Health Encyclopedia

Health Encyclopedia


2024/05/20

What should children eat to replenish blood? Traditional Chinese medicine recommends different blood-nourishing foods for various periods.

The definition of a child is someone under the age of 18, and child healthcare is divided into different periods: fetal period, infant period, toddler period, and school-age period. During different periods, dietary adjustments and blood-nourishing foods vary. Fetal Period Blood-Nourishing Foods: During the fetal period, the growth and development of the fetus rely entirely on the mother's qi and blood. Therefore, the diet of pregnant women should primarily consist of light, palatable, easily digestible, and nutritious foods. It is advised to avoid raw, cold, spicy, and greasy foods to protect the spleen and stomach and ensure smooth bowel movements. Different constitutions also require tailored dietary approaches; for instance, if a pregnant woman has blood deficiency, she can appropriately consume foods like angelica, white peony, donkey-hide gelatin, goji berries, polygonum multiflorum, longan meat, and chicken blood vine. For those with qi deficiency, foods like ginseng, astragalus, codonopsis, and white atractylodes can be beneficial. In summary, the dietary management during the fetal period has a profound impact on the physical constitution, strength, and health of the child later on. Infant Period Blood-Nourishing Foods: During the infant period, the infant's organs are delicate and not fully developed. This period is primarily characterized by breastfeeding, and the rapid growth and development of infants require a significant amount of nutrients. Therefore, the best approach during breastfeeding is to nourish through breast milk. Mothers can consume blood-nourishing foods such as animal organs (like pig liver and pig blood) or black fungus, yam, and red dates. By nourishing the mother's body, the infant's qi and blood are also being nourished. Toddler Period Blood-Nourishing Foods: In the toddler period, children's bodies gradually grow, and their intelligence develops significantly. They can start normal diets, but during this stage, there is often a deficiency in qi and blood, and the spleen and stomach functions may be weak, leading to nutritional and digestive disorders. Why is this related to qi and blood? From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, the spleen governs blood and is the source of qi and blood production. Therefore, during the toddler period, it is essential to have a reasonable diet, pay attention to food hygiene, and reduce the chances of spleen and stomach diseases. Strengthening the spleen is the first priority, so we can appropriately give toddlers gentle foods such as dried tangerine peel, poria, sesame, job's tears, walnuts, and peanuts to help regulate their spleen, stomach, qi, and blood, improve intestinal nutrient absorption, enhance immunity, and promote development. The principle for feeding toddlers usually follows: from less to more, from thin to thick, from fine to coarse, and from single to multiple varieties, with foods being fine, soft, mushy, and broken. School-Age Period Blood-Nourishing Foods: During the school-age period, children's bodies continue to grow steadily, and they are in an important stage of development. To balance the needs of qi and blood, they can eat more meats or plant-based foods such as chicken, duck, pork, beef, lamb, chestnuts, black beans, and spinach, which can strengthen the spleen and nourish the blood. Some soy milk, fish, chicken, eggs, and grains (like white rice and red rice) can be given as appropriate. Additionally, it is important to avoid excessive snacking, picky eating, and eating before bedtime. Ensuring sufficient nutritional intake is crucial to meet growth and development needs. Gradually develop good eating habits, eat on time and in appropriate amounts, and if too much is consumed at once, it can burden the spleen and stomach, leading to qi and blood damage, so caution is necessary!

2024/05/20

Completely Get Rid of the Suffering from Eczema: The Wonderful Methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treating Eczema

Eczema is a common skin disease, referred to in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as "湿疹" or "湿疮". According to TCM theory, eczema is usually classified as a damp-heat syndrome, primarily caused by the retention of dampness and heat in the body, leading to symptoms such as skin inflammation, itching, redness, swelling, and spreading. The methods of treating eczema in TCM mainly include the following aspects: (1) Clearing heat and detoxifying: For damp-heat syndromes, TCM uses herbal medicines with heat-clearing and detoxifying effects to eliminate internal heat toxins. Common herbs include Huanglian (Coptis), Huangbai (Phellodendron), and Shanzhizi (Gardenia), which can be used through decoction or oral administration. (2) Expelling dampness and transforming turbidity: Eczema is often related to dampness, and TCM believes that dampness stagnates in the body, blocking the meridians, leading to skin inflammation and itching. Therefore, expelling dampness and transforming turbidity is one of the important methods for treating eczema. Common herbs include Fuling (Poria), Zexie (Alisma), and Banxia (Pinellia), which can also be used through decoction or oral administration. (3) Activating blood circulation and resolving stasis: When eczema itches, patients are prone to skin damage and blood stasis due to constant scratching. TCM believes that activating blood circulation and resolving stasis can improve local blood circulation and promote the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. Common herbs include Sanqi (Notoginseng), Honghua (Carthamus), and Danggui (Angelica), which can be used through external application, decoction, or oral administration. (4) Regulating the spleen and stomach: TCM believes that weakness of the spleen and stomach can lead to the retention of dampness in the body, exacerbating eczema symptoms. Therefore, regulating the spleen and stomach is a key part of treating eczema. Common herbal formulas include Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction) and Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction), which can be used through decoction or oral administration. The methods of treating eczema in TCM are not limited to oral herbal medicine but also include acupuncture and other external treatment methods. Here are some common acupuncture and other treatment methods: (1) Acupuncture therapy: Acupuncture is one of the commonly used treatment methods in TCM, which stimulates specific acupoints to regulate the circulation of qi and blood in the body and address the underlying condition. Acupuncture can target different symptoms and constitutions of patients by selecting corresponding acupoints to achieve effects such as dispelling wind and dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying, and activating blood circulation and resolving stasis. Common acupuncture points include Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36), and Quchi (LI11). Acupuncture treatment for eczema can be performed alone or in combination with herbal treatment. (2) External application of herbal medicine: This involves preparing herbal medicine into a decoction or paste and applying it externally to the affected area to achieve effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, and moisturizing to relieve itching. Common herbs include Huangbai (Phellodendron), Baixianpi (Dictamnus), and Shengdihuang (Rehmannia), which can be selected based on the patient's specific symptoms and constitution. External application of herbal medicine can alleviate local inflammation, itching, and pain. (3) Herbal soaking therapy: Specific herbal materials are soaked in water, and the soaking liquid is used for bathing or local soaking to achieve the effect of treating eczema. Common herbal materials include Kushen (Sophora), Huanglian (Coptis), and Jinyinhua (Honeysuckle), targeting the damp-heat syndrome in the body to improve eczema symptoms. (4) Herbal ointments: Herbal ointments are made by decocting various herbs into a paste, which is then applied externally to the affected area to treat eczema. Common herbs include Xuanshen (Scrophularia), Baixianpi (Dictamnus), and Shengdihuang (Rehmannia), which can improve eczema symptoms through their heat-clearing, detoxifying, and blood-activating properties. Additionally, TCM treatment for eczema emphasizes individualized treatment, selecting medications and treatment methods based on the patient's constitution and specific condition. TCM also places great importance on daily life adjustments, advising patients to avoid spicy, irritating, and greasy foods, maintain skin cleanliness, engage in appropriate exercise, and maintain a good mental state. It is important to note that acupuncture and external herbal treatments should be conducted under the guidance of a qualified physician, with a comprehensive diagnosis and assessment performed beforehand to develop a suitable treatment plan, and to follow the physician's guidance to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.

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