Understanding Yin Deficiency Body Constitution
In a healthy person’s body, the Yin and Yang energies are in equilibrium. When either of these energies become out of balance, the body will show symptoms and areas of discomfort.
When a person has a Yin deficiency body constitution, it means that the Yin energy in this person’s body is below average.
The Yin energy in our body plays an important role in nourishing our organs and skin with fluids (Yin). When the body lacks Yin energy, it means that the body cannot produce enough fluids for nourishment and hence most Yin-deficient people will find that they feel thirsty most of the time.
The following symptoms are some of the obvious signs of a person with Yin deficiency body constitution:
Hot palms and soles
People with Yin deficiency will find that their palms and soles are hotter than others. Some may also experience warm, sweaty palms because the body is expelling fluids as a result of Yin deficiency.
Dry mouth and throat
People with Yin deficiency will feel thirsty most of the time because there is a lack of fluids in their body. They also frequently experience dry mouth and throat.
Dry, hard stools
Dry and hard stools are pretty common for people with Yin deficiency because of a lack of fluids in the large intestine.
Easily frustrated
A person who lacks Yin energy will get frustrated more easily, especially when the weather is warm. This is because the Yin in our body is the opposite force that controls and holds the Yang energy in check. If Yin is deficient, the unbalanced over-functioning Yang energy will cause one to feel frustrated and irritated easily.
Common Issues With This Body Type
The following body issues are commonly associated with the Yin deficiency body type:
Feeling thirsty most of the time
Yin energy plays an important role in providing nourishment for our body with fluids and the lack of it results in dry mouth and throat, and feeling a persistent urge to drink water. This is the most common issue for people with Yin deficiency constitution.
Constipation
Constipation may occur due to the lack of fluids in a Yin-deficient person. This can sometimes be relieved by consuming more oil-based foods (like nuts, seeds, etc), but the long term solution is to restore the body’s Yin energy.
Dry eyes
The eyes are vital to a person’s quality of life. People with Yin deficiency may experience dry eyes, which causes discomfort when they are doing activities such as reading or using the computer/mobile device. Dry eye symptoms can sometimes be relieved by drinking more water. But if it is due to a persistent lack of Yin in the body, focusing on regaining the Yin energy is priority.
Insomnia
To some extent, people with Yin deficiency will also experience insomnia. If the insomnia is a result of Yin deficiency in the body, the person will find it difficult to fall asleep due to chest discomfort or heart palpitations.
Bringing Your Body Back To Balance
You do not need to be overly worried if you have a Yin deficiency 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.
Many people have a misconception that eating more cooling foods or drinking more herbal tea will help to restore the body’s Yin energy, but it’s not true. In fact, it will worsen your Yin deficiency body constitution.
The right solution is to eat foods that can nourish the Yin energy in your body. Adding these foods to your diet or increasing the intake of these foods will help to return your body to a more balanced state.
Following are the top 5 recommended foods that will benefit you if you have Yin deficiency body constitution (as a general rule of thumb, please consume all foods in moderation):
1. Duck Meat (Chinese Name: 鸭肉)
Duck meat is one of the best foods for people with Yin deficiency as it has the main property of nourishing the Yin energy in your body.
In addition, duck meat promotes Qi and vitality and is also useful for relieving water retention.
2. Bird’s Nest (Chinese Name: 燕窝)
Bird’s nest is another excellent food for people of Yin deficiency body type. It has been traditionally used to help people restore their Yin and return the body to a more balanced state.
Apart from its strong Yin-nourishing properties, bird’s nest is also helpful for strengthening and moisturizing your lungs.
Bird’s nest is neutral in thermal nature, so it is also suitable to be consumed by people with other body constitutions.
3. Black Sesame (Chinese Name: 黑芝麻)
In olden days, the wise people say that consuming black sesame regularly helps to increase longevity. The reason for this is that black sesame has strong properties in nourishing the Yin energy in our body.
Black sesame promotes the health and function of your liver, kidney and large intestine.
It also helps to relieve constipation, so it is ideal for people with Yin deficiency.
Black sesame paste (that is made from ground roasted black sesame seeds) is a great way to enjoy the health benefits of black sesame. You can use it as a bread spread, mix it with your noodles or add it to your oats. Alternatively, you can consume black sesame powder by adding it to your soy drink.
For more information on black sesame, check out our blog post here!
4. Lily (Chinese Name: 百合)
Lily is a highly recommended food for individuals with Yin deficiency body constitution, especially if they have insomnia.
Besides nourishing the Yin energy in our body, lily also helps to calm the mind and improve quality of sleep. It can also help to nourish the lungs and relieve dry coughs.
There are both fresh and dried types of lily available in the market.
For fresh lily, you can add it to almost any dish as it does not require a long cooking time. In fact, fresh lily can be consumed raw.
For dried lily, you will need to soak it in warm water for about 45 minutes before you add it to desserts or soups. Dried lily can be found in most TCM retail shops.
5. White Fungus (Chinese Name: 白木耳)
Similar to lily, white fungus has the property of nourishing the Yin energy in our body and also helps with relieving dry cough.
On top of that, white fungus has the added property of quenching thirst. So if you constantly feel thirsty, you can consider adding white fungus to your diet for relief.
White fungus is commonly used in desserts, together with ingredients such as longan, red dates and lily.
List of Recommended Foods
Apart from the top 5 recommended foods mentioned above, here are more food recommendations that are suitable for Yin deficiency body type.
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 Yin deficiency body constitution, it is best to avoid the following (or reduce intake as much as you possibly can):
- Foods that are spicy or contain chili (because the spiciness will further deplete the Yin energy in your body).
- Foods that are warm or hot in thermal nature (such as mutton, ginger, chives, etc).
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:
Sleep earlier
First, do your best to sleep by 10pm. The Yin energy in your body will be further depleted if you sleep later than 11pm. Understandably, most people will have great difficulty in changing their sleeping habits. If you are already used to sleeping late, you can start by making small changes along the way and gradually help your body to adjust to a healthier sleeping routine over time!
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent exercise for people with Yin deficiency. The water movement can help your body to regain the natural balance of Yin and Yang. Do your best to go for a swim at least once every week.
All the above lifestyle changes will help to improve your quality of life. Do give it a try!
Thank you for visiting TCMFoodTherapy.net – we hope you find the above information helpful!
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We sincerely wish you the very best of health!