What are the Three Vital Substances?
There are three substances that are vital to your fertility and health – Essence, Qi and Blood(精气血). Only when there are abundant Essence, Qi and Blood flowing through your body, fertility and conception is possible. Problems happen when they are in an unbalanced state.
1) Essence
Essence is the basis of life. They are stored in kidneys and they are considered to be the root of menstrual regularity, ovarian reserve, ovulation and thick uterine lining in the context of fertility. By living the way in accordance to Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), our purpose is to preserve our essence.
There are two kinds of essence:
- Prenatal Essence: known otherwise as genetics
- Postnatal Essence: the nutritional, mental and emotional state that we allow ourselves to be. It is heavily influenced by the way we live, our dietary choices, exercise and the way we manage our daily stress.
How do we know we have low Essence?
How can I help myself if I have low Essence?
If you have low Essence, it is important to reflect upon how you have been spending your Essence away. Late nights? Irregular meals? Burnout after work each day? All these might need to be fixed.
You might also want to have a small cup of royal jelly to start off each of your day. Royal jelly contains essential proteins, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, salts, sugar, fats & enzymes – many of which are extremely beneficial to the human body. Royal Jelly is a whole food, meaning it is not processed or refined and provides your body with pure nutrients.
For a vegan option, you might want to check out GREENBOW Royal Jelly as it is packed in vegan capsules and contains 100% organic freeze-dried royal jelly. It is also gluten free, Non-GMO & free of harmful additives. Take one to two teaspoons in lukewarm water daily. Avoid this if you have a bee allergy.
2) Qi
Qi is our life force. It is usually referred to the vital energy of our body. Without Qi, there is no life. It comes from:
- The air we breathe in
- The food we consume
- The Essence
Usually, there are two pathology abnormalities associated with Qi – deficiency and stagnation.
1) How do I know if I have Qi Deficiency?
If you have nausea, loose stools, poor appetite, undigested food in stools, dull stomach pain, easy sweating without exertion, bloatedness, feeling cold all the time, craving sweets, fatigue, prolapsed organs, dull achy pain in muscles, easy bruising, hemorrhoids, weak immune system, obsessive worry, heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding or spotting midcycle, recurring miscarriage, feeling of exhaustion with menstruation, premanstrual swelling of breasts and body and aching legs with menstruation, then you might be diagnosed with Qi Deficiency.
How can I help myself if I have Qi Deficiency?
Qi deficiency generally there is not enough Qi in your body to circulate in your body and movement is sluggish. A good suggestion will be to eat only cooked or steamed foods, eating too much raw and salads might harm your digestive system.
Meditation can also take away some overthinking tendencies from someone who is low on Qi.
2) How do I know if I have Qi Stagnation?
If you have pain along the sides of your body(rib cage area), alternating diarrhea and constipation, tense neck and shoulders, frequent sighing, hiccups, feeling of a lump in your throat, mood swings, bitter taste in your mouth, churning sensation in your stomach, irritability, frustration, anger, depression, tendency toward repressing emotions, intense PMS with sore breasts, painful cramping with your period, diarrhea with your period, then you might have Qi Stagnation.
How can I help myself if I have Qi Stagnation?
Qi stagnation means Qi is stuck or blocked somewhere in your body. This is where exercise is important in order to move your stagnated Qi. Try to aim for cardio exercise for at least 30 mins, 3 times per week.
You might wan to stop repressing your emotions and learn how to express yourself emotionally.
Meditation with deep breathing can also help to move your Qi in your body.
3) Blood
Blood nourishes our tissues and organs and good optimal blood cierculation is important for our bodies to function properly, even at the hormonal level. It is created from:
- The food we consume
- Our Essence
1) How do I know if I have Blood Deficiency?
If you are experiencing palpitations, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, shortness of breath, easily startled, poor memory, poor concentration, dull pale complexion, anemia, pale lips, feeling cold always, muscle cramps, numbness and tingling at your limbs, dry hair, blurred vision, dry or brittle nails, thinning hair, irritability, mild depression, anxiety, guilt, scanty or little to no menstrual blood, night sweats premenstrually, low libido, thin uterine lining, than you might have Blood Deficiency.
How can I help myself if I have Blood Deficiency?
Blood deficiency means there is not enough blood in your body to nourish your tissues and organs. You might want to start on a yoga regime instead of cardio exercise as it is more beneficial to your body. You might also wan to work on your iron, folic acid and B vitamins if you are anemic.
If you want a vegan, non-GMO supplement to replenish your low levels of iron, folic acid and B vitamins, I strongly recommend you to check out NATURELO Prenatal Multivitamin. It contains vitamins A, B Complex, C, D3, E, K2, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium and Choline, generally all the nutrients you need for conception.
How do I know if I have Blood Stagnation?
If you have painful menses, purple nails, purple lips, dark complexion, dark circles around the eyes, jaw-clenching/teeth grinding, depression, anger, extreme emotional swings, pessimism, low self-esteem, heavy dark clotty and painful menstrual cycles, dibrocystic breasts and uterine blood, you might have Blood Stagnation.
How can I help myself if I have Blood Stagnation?
Blood stagnation means that blood is stuck somewhere in your system. This inhibit blood circulation and is detrimental to your fertility. It would be good not to self-medicate and start seeking TCM treatment as Blood stagnation might have some underlying problems that you might wan to get it fixed.
Bottom Line
I have briefly listed out the symptoms and how can we help ourselves if we have some of the symptoms ourselves. However, I would strongly advise you to seek professional TCM treatment so that you can embark on your fertility journey in the best optimal state.