體型特徵:形體偏瘦長
常見表現:手足心熱,平素易口燥咽乾,鼻微乾,口渴喜冷飲,大便乾燥,舌紅少津少苔,脈象弦細或數
面色潮紅、有烘熱感,目乾澀,視物花,唇紅微乾,皮膚偏乾,易生皺紋,眩暈耳鳴,睡眠差,小便短澀
心理特徵:性情急躁、外向好動,活潑
發病傾向:易患有陰虧燥熱的病變如虛勞、失精、不寐等,或病後易從熱化
津液屬陰,如果津液虧虛,就會導致陰分不足而陽氣亢盛,久而久之導致陰虛體質。水可濡養身體臟腑,制衡陽熱,如果陰虛缺水,會出現無法濡潤、體內"上火"的現像。
朱丹溪認為,萬物皆有陰陽兩面,太為陽,地為陰,天為陽,地為陰。天大於地,太陽始終如一,月亮卻有陰晴圓缺,自然界來說是"陽盛陰衰"體現,人是自然界一部分,所以也存在著這種狀態。"人受天地之氣以生,天之陽氣為氣,地之陰氣為血"故氣常有餘,血常不足。
養生法:滋陰降火
宜吃味甘、性涼食物,鴨、綠豆、菠菜、冬瓜、百合、苦瓜、蓮藕、橙、梨、西瓜、香蕉等
少吃溫性食物,榴槤、櫻桃、龍眼、荔枝、紅豆、韭菜、生姜,煎炸、辛辣食物。
多喝水,因為陰虛為體內營養物質(陰液)不足,對全身的滋養功能減退而表現出“乾燥”的特徵 。
切忌熬夜,熬夜是暗耗陰液的一個過程。長期熬夜,體內陰液會慢慢被消耗,導致陰虛體質加重 。
重精神調攝,陰虛體質者性情急躁易怒,若情志過極相火妄動,或暗耗陰血,或助火生熱,更加重陰虛質的偏傾,故應做到「恬淡虛無,精神內守」修身養性來遏相火妄動,學會喜與憂、苦與樂、順與逆的正確對待,保持穩定的心態。
節制房事,減少對元精損耗。精屬陰,陰虛者當護陰,而性生活太過可傷精,故應節制性生活。
按摩太溪、三陰交和照海(太溪-內踝後方,內踝尖與跟腱之間凹陷處,三陰交-足內踝尖上3寸,照海-內踝尖正下方凹陷處)
阿膠粥
阿膠30克,糯米30克,紅糖適量。
阿膠搗碎,放入鍋內用火炒至黃色,然後將糯米煮粥,待煮至九成熟時,加入阿膠和紅糖,邊煮邊攪拌,待粥稠膠化即可。
阿膠甘平,能補血止血,滋陰潤燥。
百合
百合味甘性平,有補中清熱益氣功效。陰虛體質者以鮮品最好,能與多種食材搭配食用。
百合銀花茶
百合30克,金銀花20克,冰糖適量,加水1000毫升,煮沸。
Body Physique: slender
Common Traits: feverish hands and soles; dry mouth and throat; slightly dry nose; thirsty and fond of cold drinks; dry stool; red tongue with little saliva and coating; wiry; thready or rapid pulse (Xian Mai, Shu Mai, Xi Mai).
Blushing, warm face; dry eyes with poor vision; dry lips; dry skin with wrinkles; dizziness and tinnitus; poor quality of sleep; urination is short and not smooth.
Personality traits: impatient, extroverted, active, and lively.
Tendency for illness: tend to be diagnosed with Ying deprived, dry illnesses such as consumptive disease, loss of essence, sleeplessness. Body tends to become “dry” after sickness.
Body fluid is Yin in nature, if it is deficient, there will be not enough Yin and Yang Qi will become prevalent, eventually resulting a Yin deficient body constitution. Water can nourish the viscera, regulate the “heat” of Yang. If the body is deficient in Yin and water, these organs cannot be nourished, resulting in “Shang Huo” where internal heat is in excess.
A constant sufficiency of Yang and insufficiency of Ying
Zhu Danxi, a famous ancient Chinese medical expert, suggested that there are two sides-Ying and Yang to everything. The sky is Yang and earth is Yin, the sun is Yang and the moon is Yin; the sky is larger than the earth, and sun always stays round while the moon waxes and wanes. This is a natural exhibition of “Yang prevalent Yin deficient” situation. Since human are a part of the nature, the same principle also applies to human body. Humans live by receiving Qi from the sky and the earth, Yang Qi from the sky is Qi, and Yin Qi from the ground is blood. Therefore, Qi is usually abundant while blood is insufficient.
Recommended to have sweet, “cold” natured food, such as duck meat, mung bean, spinach, winter melon, lily, bitter melon, lotus root, orange, pear, watermelon, and banana.
Avoid “warm” natured food, such as durian, cherry, longan, lychee, adzuki bean, Chinese chives, raw ginger, fried or spicy food.
Drink water regularly, since Yin deficiency is caused by insufficiency in nutrients (Yin fluid), which then hampers the nourishing function of the whole body, causing “dry” symptoms.
Do not stay up late since it exhausts Yin fluid. In the long term this will drain and deplete Yin fluid, aggravating Yin deficiency.
Focus on spiritual cultivation. Yin deficient people are impatient and irritable, once their emotions run high, “heat” prevails while Yin and blood is depleted. “Dryness” may also prevail, worsening yin deficiency. To counter this, one should practice “tranquility and spiritual cultivation” to refrain emotions from being out of control, learning how to handle emotions, and maintain a calm mental state.
Limit intercourse to prevent depletion of essence. Essence is Yin in nature and is especially precious for Yin deficient people. Too much intercourse will deplete essence, thus should be limited.
Massage Taixi, Sanyinjiao and Zhaohai. (Taixi – at the crescent between Achilles tendon and medial malleolus, Sanyinjiao – 3 inch above medial malleolus, Zhaohai – crescent right blow medial malleolus)
Ejiao porridge
30 g of ejiao, 30g of sicky rice, brown sugar
Crush the ejiao and fry until brown. Simmer sticky rice to make porridge. Add ejiao and brown sugar when it is 90% done. Mix until porridge thickens.
Ejiao is sweet and neutral in nature, it replenishes blood, stanches bleeding, replenishes Yin and moisturize dryness.
Lily flower
Lily is sweet and neutral, it supplements center (spleen and stomach), clears heat, replenish Qi. Fresh lily should be consumed for Yin deficient people. Can be used with many other ingredients.
Lily flower and honeysuckle tea
30g Lily flower, 20g Japanese honeysuckle, Brown sugar. Add the ingredients to 1000ml water and boil.