Maintaining Health and Beauty in Autumn and Winter
As the seasons shift into the cooler months, many people experience changes in their health and physical appearance. Common health concerns during autumn and winter include trouble falling asleep, poor complexion, hair loss, vision issues, and irregular menstruation. These are often physical manifestations of “blood deficiency,” a condition Traditional Chinese Medicine often identifies as an imbalance in the body. Nourishing the blood is vital for overall health, but also to keep you feel full of vitality and beauty. We often look at autumn and winter as excellent opportunities to focus on “replenishing” blood to restore balance to the body.
So, how can we nourish yin and blood during these colder months?
First, we need to understand blood deficiency
In TCM, blood is yin, and works in harmony with yang (qi). Women, considered yin in nature, are particularly susceptible to blood deficiencies. Common types include heart blood deficiency and liver blood deficiency, each presenting a distinct set of symptoms and requiring tailored treatment approaches.
Liver Blood Deficiency: Symptoms and Remedies
Vision loss: Often marked by dry eyes, declining vision, or premature inability to focus on objects up close, vision loss can be treated by using hot compresses to soothe the eyes, ensuring you are asleep during the hours of 11 PM to 3 AM, and eating a well-rounded and seasonal diet, incorporating leafy greens.
Hair loss: Do you feeling like you are losing more hair than normal when you shower? Is your hair feeling brittle and weak? Insufficient blood to the scalp and hair follicles is often to blame. To treat this, we recommend the use of Shou Wu Pian as herbal therapy. We can also use acupuncture, light therapy, and scalp massage to improve blood flow and nourish the hair.
Nail problems: Similar to the hair, you may notice thin, brittle nails, sometimes with visible vertical ridges. We recommend snacking on mulberries and blueberries to help treat weak nails, and incorporating Wu Zei Zi into your routine!
Irregular or absent menstruation: With women being particularly vulnerable to blood deficiency symptoms, many find they struggle with irregular menstruation. While this is a complex topic, often requiring thorough individual treatment, there are some general principles we can apply. First, practice stress reduction techniques. When the body is in a stress-induced state of fight or flight, systems, such as those associated with reproduction, are shut down to conserve bodily energy. We want to promote healthy balance and energy flow within the body, requiring that we rest and practice stress management. Next, ensure you are eating a diet with sufficient fat content! Dietary fat is needed to support the production of key hormones involved in a woman’s cycle. We want to incorporate things like nuts, cuttlefish, and healthy oils.
Frequent waking in the night: Waking up multiple times at night, due to restlessness, insomnia, or needing to use the restroom, is often a symptom of blood deficiency. To treat this and promote a long, uninterrupted sleep, we’ll focus on drinking Cornel Fruit Tea for bathroom disruptions, and rose tea for other sleep disturbances.
Heart Blood Deficiency: Symptoms and Remedies
Unreliable sleep: Like liver blood deficiency, heart blood deficiency also impact sleep quality. If you notice you have trouble falling asleep, are highly sensitive to light and noise, wake up frequently, and have little memory of your dreams, you may consider applying a naval sticker before falling asleep, using mugwort to encourage blood flow.
Dizziness and memory loss: Episodes of dizziness, confusion, and memory lapses are especially common in autumn and winter. To treat this, we lean into herbal therapy, using ginseng and longan in combination.
Poor complexion: For pale skin and lips, we can eat highly-pigmented foods such as dried cherries and beets! Beets are in their peak in mid-late fall, so this is an excellent way to lean into seasonal cooking while treating a washed-out complexion.
Irregular heartbeat: If you find your heart racing or fluttering unexpectedly, we recommend the use of licorice and jujube for herbal therapy. We can also add cherries, beets, longan, and Schisandra to our diet to further strengthen and balance blood flow and the heart.
The Importance of Consistency
Replenishing blood isn’t an overnight process— it requires consistency and patience. By gradually nourishing the body with herbs, diet, and self-care practices, you’ll notice changes to your health and beauty, helping you feel full of vitality year round!