, Yang-deficiency constitution, Qi-deficiency constitution, Blood-deficiency constitution, Yang-excess constitution, Blood-stasis constitution, Phlegm-Dampness constitution, and Qi-stagnation constitution. Specific health preservation methods for each are introduced below:
Health Preservation Principles for Yin-Deficiency Constitution.
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Yin-deficiency constitution.
(1) Physical Characteristics: Individuals with this constitution tend to be slender; have a reddish complexion; experience dry mouth and throat; feel intermittent cardiac irritation; suffer from heat sensations in the palms and soles; exhibit insomnia; pass dry stools; produce dark-yellow urine; show low tolerance for spring and summer; prefer cold beverages; display a fine and rapid pulse; and present with a red tongue bearing scanty or absent coating. When disease manifests, these symptoms intensify or are accompanied by organ-specific patterns: dry cough with scanty sputum, tidal fever, and night sweats (Lung-Yin deficiency); palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia, and vivid dreams (Heart-Yin deficiency); lower back pain, dizziness, tinnitus, spermatorrhea (in men), or reduced menstrual flow (in women) (Kidney-Yin deficiency); or hypochondriac pain, blurred or dim vision (Liver-Yin deficiency).
(2) Principle of Health Preservation: Nourish Yin and clear Heat; nourish the Liver and Kidneys. Since Yin deficiency is the core imbalance, replenishing Yin is paramount. Among the five Zang organs, the Liver stores Blood and the Kidneys store Essence—both reside in the Lower Jiao. Therefore, priority should be given to nourishing the Liver and Kidneys.
(3) Lifestyle Regimen:
• Spiritual Cultivation: Individuals with this constitution often display irritability and emotional volatility—symptoms arising from excessive Fire due to Yin deficiency, which disturbs the Shen (Spirit/Mind). In daily life, avoid heated debates over trivial or non-principled matters to minimize anger; choose recreational activities that are non-competitive and calming.
• Environmental Adjustment: Due to their inherent tendency toward internal Heat—evidenced by thin build, heat in the palms and soles, dry mouth and throat, heat intolerance, and preference for cold—these individuals fare better in winter but feel particularly uncomfortable in hot, humid summers. During summer, they should actively avoid excessive heat exposure.
• Dietary Regulation: To protect Yin and subdue Yang, diet should avoid rich, greasy, pungent, or overly drying foods. Favor mild, moistening, Yin-nourishing foods such as sesame seeds, glutinous rice, honey, dairy products, sugar cane, and freshwater fish. Limit intake of strongly acrid and warming foods—including scallions, ginger, garlic, leeks, onions, and chili peppers.
• Moderation in Sexual Activity: Since Jing (Essence) belongs to Yin, excessive sexual activity depletes Jing and further aggravates Yin deficiency. Therefore, sexual activity should be moderated appropriately.
Health Preservation Principles for Yang-Deficiency Constitution
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Yang-deficiency constitution.
(1) Physical Characteristics: Individuals with this constitution typically appear pale or sallow, with a dull, lusterless complexion; feel cold easily and prefer warmth; experience fatigue and limb weakness; produce copious amounts of clear urine; suffer from loose stools; have pale lips and a bland taste sensation in the mouth; exhibit spontaneous sweating; display a deep (sunken) and weak pulse; and present with a pale, swollen tongue.
When pathogenic Cold invades or Yang deficiency worsens, symptoms intensify or manifest as organ-specific patterns: cold limbs, aversion to cold, curling up for warmth, or chronic abdominal pain relieved by warmth and massage; generalized edema or facial swelling accompanied by oliguria; cold-type low back pain with watery diarrhea containing undigested food; impotence, spermatorrhea, or uterine cold leading to infertility; chest pain radiating to the back, cough, wheezing, and palpitations; or nocturia and urinary incontinence.
(2) Principle of Health Preservation: Expel Cold and warm the Spleen and Kidneys. Since replenishing Yang is the primary therapeutic goal in Yang deficiency, emphasis must be placed on strengthening these two Zang organs. Among the five Zang, the Kidneys are the root of Yang Qi, while the Spleen serves as the pivotal site for Yang Qi transformation—thus, both Kidney and Spleen require targeted tonification.
(3) Lifestyle Regimen:
• Spiritual Cultivation: As stated in the Huangdi Neijing: "When Liver-Qi is deficient, fear arises"; and "When Heart-Qi is deficient, sorrow arises." These passages indicate that Qi deficiency in specific Zang organs predisposes individuals to corresponding emotional disturbances.
Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that Yang deficiency often evolves from prolonged Qi deficiency; therefore, individuals with Yang- or Qi-deficiency constitutions commonly exhibit low mood, sadness, and emotional fragility. Cultivating resilience and regulating emotions—by avoiding excessive sorrow, fear, and anger—is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of negative emotions.
• Environmental Adjustment: Individuals with this constitution tend to feel cold in both body and limbs, strongly prefer warmth, and tolerate spring and summer well but struggle during autumn and winter. Hence, environmental regulation is especially critical to enhance resistance. It is recommended that, during summer, one receive moderate sun exposure—approximately 20–30 sessions, each lasting 15–20 minutes under natural sunlight—to support Yang throughout the year.
Elderly and frail individuals should avoid sleeping outdoors in summer, direct fan exposure, and prolonged stays in shaded, cool areas.
• Physical Exercise: As the classic principle states, "Movement engenders Yang." Therefore, daily exercise—once or twice per day across all seasons—is advised. Activities should be selected according to individual physical capacity and tolerance.
• Dietary Regulation: Prioritize foods that tonify Yang, such as mutton and chicken. Following the seasonal principle "Nourish Yang in spring and summer," consuming mutton and processed aconite root soup several times during summer aligns with the ascending, expansive movement of Yang in nature—and thereby strengthens the body’s Yang.
Health Preservation Principles for Qi-Deficiency Constitution
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Qi-deficiency constitution.
(1) Physical Characteristics: Individuals may appear either emaciated or overweight with soft, flaccid flesh; feel chronically fatigued and weak; exhibit a pale, lusterless complexion; speak in a low, feeble voice; sweat spontaneously—especially during exertion; experience palpitations and poor appetite; display a pale tongue with a thin white coating; and manifest a weak pulse. These constitute the core features.
When the condition worsens, accompanying symptoms may include shortness of breath, reluctance to speak, cough, wheezing, and general debility; reduced food intake with abdominal distension and loose stools; prolapse of the rectum or uterus; palpitations and mental exhaustion; or soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, frequent urination, premature ejaculation (in men), or profuse, thin, clear leukorrhea (in women).
(2) Principle of Health Preservation: Supplement and support Qi. The Lungs govern Qi formation; the Kidneys store Essential Qi; and the Spleen and Stomach serve as the "source and transformation hub of Qi." Therefore, warming and invigorating the Spleen, Stomach, Lungs, and Kidneys is fundamental.
(3) Lifestyle Regimen:
• Dietary Regulation: Favor Qi-tonifying foods such as rice, glutinous rice, millet, yellow rice, barley, yams, Job’s tears (coix seed), naked oats, potatoes, jujubes (dates), carrots, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, chicken, rabbit, quail, beef, herring, and chub fish. In cases of severe Qi deficiency, herbal supplementation may be indicated under professional guidance.[I]
Health Preservation Principles for Blood deficiency constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Blood deficiency type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(1).Physical characteristics: the facial complexion is pale or yellow, pale or white lips, dizziness and dim eyesight or blurred vision, palpitation, insomnia, numbness in the hand and foot, pale tongue, the pulse is weak.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: supplement blood and supplement Qi.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Spiritual recuperation: for the people with blood deficiency, often depressed, insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, so should inspire own spirit. In the conditions of the upset, bad mood, better enjoy some music, drama, watch a humorous pantomime, can help to cheer up the spirit.
Daily life regulation: to watch and attention and void "long term seeing" because it hurt the blood, should Not overwork and exhaust in thinking.
Diet regulation: better often eat mulberry, litchi, pine nuts, black fungus, spinach, carrots, pork, mutton, beef liver, sheep liver, soft-shelled turtle, sea cucumber, butterfish, and other food, because these foods have the effects for nourishing the blood.
Health Preservation Principles for Yang excess constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Yang excess type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(1).Physical characteristics: The body is physically strong, the facial complexion is red when vexed, the voice sound is high, likes cool and afraid of hot, thirsty and likes a cold drink, urination is hot and red, defecate fumigates smellily are its characteristics.
In the condition of disease, easy generating heat from the Yang, symptoms high fever, pulse full and big, great thirst, cold drink, etc.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: nourish Yin and hide Yang.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Spiritual recuperation: the people of Yang excess constitution tend to get angry and irritated easily, so should better pay attention to cultivate the morality and wills, cultivate good character, use consciousness to control themselves, when encountering angry things, better use reason to overcome those emotional impulses.
Physical exercise: actively participate in physical activities, let excess Yang goes out. Swimming exercise is the better choice, in addition, running, martial arts, ball, etc., can also be selected according to the hobby.
Diet regulation: better avoid spicy dry strong food, such as chili, ginger, onion and better eat fewer beef, chicken, and other food which warm Yang. Better eat more fruits, vegetables, such as bananas, watermelons, tomatoes, bitter gourds, lotus root. The wine is hot and going upward, those people with Yang excess body constitution should better stop drinking alcohol.
Health Preservation Principles for Blood stasis constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Blood stasis type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(1).Physical characteristics: the facial complexion is dark, lips color dark, the eyelid is black, scaly dry skin(squamous and dry skin) , easy bleeding, dark purple tongue or petechiae, pulse fine tart or thin or intermittent. If the above symptoms are aggravated, there might be symptoms pain in head, chest, hypochondria, lower abdomen, or limbs. The lip is purple or prone to bleeding, vomiting of blood, blackness feces, etc., or mass in the abdomen, women with dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis(uterine bleeding) , etc.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: eliminating blood stasis.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Spiritual recuperation: the people with blood stasis body constitution should pay attention to mental health care, to develop an optimistic mood. If a person has happy mood then the Qi and blood circulate smoothly, the Yin(Nutritive) system and Wei(defense) system are in good circulation, better for the improvement of blood stasis body constitution. On the contrary, emotional distress, depression can aggravate blood stasis tendency.
Physical exercise: do more heart-healthy activities, such as dancing, playing Taijiquan, longevity exercise, health care massage, can be practiced, with the whole body move, to help Qi and blood movement as the principle.
Diet regulation: better often eat the peach kernel, cole, mushrooms, black soybean and other foods with the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, drink a small amount of wine, eat more vinegar, enjoy some hawthorn porridge, peanut porridge also quite appropriate.
Health Preservation Principles for Phlegm and dampness constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Phlegm and dampness type body constitution, the principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(1).Physical characteristics: The body is fat, hobby eating fat and greasy sweet food, tired in spirit, lazy to move, drowsiness, the body is heavy and self-sensation as wrapped, mouth greasy or loose stool, pulse soft and slippery, the tongue is fat, tongue coating is greasy. In the condition of disease, sense of suppression in the chest, cough asthma with much sputum; or low food intake and poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, loose stool; or swollen limbs, depressions, difficulty in micturition or cloudy urine, or the head and body are heavy and sleepy, joint pain and heavy, numbness in skin and muscle; or too much leucorrhea in women.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: eliminating phlegm and dampness.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Environmental adjustment: do not live in a humid environment; in the rainy season, pay attention to avoid the invasion of damp.
Diet regulation: eat less food with fat sweet greasy taste, should not drink more wine and not eat too much. Eat more vegetables, fruits, especially some of the food benefit spleen and eliminating dampness, including ternip, water chestnuts, seaweed, jellyfish, onions, loquat fruit, dates(jujube fruit), lentils, coix seed, red beans, soy beans, cabbage, etc.
Physical exercise:the people of phlegm and dampness body constitution, have more body fat, body weight and easily tired, so should insist on long-term physical exercise, walking, jogging, ball games, swimming, martial arts, and all kinds of dance, all are sports options. The amount of activity should be gradually increased, so that loose skin and muscle could gradually turn into a strong, dense muscle.
Health Preservation Principles for Qi stagnation constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Qi stagnation type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(1).Physical characteristics: the body is thin or a little fat, the facial complexion is pale dark or emaciated yellow, usually character irritable, easily excited, or melancholy, chest tightness and not comfortable, often sigh, pale and light pink tongue, tongue coating white, pulse string.
In the condition of disease, thoracic and hypochondriac pain or scurrying pain; or distension and pain in breast and abdomen, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea; obstruction of the pharynx, if anything strange in it; or neck gall; or epigastric distention pain, vomit acid water, hiccup; or abdominal pain and borborygmus, defecation discomforts; Or Qi counterflow upward, a headache, dizziness, epistaxis and faint.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: prompt Qi circulation.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Mood regulation:this kind of person is introverted, their expression is often in the depressed state, according to the ancient works Huangdi Neijing, "joy wins sorrow" principle, should take the initiative to seek happiness, join in more social activities, collective recreational activities, enjoy more comedy, burlesque, and enjoy movies of rich encourage, television, do not see tragedy, bitter drama. Listen to lively, cheerful, exciting music, to improve sentiment. Read books with more positive, encouraging, fun, better life, to develop an open, open-minded awareness, in the fame and wealth regardless of gains and losses, always happy.
Physical exercise: participate in more physical exercise and tourism activities, sports and tourism activities can exercise the body, prompting the circulation of Qi and blood, not only enjoy the natural beauty, regulate the spirit, breathe fresh air, and can bathe in the sun, strengthen the physique condition.
Diet regulation: a small amount of alcohol or wine could be used to activate blood vessels and improve mood. Eat more food which could prompt Qi circulation, such as bergamot, orange, orange peel, buckwheat, leek, fennel seedlings, garlic, ham, sorghum peel, sword bean, citron, etc.
Introduction: Introduction: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and clinical practice—including symptomatology, pulse diagnosis, and tongue examination—there are eight primary constitutional types: Yin-deficiency constitution, Yang-deficiency constitution, Qi-deficiency constitution, Blood-deficiency constitution, Yang-excess constitution, Blood-stasis constitution, Phlegm-Dampness constitution, and Qi-stagnation constitution. Specific health preservation methods for each are introduced below:
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Yin-deficiency constitution.
(2) Principle of Health Preservation: Nourish Yin and clear Heat; nourish the Liver and Kidneys. Since Yin deficiency is the core imbalance, replenishing Yin is paramount. Among the five Zang organs, the Liver stores Blood and the Kidneys store Essence—both reside in the Lower Jiao. Therefore, priority should be given to nourishing the Liver and Kidneys.
• Environmental Adjustment: Due to their inherent tendency toward internal Heat—evidenced by thin build, heat in the palms and soles, dry mouth and throat, heat intolerance, and preference for cold—these individuals fare better in winter but feel particularly uncomfortable in hot, humid summers. During summer, they should actively avoid excessive heat exposure.
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Yang-deficiency constitution.
(3) Lifestyle Regimen:
Introduction: This section outlines the physical characteristics, health preservation principles, and lifestyle regimens specific to the Qi-deficiency constitution.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Blood deficiency type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Diet regulation: better often eat mulberry, litchi, pine nuts, black fungus, spinach, carrots, pork, mutton, beef liver, sheep liver, soft-shelled turtle, sea cucumber, butterfish, and other food, because these foods have the effects for nourishing the blood.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Yang excess type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Diet regulation: better avoid spicy dry strong food, such as chili, ginger, onion and better eat fewer beef, chicken, and other food which warm Yang. Better eat more fruits, vegetables, such as bananas, watermelons, tomatoes, bitter gourds, lotus root. The wine is hot and going upward, those people with Yang excess body constitution should better stop drinking alcohol.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Blood stasis type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(3).Health regimen:
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Phlegm and dampness type body constitution, the principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: eliminating phlegm and dampness.
Introduction: Physical characteristics of the Qi stagnation type body constitution, principle of health preservation, Health regimen, etc.
✵(2).The principle of health preservation: prompt Qi circulation.
Physical exercise: participate in more physical exercise and tourism activities, sports and tourism activities can exercise the body, prompting the circulation of Qi and blood, not only enjoy the natural beauty, regulate the spirit, breathe fresh air, and can bathe in the sun, strengthen the physique condition.
