Today let’s learn more about the sixth type of body constitution – Special Diathesis Body Constitution (特禀体质).
The special diathesis body constitution is associated with people who are allergic to certain foods (such as peanuts, wheat, eggs, etc), temperature changes or air particles (like pollen, dust, etc).
People with such allergies will commonly display reactions (body symptoms) such as diarrhea, stomachache, runny nose, sinus, eye redness, teary eyes, skin rashes, etc.
For people with special diathesis body constitution, the allergies may be inherited from their parents or develop in their body later in life (which can occur at any age). For example, some people have no food allergies when they were young but they become allergic to certain foods later in adulthood.
One effective way to minimize the onset of allergic reactions is to avoid the source of allergen (if you know what it is) and improve the Qi (which is your body’s immunity).
Top Recommended Foods To Eat
Foods that are suitable for people with special diathesis body type are those with Qi-boosting and immunity-strengthening properties. Adding these foods to your diet or increasing the intake will help to improve your body constitution.
Following are the top 5 recommended foods that will benefit you if you’re of special diathesis body type (as a general rule of thumb, please consume all foods in moderation):
1. Lingzhi (Chinese Name: 灵芝)
2. Oat (Chinese Name: 燕麦)
5. Astragalus Root (Chinese Name: 黄芪) – Not food, more of a Chinese medicine.
Foods To Avoid
Avoiding the wrong foods is as important as eating the right foods in your journey towards better health.
For someone with special diathesis body constitution, it is best to avoid the following (or reduce intake as much as you possibly can):
First, do your best to identify the food(s) that your body is allergic to so that you can eliminate them from your diet completely.
Second, avoid foods like buckwheat (as it contains some substances that are known to trigger allergies), white lentils, beef, prawn, crabs, eggplant, alcohol, chili, strong tea and coffee.
You can do a free online TCM body constitution test over at TCM Food Therapy site here.