Do you often find yourself feeling exhausted and stressed out with a foggy mind or depressed and anxious mood? Perhaps you have difficulty falling asleep, experiencing body aches or chronic headaches. These are all signs that you may be blood deficient, which according to Traditional Chinese Medicine is much more involved than the iron deficiency we know of in the west which can cause similar signs and symptoms.
In TCM philosophy, Blood does more than just run through our veins and oxygenate our cells, it is the very basis of yin (the calming, cooling, grounding energy) which prodives nourishment and moisture to the whole body, keeps our hair, skin and muscles strong and lubricates our joints. It also nourishes and calms our mind, whilst supporting clear and sharp cognition.
Causes of Blood Deficiency include:
The main causes of blood deficiency include not eating enough blood building foods ie. restrictive diets, poorly managed vegan and vegetarian diets plus poor digestion which makes the creation of blood from food difficult. Blood loss due to trauma, childbirth, heavy mensturation and breastfeeding can also contribute to blood deficiency as well as excessive cold and damp foods which affects the spleens ability to produce blood (according to TCM the spleen is responsible for producing blood from food).
Signs of blood deficiency include:
- Pale lips/nails/ tongue/face, dry skin, dry hair, body aches and weakness, dizziness, headaches, migraines, poor concentration, poor memory, depression, anxiety, fatigue, very heavy or very light periods, difficulty falling asleep, chronic stress.
Blood Building Herbs Include:
- Dong Quai
- Codonopis
- Licorice
- Rehmannia
- White Peony
- Goji Berry
- Withania
- Longan Fruit
- White Mulberry
- Poria
Blood Building Foods Include:
- Eggs
- Beef
- Chicken
- Sea Vegetables
- Molasses
- Raw Cacao
- Dried Apricots
- Prunes
- Leafy Greens
- Dates
- Seeds and Nuts
- Beets
- Pumpkin
- Sweet Potato
- Carrots
- Oats
- Brown Rice
- Quinoa
- Beans
- Spirulina
- Nutritional Yeast
Ensuring that we have sufficient blood in both quality and quantity is essential for our health. By consuming blood building foods daily and avoiding things that weaken our digestion such as cold and damp foods in excess, we can help our body to rebuild it’s stores. This is especially important if the blood stores have been under strain, which is particularly common in women after pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, or if they experience heavy periods and/or follow a plant based diet that doesn't involve adequate blood building foods from plant sources. As you can see, all of these things combined would mean some serious blood building treatment would be indicated and therefore including not only blood building foods, but also blood building herbs would be essential to restoring wellbeing.