A person who is Yin Deficiency (阴虚体质) tends to like cold drinks and often feeling his/her palm and feet is very warm. Yin Deficiency also find themselves adapting better to cold environment than to warm environment.
You may find yourself hot-tempered and getting impatient at things. Some people also have difficulties falling asleep at night because of heatyness in the body (heart, 阴虚心火旺). For such body type, you should consume more food with cooling properties.
The following are the food / herbs that a Yin Deficiency type person can consume more to regain Yin energy in the body to achieve balanced state:
- Tomato
- Lotus root
- Cucumber
- Winter melon
- Black sesame
- Green bean
- Tofu
- Banana
- Pear
Food / herbs to avoid or consume less are:
- Mutton
- Walnut
- Chinese chives (韭菜)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Lychee
- Longan (龙眼)
Additional Tips for Yin Deficiency Type Person
If possible, do incorporate noon nap into your routine especially between 11am to 1pm. In TCM, we believe that these two hours is where yin is at its strongest in our body so if you take time to take a nap (around 15 min, but not more than 45 min) between these timings, it will help your body to restore your yin. Sleeping late is a destructive way to decrease yin energy in our body, hence, do your best to sleep as early as possible (between 9 to 11pm).
Having exposed to mid noon sun will also make your body loses yin energy. Thus, carry an umbrella around if you see that the sun is strong and you need to go outdoor.
Avoid eating spicy stuff as it will further hurt your Yin energy in your body.