Anemia is a common problem among women of childbearing age in America. Symptoms of anemia or low red blood count can be dramatic, like dizziness upon standing, feeling your heart pounding in your chest (palpitations) or shortness of breath upon exertion.
People with anemia may simply feel fatigue, and have a dull, dry completion.
A pale tongue, and weak pulse would be other signs your acupuncturist would look for to diagnose at patient with the condition that in Tradition Chinese Medicine is called “Blood Deficiency”.
What is the best way to treat Blood Deficiency? Food! Start with a good breakfast that you assemble in the evening to be ready by morning.
Breakfast: Beef bone marrow congee.
Start by soaking 1 pound beef bones in water and vinegar for an hour.
This chemically softens the bone to allow more of the minerals, like calcium to leach out.
Vinegar is sour, bitter and warm, goes to the Liver and Stomach.
It activates blood and removes food stagnation and cleans toxins.
Salt: To taste. Salt is cooling, salty. Used to draw the minerals out of the bone.
Beef is Sweet, neutral, nourishes the Spleen and Stomach.
Benefits Qi and Blood, strengthens the tendon and bone.
Bone marrow has an affinity for human bone marrow, thus help to build blood.
After soaking the bones pour off excess water and vinegar and roast bones to enhance the flavor, this will allow you to render and remove excess fat.
In a slow cooker add:
White rice: ½ cup rice and 5 to 7 cups water (some people like their congee thinner, some like it thicker).
Rice is neutral to warming, sweet, supplements Qi and strengthens the middle burner. By making the rice into a congee, it is very easy to digest and is great for someone with a deficiency disorder.
Fresh Shitake mushrooms. 8 mushrooms (Dried Shitakes can be reconstituted in hot water and set in the sun for a couple hours)
Shitake is sweet, neutral and goes to the stomach.
Shitake benefits the stomach and is said to be a natural source of interferon. It decreases both fat and cholesterol in the blood and helps discharge the excess residues of accumulated animal protein. Mushrooms are a good source of germanium, an element that improves cellular oxygenation and enhances immunity.
Fresh Carrots. 2 or 3 medium carrots
Carrots are sweet, neutral, strengthen the Lung and Spleen.
Carrots are high in beta-carotene and by strengthening the middle burner one can absorb the nutrition necessary to build blood.
Add prepared beef bones, and set slow cooker to 8 or 10 hours and let cook overnight. Enjoy delicious congee in the morning!
References
Flaws, B., (1995) The Book of Jook, 97
Pichford, P., (2002) Healing with Whole Foods, 542
People with anemia may simply feel fatigue, and have a dull, dry completion.
A pale tongue, and weak pulse would be other signs your acupuncturist would look for to diagnose at patient with the condition that in Tradition Chinese Medicine is called “Blood Deficiency”.
What is the best way to treat Blood Deficiency? Food! Start with a good breakfast that you assemble in the evening to be ready by morning.
Breakfast: Beef bone marrow congee.
Start by soaking 1 pound beef bones in water and vinegar for an hour.
This chemically softens the bone to allow more of the minerals, like calcium to leach out.
Vinegar is sour, bitter and warm, goes to the Liver and Stomach.
It activates blood and removes food stagnation and cleans toxins.
Salt: To taste. Salt is cooling, salty. Used to draw the minerals out of the bone.
Beef is Sweet, neutral, nourishes the Spleen and Stomach.
Benefits Qi and Blood, strengthens the tendon and bone.
Bone marrow has an affinity for human bone marrow, thus help to build blood.
After soaking the bones pour off excess water and vinegar and roast bones to enhance the flavor, this will allow you to render and remove excess fat.
In a slow cooker add:
White rice: ½ cup rice and 5 to 7 cups water (some people like their congee thinner, some like it thicker).
Rice is neutral to warming, sweet, supplements Qi and strengthens the middle burner. By making the rice into a congee, it is very easy to digest and is great for someone with a deficiency disorder.
Fresh Shitake mushrooms. 8 mushrooms (Dried Shitakes can be reconstituted in hot water and set in the sun for a couple hours)
Shitake is sweet, neutral and goes to the stomach.
Shitake benefits the stomach and is said to be a natural source of interferon. It decreases both fat and cholesterol in the blood and helps discharge the excess residues of accumulated animal protein. Mushrooms are a good source of germanium, an element that improves cellular oxygenation and enhances immunity.
Fresh Carrots. 2 or 3 medium carrots
Carrots are sweet, neutral, strengthen the Lung and Spleen.
Carrots are high in beta-carotene and by strengthening the middle burner one can absorb the nutrition necessary to build blood.
Add prepared beef bones, and set slow cooker to 8 or 10 hours and let cook overnight. Enjoy delicious congee in the morning!
References
Flaws, B., (1995) The Book of Jook, 97
Pichford, P., (2002) Healing with Whole Foods, 542