Blood stasis diet (Xue Yu)

Blood is the life-giving fluid circulating in our blood vessels. It has three main tasks:

It nourishes the body
Hydrates the body
It is the material basis of our psyche

The Heart, Spleen and Liver are most closely related to the Blood. The formation of blood from the Chinese medicine perspective is influenced by the transformation of the essence from food and the transformation of the Jing essence from the Kidneys. The essence from food carries the Qi energy of the Spleen into the Lungs, where it mixes with the pure inhaled Qi enriched with the energy of the Lungs and Heart and seeps into the blood vessels, where it mixes with the blood to replenish and merge with it. The transformation of the essence from the Kidneys takes place in the Bone Marrow and Liver.

In order for the blood to perform its functions, it must constantly circulate in the blood vessels. Occasionally, for some reason, its flow slows down and then stops, causing a blockage which we call blood stasis (Xue Yu). The cause of blood stasis may be due to stagnation of Liver Qi, penetration of cold into the body, thickening of the blood by heat, weakening of Qi, external injury or weakening of the Yang, and the development of internal cold.

Blood stasis disrupts the mechanism of Qi and thus forms the etiological basis for many diverse health problems.

blood

The most common symptoms of blood stagnation picture

Fixed pains anywhere in the body (often sharp, worsened by pressure and or worsening at night).
Formation of palpable formations (fibroids, cysts, polyps, endometriosis, tumors, etc.).
Dark grey skin in the face.
Purplish lips, nails and tongue.
Purple veins on the skin.
Pain during menstruation.
Skipping periods or fertility problems.

General principles of diet in the painting

The main nutritional principles regarding blood stasis images are similar to those for Qi energy stagnation. Foods and habits that overwhelm the Liver (especially stress), impair the circulation of Qi and blood energy, or cool and constrict the blood vessels should be avoided.

Spicy or warming foods are generally used to stir up stagnant blood. If the patient's condition is complicated by excessive heat or Qi deficiency, ingredients with a warm essence (such as paprika, ginger and garlic) should be used with caution. Caution is in order when deploying a blood-stimulating diet in cases where blood stasis is complicated or even caused by Qi or Yang deficiency.

Generally, blood stasis is a concomitant of some other disease or is accompanied by other ailments. In such cases, instead of basing an entire diet on blood-stimulating foods, it is better to simply supplement any suitable diet with a few selected foods from the list below. If blood stasis is the main ailment, increased emphasis can be placed on blood thinning foods initially. As the patient's condition improves, the diet can then be adjusted accordingly.

food

Recommended foods

Spices and vegetables: turmeric, shallots, leeks, chives, garlic, ginger, taro, eggplant, basil, paprika, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, white pepper.
Legumes and nuts: adzuki beans, chestnuts.
Meat and fish: crab meat.
Drinks: red wine, green tea, oolong tea.
Fruits and vegetables: radishes, melon, tomatoes, pears, water chestnuts.
Mushrooms: all kinds of mushrooms (mushrooms, Judas ear, etc.).
Seeds: lotus seeds, Job's tears (common tearweed).

Blood stasis in the uterus

Aubergine, seaweed, seaweed, Judas ear.

Salty to soften hardness

Crabmeat, jellyfish, seaweed, nori (Porphyra umbilicalis), mussels, clams, catfish (trepang), ears, hawthorn.

Avoid

Foods with gluten, dairy products, raw foods, frozen foods, smoothies. Foods do not play a major role in stasis formation, but they can chill the body.

Clinical notes

Food against cancer

Vital mushrooms: reishi, coriolus, cordyceps, agaricus, chaga, maitake, hericium, enoki, shiitake, mushroom, agaricon, polyporus, poria, auricularia.
Seeds: teardrop, black rice.
Vegetables: radishes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, spring onions, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, carrots, spinach.
Fruit: pears, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants.
Others: water chestnuts, lotus seeds, flaxseed, adzuki beans, green tea, oolong tea, small amounts of wine, ginger, pepper, vinegar, adequate salting, hawthorn, turmeric, crab meat, jellyfish, seaweed, nori (Porphyra umbilicalis), mussels, clams, catfish (trepang), ears.

Recipes

Bread from seeds

We need:

230 g sunflower seeds
2 eggs
30 g chia seeds soaked with 0.6 dcl water
60 g golden flaxseeds
2 teaspoons of baking powder
25 g psyllium
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
With water

Procedure:

Soak the chia seeds in water for 5 minutes.
Grind the sunflower and flax seeds with psyllium in a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients to the ground seeds and gradually infuse the water until a dough-like consistency is formed.
Place the dough on baking paper in a roe loin tin and bake at 150 °C for approximately two hours.
Once baked, allow to cool and turn out of the dish. The bread needs to be low so that it will bake through, the dough is heavy due to the seeds. Therefore, fill the tin no more than halfway.

Chia seed crackers

Needed:

1 part chia seeds
1 part sunflower seeds
1 part pumpkin seeds
1 part sesame seeds
2 parts water
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1 tablespoon grated onion
Salt

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 160 °C, line a baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix all the seeds together. In a smaller bowl, combine the water, garlic and onion well, pour over the seed mixture, season with salt and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes until thickened. Using a spatula, spread the mixture on a baking sheet with baking paper, cut into any shape with a spatula or knife and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Again, you can substitute the onion or garlic for rosemary, thyme or cinnamon, etc.

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Blood stasis diet (Xue Yu)