Blood Stasis Body Constitution

Understanding Blood Stasis Body Constitution

A normal healthy person will experience healthy blood flow (and Qi flow) and seldom have blood clots in the body.

On the other hand, a person with blood stasis body constitution will experience some pains in various areas of the body. In TCM, there is a saying, “不通则痛” – it means that where there are blockages (blood or Qi clots), there will be pain.

Clots are formed when the blood flow is not smooth. There are two main reasons why blood clots form in the body.

Firstly, when a person has chill Qi (寒气) in the body for a prolonged period of time, the chill will slow down blood circulation in the area where the chill Qi is located. As time passes, blood clots form in that area as a result of blood stagnation.

The second reason is because of a person’s weak Qi. There is a TCM saying, “气行则血行” – which means that when the Qi is strong, the blood flow will then be smooth.

When someone has weaker Qi, it affects their blood circulation and in the long run, blood clots form in the area where the Qi is weak.

Some of the obvious signs of a person with a blood stasis body constitution include:

  1. Dull face and lip color

    For people with blood stasis body constitution, their face or lip color will appear duller or more brownish than others.

  2. Purplish or brownish spots / patches appearing out of nowhere

    People of blood stasis body type will also find purplish or brownish spots/patches appearing at random areas of their body without any reason. Some people may experience pain in various parts of their body all of a sudden.

  3. Forgetfulness

    People of blood stasis body type tend to be more forgetful than others.

Common Issues With This Body Type

It is important that we learn how to bring our body (from blood stasis body constitution) back to a more balanced state as having blood clots in the body can pose serious health issues in the long run.

The following body issues are commonly associated with the blood stasis body type:

  1. High blood pressure

    Some people of blood stasis body type will experience high blood pressure. Very high blood pressure can lead to stroke and other heart-related diseases.

  2. Coronary heart disease

    One of the most common heart-related condition that individuals with blood stasis body constitution are at risk of is coronary heart disease. This happens when the coronary arteries are blocked by clots and become narrower over time.

Bringing Your Body Back To Balance

You do not need to be overly worried if you have blood stasis body constitution (if you’re unsure of your body type, click here to take the TCM body constitution test).

By making adjustments to your eating and lifestyle habits, you can help your body to regain a state of balance and enjoy stronger immunity and better life quality!

Let’s check out what foods are suitable for your body constitution and the lifestyle changes you can make to improve your health!

Top Recommended Foods To Eat

Eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong foods (which will be covered in a later section) is the first step towards bringing your body back to a more balanced state.

Foods that are highly suitable for people with blood stasis body constitution are those with inherent properties that improve blood flow and disperse blood clots.

Adding these foods to your diet or increasing the intake of these foods will help to improve your body constitution and return your body to a more balanced state.

Following are the top 5 recommended foods that will benefit you if you have blood stasis body constitution (as a general rule of thumb, please consume all foods in moderation):

1. Hawthorn (Chinese Name: 山楂)

HawthornHawthorn is an ideal food for people with blood stasis body constitution as it has the property of improving blood circulation and dispersing blood clots.

For individuals with high blood cholesterol, hawthorn is also helpful in lowering your cholesterol levels.

When purchasing hawthorn, do take note to choose fresh or dried hawthorn as they have stronger properties in improving blood flow than the fried version (which are black colored).

For more information on the benefits and ways to consume hawthorn, check out our blog post here!

2. Rose (Chinese Name: 玫瑰花)

roseRose is another highly recommended food for people with blood stasis body constitution.

It has strong properties in promoting blood circulation as well as pain relief, which makes it suitable for individuals who experience random pains in their body from time to time.

Rose can also harmonize Qi flow in the liver, which helps to make you feel lighter and more relaxed.

A good way to get the benefits of rose is to put some in hot water and make it your daily drink!

For more information on rose benefits and recipes, check out our blog post here!

3. Black Beans (Chinese Name: 黑豆)

Black beans help to improve blood flow, remove blood clots and expel wind, which makes it highly suitable for individuals with blood stasis body constitution.

If you experience numbness in your hands and legs, black beans are also helpful as it helps to promote blood circulation.

Black beans can be added to any soup, especially with ingredients like carrot, black fungus, corn and mushrooms as all these foods help in improving your blood circulation.

You can also add black beans to your own soy milk at home using soy milk machines, which makes a great combination for strengthening your spleen and kidneys!

For more information on black bean benefits, check out our blog post here!

4. Peach (Chinese Name: 桃)

PeachPeach is an ideal fruit for people of blood stasis body type as it helps with promoting blood circulation.

Individuals whose blood stasis body constitution is caused by Qi deficiency are even more suitable to eat peach as it promotes Qi flow and stops excessive sweating (which is a common issue for people with Qi deficiency).

On top of that, peach helps to improve your energy levels and is also helpful for relieving constipation (as it moisturizes the large intestine).

5. Lotus Root (Chinese Name: 莲藕)

Lotus rootLotus root is ideal for people with blood stasis body constitution as it has the property of dispersing blood clots in the body.

If you experience symptoms like sudden bruises, pain in different areas of your body or dark eye bags (even with sufficient sleep), you can try adding lotus root to your diet.

Lotus root can be added to any soup in your diet, whether it’s plant-based soup or soup with meat. It is recommended to cut the lotus root into thin slices for easy eating.

More Recommended Foods

Apart from the top 5 recommended foods mentioned above, here are more food recommendations that are suitable for people with blood stasis body constitution.

Foods To Avoid

As mentioned earlier, avoiding the wrong foods is as important as eating the right foods in your journey towards achieving a more balanced body state.

For someone with blood stasis body constitution, it is best to avoid the following (or reduce intake as much as you possibly can):

  1. Cold food and drinks

    Consuming cold food and drinks will further slow down the blood flow in your body and jeopardize your health.

  2. Raw food

    Raw food should also be avoided as much as possible, especially if your blood stasis body constitution is caused by Qi deficiency. Raw food requires more Qi to digest, so consuming them will further exhaust your body which could already Qi-deficient in the first place.

Lifestyle Recommendations

Apart from making adjustments to your food choices, the following are additional advice to help you shorten the time to regain your body health:

  1. Adopt a more active lifestyle

    Going for regular walks will help to improve your body’s blood flow. Leading a sedentary lifestyle and staying indoors will not help someone of blood stasis body type.

    You are encouraged to step out and do some regular walking as close to nature as possible, which will help greatly in bringing your body back to a more balanced state.

  2. Make time for relaxation

    People of blood stasis body type may find themselves getting frustrated easily. In this case, do find time for relaxation and be more mindful of your activities. Listen to calming music and engage in relaxation activities more often will do you good.


 

Thank you for visiting TCMFoodTherapy.net – we hope you find the above information helpful!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them at our Reddit page and we’ll be there to help you out 🙂

We sincerely wish you the very best of health!