Traditional Chinese medicine believes that being overweight is due to a deficiency in qi (energy), while being thin is due to a deficiency in blood. In simple terms, the body is a balanced whole, and when it lacks a certain element, it needs to be replenished. You can tell what a person lacks by looking at their body shape.
【Qi Deficiency is the Real Cause of Obesity】
A person with a balance of qi and blood will have sufficient movement of qi in their body. After eating, the nutrients will be absorbed, waste will be excreted, and excess qi will be diffused. As a result, their body will neither be overweight nor underweight. However, a person with qi deficiency will have insufficient movement of qi in their body. After eating, the nutrients will not be properly absorbed, waste will not be excreted, and excess substances that were not diffused will be converted into fat and accumulate in the body. Fat is essentially the waste that has not been diffused.
Therefore, qi deficiency is the real cause of obesity, and being overweight is the most obvious sign of qi deficiency. To determine if someone is a qi-deficient type of overweight person, we also need to look at their mental state. Qi-deficient overweight individuals often experience shortness of breath, laziness in speech, easy fatigue, dizziness, and forgetfulness.
"Qi is the commander of blood." When there is qi deficiency, the driving force for blood circulation weakens, resulting in sluggish blood flow. This can cause shortness of breath, laziness in speech, and fatigue. With weakened qi movement, blood cannot fully reach the face, resulting in a pale and overweight appearance. As the ancients said, "A person who is pale and overweight is often qi deficient."
Treatment method: Dang Shen, with its sweet and neutral properties, can tonify the middle and boost qi, strengthen the spleen and lungs, and is used for qi deficiency, fatigue, and shortness of breath. It is recommended to eat more millet, pig stomach, carrots, and mushrooms, as they are all foods that can tonify qi.
【Puffy-eyed Overweight People Have Dampness】
There is a type of overweight person whose qi is originally sufficient, but due to dampness in the body, the movement of qi becomes obstructed. As a result, their qi gradually weakens, and they gradually become overweight.
How can we determine if an overweight person has dampness in their body? Firstly, we should look at their puffy eyes. Overweight individuals with dampness in their body will have a shiny forehead and large puffy eyes. The spleen is the source of phlegm production, and if phlegm dampness accumulates in the body, it will disrupt the function of the spleen, leading to a lack of upward movement of qi. This lack of upward movement of qi can cause swelling of the eyelids.
To determine if an overweight person has dampness in their body, we should also look at their waist and abdomen. Qi-deficient overweight individuals are often referred to as "fatty people," but they have a "uniform obesity" where their abdomen is not large and their body shape is proportional. Yin-deficient overweight individuals are often referred to as "fat people" and their obesity is distributed evenly throughout their body. However, there is a type of overweight person whose abdomen is larger than their body, with layers of fat concentrated in the abdominal area, resembling a "swimming ring." If an overweight person has a "swimming ring" and sagging waist and abdominal fat, they likely have dampness in their body.
Solution: Eat winter melon, adzuki beans, lotus leaf, hawthorn, and loquat leaves. These foods can eliminate dampness, soothe the lungs, promote diuresis, and strengthen the spleen. If consumed for a long time, the dampness in the body will be eliminated and the circulation of qi and blood will be smooth. It is also important to engage in aerobic exercise for a long period of time, such as walking for 1 hour and 5 kilometers every day.
【Symptoms of Four Types of Lean Individuals】
Lean individuals with excessive internal heat have yin deficiency; lean individuals with dark spots have blood stasis; introverted lean individuals have qi stagnation; lean individuals prone to acne have damp-heat.
Lean individuals are often yin deficient with excessive internal heat. They should consume foods that nourish yin and moisturize dryness, such as lily, honey, bitter melon, etc., and avoid spicy and fried foods. Yin deficiency often leads to internal heat, so weak individuals tend to be irritable and easily angry, with dry mouth and sore throat. In addition to nourishing yin, it is also important to clear away internal heat. Foods such as clam and dwarf lilyturf root soup, chrysanthemum pork congee, etc., can be consumed for this purpose.
If symptoms of blood deficiency, such as pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations occur, blood should be replenished.
According to experts, there are two types of blood deficiency. One is low hemoglobin, which is often caused by iron deficiency and can be improved by consuming foods such as pork liver and pig blood. Another type is insufficient blood function, with normal hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. For this type, it is recommended to consume astragalus and angelica in a ratio of 6:1, along with a moderate amount of jujube boiled in water.
The simplest method to replenish qi is clapping hands. Clapping hands is a vigorous and yang-tonifying method of health preservation. The hands are the stronghold of yang qi, while the feet are the stronghold of yin qi. There are 39 acupuncture points on the hands, and clapping hands can vibrate the yang qi and promote the circulation of qi throughout the body.
Therefore, qi and blood are the center of health preservation, and balance is the aim of qi and blood. The body's qi includes liver qi, lung qi, kidney qi, spleen qi, defensive qi, nutrient qi, ancestral qi, etc. Only when they are balanced can your body be healthy.
