Your Body Knows

From the Theory of Health, we know that adequate Qi and blood are critical to maintain our health.  Here are twelve simple ways to tell if you have adequate Qi and blood.

1.    Your eyes:

The color of the white areas of your eyes is a key indicator.  The old Chinese saying, "the white of one’s eye becomes yellow when one gets old", refers to the white of the eye becoming cloudy, yellow, and with bloodshot and this represents the lack of Qi and blood. Additionally, large bags under the eyes, dry eyes, and heavy eyelids also indicate the lack of Qi and blood. On the contrary, if one can open his/her eyes widely at any time, this means he/she has adequate Qi and blood.  

2.   Your skin:

        Clean pinkish, radiant, elastic, wrinkle-free, and no plaque on your skin are signs of sufficient Qi and

blood in your body.  Rough, dull, dark, yellowish, pale, bluish, reddish, or spotty skin represents poor

health and lack of Qi and blood.

3.   Your hair:

Thick, silky hair with proper color is one of the signs of sufficient Qi and blood while dry hair, losing hair, hair with faded color or white, and hair with split ends are signs of insufficient Qi and blood.

4.      Your ears:

Most people now days have smaller, stiff and deformed ears. These indicate people's health is getting worse. It is rare to see round, large, and full ears even in children and youth. However, the elderly with large ears are more common than with the younger people, indicating that people's physical health in the past is better than modern people.

For children, the shape of the ears is a good indicator for Qi and blood. For adults, in addition to the shape of the ears, the color of the ears, with or without spots on the ears, with or without pain in the ears are also indications of one’s health. If the ears are slightly pink, shiny, spots-free, wrinkle-free, and full, these indicate the Qi and blood are sufficient. On the other hand, dark and dull ears represents inadequate of Qi and blood. If the ears are atrophied, dry, spotted, and wrinkled, it represents the beginning of renal weakening, and it is time to pay attention to your health.

5.   Your hand – cold or warm: 　　

If your hands are warm throughout the year, then your Qi and blood are sufficient. On the other hand, very warm or sweaty palms or cold hands indicate lack of Qi and blood.

6.   Finger pulps:

 Flat finger pulp, weak or thin fingers represents lack of Qi and blood while full and flexible finger pulp indicates sufficient Qi and blood.

　　7. Blue veins on hands:

The blue veins on an adult's index finger indicate poor digestive system ever since childhood.  Adults with blue veins on the index finger are typically weak and lack of Qi and blood. The blue veins in the little finger indicate potential kidney problem.

If there are a lot of deep lines near the wrist stripes on one’s palm, then (s)he may experience poor childhood nutrition, physical weakness, and lack of Qi and blood.  Females with the deep lines near the wrist strip are susceptible to gynecological diseases while males may suffer from prostatic hypertrophy or gout etc.

　　8. Lunula:

Lunula is the half moon area on finger nail. Under normal circumstances, you should have a lunula on all your fingers except the little finger. The lunula should take 1/5-1/4 of the thumb nail and it should not exceed 1/5 of the index finger nail, middle finger nail and ring finger nail. Absent of lunula on your finger nails or lunula only appears on the thumb nails indicate coldness in the body, poor circulation, and lack of Qi and blood, therefore, blood doesn’t reach to the end of the fingers. However, if the lunula is too big, you may suffer from hyperthyroidism, hypertension and other diseases.

　　9. Vertical lines on your finger nails：

Vertical lines only appear on adults’ fingernails and children do not have them. When the vertical lines appear, you must be vigilant since they indicate that the body is lack of Qi and blood and exhausted. Vertical lines are signs of an aging body.

10. Your gum:

Shrinking gum is a symbol of lack of blood and Qi and this is mainly for adults not for children. When you notice that the gaps between his/her teeth are getting wider or the food can easily stuck in the teeth, then you need to pay attention because your health has been declining and the aging process is accelerated.

　　11. Quality of sleeping:

If an adult can fall sleep as fast as a baby, sleep soundly through the night, and breathe evenly while sleeping, then this adult’s body is full of blood and Qi.  On the contrary, difficulties of falling asleep, easily frightened, wakening up during the night, nocturnal enuresis, heavy breathing or snoring are all signs of insufficient blood and Qi.

　　12. Exercise:

　　If you suffer chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue and hard to recover while exercising, then you don’t have enough blood and Qi in your body.  If you are full of energy and feels relaxed after exercising, then you have sufficient blood and Qi.