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Nope…Asian medicine’s de9nition of Blood is a bit di;erent than that of to support my site.
Western medicine’s de9nition. Yes, it’s the red stu; in the veins that Thank you.
nourishes the organs, circulates, warms, heals and the like. However, in Buy Me Tea
the eyes of Asian medicine, Blood is enlivened with Qi, which moves the
Blood through the body so it can nourish every aspect of our body from Buy Me Tea
the skin and muscles to the brain and deep organs. It doesn’t just nourish
the physical body it also anchors our Shen–but I’m jumping ahead.

It is the quality of Blood circulating through your system that helps give Get My
us vitality, focus and rosy cheeks. When Blood is abundant you feel alive,
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nourished and well connected in mind and spirit. We allow joy and
laughter into our lives and build meaningful relationships. However,
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when Blood is de9cient a person will feel weak, tired, have a pale
complexion or become anemic, they may feel anxious or easily startled–
fortunately there are many ways to replenish Blood.
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The Asian Functions of Blood

Nourishes and Moistens–Blood, a very dense Yin form of Qi, nourishes

and moistens all aspects of the body. It Lows everywhere and circulates Book Now!
constantly. However, Blood requires Qi to move it, so if the body lacks
Qi….the Blood won’t Low. We also say, “Where the Qi goes, the Blood I treat clients at Pulse
Lows,” so if either one is lacking, the other will be depleted or start to Holistic Health. Book
deplete too. your appointment
today.
Houses the Mind (Shen)–The Shen is one of 5 souls that Asian medicine
corresponds to the Yin organs. Each soul has inLuences and has
responsibilities over our thoughts and emotions and together they To schedule online
encompass the entirety of our mental and spiritual life. Here’s a quick appointments for Asian
list of the souls and where they reside. Assessment and
Holistic Nutrition
Mind (Shen) Heart contact me directly at
Ethereal Soul (Hun) Liver april@pulseholistichealth.com
Corporeal Soul (Po) Lungs
Will Power (Zhi) Kidneys
Thought/Intention (Yi) Spleen
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When our Shen, neatly housed in the Heart, is nourished with abundant
Blood we respond appropriately to our environment. It allows us to
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build meaningful relationships, be calm, experience joy and to feel
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rooted and to be able to adapt. When the Shen is unsettled or not
14th, 2019
anchored with Blood emotional problems arise. Symptoms may include:
anxiety, nervousness, dream disturbed sleep, mood swings, depression,
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sensation of Loating out of the body, inability to root or ground, speech
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disturbances like stuttering, insomnia and an inability to form rewarding
relationships. In extreme cases there may be irrational behavior,
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hysteria, insanity, manic disorder and delirium. We de9nitely want anchor
Spread
your Shen.

How Blood is made Bone Marrow Broth

To understand Blood a bit better, lets see how it’s made in Asian Yang Is In The Air
medicine terms. It’s a bit of trip and a many di;erent organs are
involved, so hang on. Nabe Pot (New
Year’s Nabe)
Food and drink that we take in are transformed in the digestive organs
under the supervision of the Spleen to make Ku Qi (Qi of Food). The New Year’s
Spleen then sends the Ku Qi upwards to the Lungs where it is mingled Fireworks Noodles
with Ta Qi (the re9ned Qi of Air). This combination gives us Nutrient Qi
that is then moved to the Heart, where Jing (Essence) from the Kidneys
are added and Blood is formed. Yes, the physical manufacture of the red
stu; (blood) is done by bone marrow which is ruled by the Kidneys, but Get The
it’s done under the supervision of Heart which can only do so if it Energetics Of
received adequate Nutrient Qi from the Lungs. There’s so much to
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transform…to recap.
Here!
The Spleen–Provides Ku Qi (Qi of Grain) basis of Blood from our
food and drink. My students called it the Blood batter–the basis for
your Blood. You simply cannot build Blood if you are not digesting
and absorbing food well…..or not eating….

The Lungs–Provides re9ned Qi of air (Ta Qi) to mingle with Ku Qi

 and create Nutrient Qi.

The Heart–Uses Nutrient Qi and adds in Jing to make the Blood.

The Kidneys-Provide Jing (Essence) and Yuan Qi, a catalyst that

sparks all transformative processes in the body.

Great, we’ve made Blood! Now it needs to be managed.

The Energetic Temperature …
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The Heart–Physically pumps the Blood and enlivens it with Qi, and
uses it to house the mind (Shen), keeping us warm, calm and clear.

The Lungs- Move the Blood through their descending and

dispersing function. Each breath you take helps to regulate your
Heart’s beating and to move Qi, Blood and Fluids to organs and the
extremities. Need better circulation? Practice breathing exercise like
Qigong, Yoga or T’ai Chi and move your body.

The Liver–Regulates the volume of Blood circulating at any given The Energetic Temperature …
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time in the body. During exercise or times of need, it releases more.
During times of rest, it pulls it back in to cleanse the Blood. If it’s
Etsy
de9cient, the Liver will not have adequate amounts of Blood to AprilCrowell
move and this may lead to stagnation. De9ciency of Liver Blood
will also mean the skin, hair and nails aren’t nourished and
moistens or will fail to thrive.

The Spleen–Holds the Blood. Eh? One of the Spleen’s major

functions is to hold things in their place. When it comes to Blood,
the Spleen holds the blood in the vessels. A failing of this function
can mean easy bruising, prolapse, incontinence and varicosities.

The Energetic Temperature …

As you can see, it is quite the re9ned system and if at any given time an
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organ system chooses to not play its part, and Blood becomes de9cient,
the system will start to tumble and problems will start to manifest.

Although there is no direct translation of Blood de9ciency in Western

terms, we can describe many patterns that may arise from, or are a part
of, Blood de9ciency. Like other patterns Blood de9ciency exists on a
continuum from mild to extreme. For example–a healthy woman may
experience a little Blood de9ciency right after her menstrual cycle. This
may leave her feeling a little weak, cold and maybe a little pale in her
complexion. In health, with a little rest and the right foods, she would The Energetic Temperature …
recover from this quickly, whereas de9ciencies that have been allowed to AprilCrowell $25.00
perpetuate or become extreme, like anemia, may take months to fully
rebuild from. Etsy
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Symptoms of Blood deHciency

 anemia
anorexia
anxiety
blood loss
brittle and dry nail, hair and skin
cold limbs
depression
dream disturbed or restless sleep
easily awakened
easily startled–boo!
exhaustion
feeling of weakness in the limbs and muscles
lack of warmth–both physically and emotionally
mood swings
nervousness
nervous laughter and laughter at inappropriate times
pale complexion
pale nails
palpitations
sadness
scanty or absent periods
sensation of cold
slow growing hair and nails
slow healing and recover
slow mental thought
weak immune system

Chinese medicine practitioners look will look for a tongue that is pale on
the edges or pale overall in more severe cases. The pulses will be weak
and 9ne, especially on the Liver position.

Tips for building Blood

Eat food— I know, it sounds silly to say, but I’ve actually often have
to say this to clients. You cannot build Blood if you do not eat. The
basis for Blood is the re9ned Qi of food. The higher the quality of
food and better your eating behavior, the faster the recovery will be.

Eat with joy–Part of nourishing Blood is the willingness to be open

to receive nourishment and to feed yourself well. Although
supplementation may be called for in some cases, it is not the same
thing as actually enjoying meals where you taste the food and allow
it to replenish you. This is key in patterns where there are Shen
(spirit) disturbances.

Improve your digestion--The basis of Blood is food, but even if you

eat well and beautifully, you will have problems building Blood if
your digestion is weak. It might be that you need prebiotic and
probiotic foods or to eliminate some foods like gluten that can slow
or hinder the system. Seek out guidance from your nutritionist to
understand how to improve your digestion.

Eat regular meals and avoid fasting–The energy that you use
today, should ideally come from the foods you are putting into your
system last night and today…not your store houses. Those are to be
there for times of need–which, if you are Blood de9cient it is likely
that your storehouses are empty. With Blood de9ciency it is very
important to not skip meals.

Nourish Blood after times of blood loss –Rebuild after any type
of blood loss, including menses. I recommend women learn to
include speci9cally building foods after their cycle to rebuild so you
don’t feel exhausted. A life time of bleeding or child bearing
without proper rebuilding can lead to serious problems later.

Take a nap– Proper rest is important for nourishing and rebuilding

Blood and Qi. Napping in the early afternoon is particularly
bene9cial, giving your Liver and Spleen a chance to revitalize the
Blood.

Avoid foods that deplete Blood–Sugar, excess salt, fatty foods,

processed and re9ned foods, chemical laden foods–you know…junk
and manufactured foods.

Cook in cast iron–a simple way to increase your iron intake.

Use Blood building foods–Any food will help, but some are very
speci9c to building Blood. A little hint–Like begets like. Foods that
are dark, red like Blood, are big builders. Flesh, especially red meat
and marrow broths are particularly building too. More below.

Bone broth— Marrow stock is deeply nourishing and quickly builds

the Blood, Qi, Yang and Fluids. I sometimes toss in egg shells into
the stock pot (incredible for ligaments and Blood).

Eat animal protein, Hsh and meats— Animal protein and 9sh will
quickly build Blood too, so add a little in. What’s a little? 3-5 oz. 3-5
x a week–yep, that’s all. Darker meats and organ meats are the
most building–but use only clean, GMO and hormone free meats.
Time for a little paté?

Eat blood foods–No, I’m not asking you to become a vampire, but
blood builds Blood. Most traditional culture foods have dishes that
utilize blood–the Irish have blood pudding, the Korean’s have
congealed blood soup, there’s blood sausages–the list goes on.
Although they are not favorites of mine, you might have been
raised eating blood sausage that could bene9t you now. Again,
 know your source and keep your meat and blood free of GMOs and
hormones.

Eat chlorophyll rich foods– This category is huge, with good

reason, we are meant to eat a lot of chlorophyll rich foods and they
build the blood quickly. Chlorophyll rich foods include: Dark leafy
greens (kale, chard, dandelion, etc.), macro-algaes (seaweeds),
micro-algaes (spirulina, etc.), nettles and cereal grass (wheat and
barley grass). Eat it if it’s naturally green.

Use a blood/iron builder–Plant based liquid forms of iron are

excellent. My favorite is Plant Force, which we have available at
Pulse. For those who are very de9cient use 2 capfuls a day. Others
may need a capful 1 x a day or for a just a few days after menses or
times of extreme fatigue and stress.

More Blood building foods—

all animal proteins including organ meats

apricots
berries
black beans
blood based foods-blood sausage, blood pudding, etc.
cherries
dates
eggs
9gs
lentils and legumes
grapes
whole grains

Here’s to rosier cheeks and a more energetic you.

Be well,

April

By April Crowell | September 23rd, 2015 | Asian Medicine Blog, BLOGS,

Common Conditions | 7 Comments

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About the Author: April Crowell

Diplomate, Asian Bodywork Therapy (Dipl. ABT

NCCAOM) Certi9ed Holistic Nutritionist (CHN) AOBTA
Certi9ed Instructor & Practitioner I have been practicing
and teaching since 1994. I maintain my private therapy
practice at Pulse Holistic Health o;er Amma Therapy,
Holistic Nutrition therapy sessions and classes for the public. In 2016, I
started teaching Amma therapy apprentices again. I write regularly and
o;er classes in continuing education and for the public.

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7 Comments

Pulse Holistic Health,April's Blogs, Blogs, Chinese Medicine, Common

Conditions,Fire Cupping February 17, 2016 at 3:07 pm Log in to Reply

[…] and the jar placed over speci9c areas of the body creating
suction. This pressure moves the Blood, Qi and Luids of the
area raising a petechiae rash–that’s a good thing in this […]

apples March 6, 2017 at 3:43 pm Log in to Reply

[…] have a sweet and sour Lavor. They enter the Liver, Gall
Bladder, Stomach and Spleen. They regulate Blood sugar,
stimulate the appetite and aid in the removal of fatty stones
(gall stones & kidney […]
 Tina September 30, 2017 at 2:52 am Log in to Reply

Thank you for the food suggestions, it helps. I tend towards

selective vegetarianism (not dairy but will use certi9ed
organic ghee) and I seem to have a case of the blood
de9ciency…I really don’t want to eat meat but am glad to see
legumes on the list as well as 9gs. For the nettles, can an
infusion (not tea) count? Rather than eating the greens? It is
easier for me to make nettle infusion. Thanks! ~tIna

April Crowell November 25, 2017 at 11:39 pm Log in to

Reply

Hi Tina,
Yes the nettle infusion would be 9ne.

Christian Guerra November 23, 2017 at 7:25 am Log in to Reply

This was a good read. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to
write this.

Pamela January 8, 2018 at 12:26 am Log in to Reply

That was a great article! Through, clear. Thank you

April Crowell January 18, 2018 at 11:50 pm Log in to Reply

I’m glad you enjoyed the blog. Please sign up for my

newsletter to get my latest blogs.
April

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