Description of the pattern

Blood is the life-giving fluid that circulates in our vessels. It has three main tasks in the body: a) it nourishes the body, b) it moistens the body, c) it is the material basis of our psyche. The Heart, Spleen and Liver have the closest relationship to blood. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the formation of blood is influenced by the transformation of essence from food and the transformation of essence from the Kidneys.

Essence from food carries the energy of Spleen Qi to the Lungs, where it mixes with pure inhaled Qi enriched by the energy of the Lungs and Heart, and soaks into the vessels, where it mixes with blood to replenish and merge with it.

The path of the precious Kidney essence, which transforms blood, is more complex. However, this does not happen in the Kidneys, but in the bone marrow and the liver.

For blood to perform its functions, it must constantly circulate in the vessels. Sometimes, for some reason, its flow slows down and subsequently stops. A blockage occurs, which we call blood stasis (Xue Yu). The cause of blood stasis can be stagnation of Liver Qi (its task is to ensure everything flows in the organism), the penetration of cold into the organism, the thickening of blood by heat, the weakening of Qi (its task is to constantly propel the blood), external injury, or the weakening of Yang and the emergence of internal cold.

Symptoms of the pattern

Fixed pain anywhere in the body (often sharp), the formation of palpable masses (myomas, cysts, polyps, endometriosis, tumours, etc.), dark grey complexion on the face, purplish lips, nails and tongue, purple veins on the skin, pain during menstruation, etc.

General dietary principles for the pattern

The main nutritional principles regarding blood stasis patterns are similar to those intended for Qi stagnation. It is necessary to avoid foods and habits that overwhelm the Liver, worsen the circulation of Qi and blood energy, or cool and constrict the vessels.

In general, pungent or warming foods are used to move stagnant blood. If the patient's condition is complicated by excessive heat or Qi deficiency, ingredients with a warm nature, such as paprika (spice), ginger and garlic, should be used with caution. Caution when implementing a diet intended to move blood is appropriate in cases where blood stasis is complicated or even caused by Qi or Yang deficiency.

In general, blood stasis is usually a concomitant symptom of some other disease, or conversely, other ailments accompany it. In such cases, instead of basing the entire diet on foods used to move blood, rather just supplement any suitable diet with a few selected foods from the list below. If blood stasis is the main ailment, it is of course possible to place increased emphasis on foods used to move it initially. As the patient's condition improves, it is then possible to adjust the diet accordingly.

Some foods are believed to have immensely beneficial effects against various types of cancer. The reason may be the fact that they are salty, and therefore soften hardness and help in dispersing tumours, or they have stimulating effects on the immune system. Others contain large amounts of natural antioxidants. Therefore, adding some of them to a suitable diet can be useful.

The same principles, types and proportions of food apply as in the case of Qi stagnation. Just avoid raw foods of a cold nature, which freeze and slow down blood circulation.

Recommended foods

Turmeric, shallot, leek, chives, garlic, ginger, taro, aubergine, basil, paprika (spice), nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, white pepper, adzuki beans, chestnuts, crab meat, red wine, green tea, Oolong tea, radishes, ginger, pepper, vinegar, moderate salting, smaller amounts of wine, melon, tomatoes, pears, water chestnuts, mushrooms of all kinds (button mushrooms, Wood Ear, etc.), lotus seeds, Job's tears.

Blood stasis in the uterus

Aubergine, kelp, seaweed, Wood Ear.

Salty to soften hardness

Crab meat, jellyfish, kelp, nori seaweed (Porphyra umbilicalis), mussels, clams, sea cucumbers (trepang), abalone, hawthorn.

Avoid

Foods with gluten, dairy products, raw foods, frozen foods, smoothies. However, food does not play a fundamental role in the formation of stasis. Usually, it is just by being able to cool the organism.

Clinical notes

Foods that have anti-cancer effects

• primarily medicinal mushrooms: Reishi, Coriolus, Cordyceps, Agaricus, Chaga, Maitake, Hericium, Enoki, Shiitake, Oyster mushroom, Agarikon, Polyporus, Poria, Auricularia
• Job's tears, black rice
• radishes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, leek, spring onion, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, carrots, spinach
• pears, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants
• water chestnuts, lotus seeds, flaxseed
• adzuki beans
• green tea, Oolong tea, small amounts of wine
• ginger, pepper, vinegar, moderate salting, hawthorn, turmeric,
• crab meat, jellyfish, kelp, nori seaweed (Porphyra umbilicalis), mussels, clams, sea cucumbers (trepang), abalone

Recipes

Seed Bread

What we need: 230 g sunflower seeds, 2 eggs, 30 g chia seeds soaked in 0.6 dl of water, 60 g golden flaxseeds, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 25 g psyllium, 2 teaspoons of caraway seeds, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, water.

How to do it: soak the chia seeds in water for 5 minutes, grind the sunflower and flaxseeds with psyllium in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients to the ground seeds and gradually pour in water until a dough-like consistency is formed. Place the dough on baking paper in a loaf tin and bake at 150 °C for approximately two hours. Be careful that it is baked through; initially, it is necessary to catch the right time. Check the condition with a skewer.

After baking, let it cool and turn it out of the container. The bread must be low so that it bakes through; the dough is heavy due to the seeds. Therefore, fill the tin to a maximum of half, so that the bread bakes through. Beware, the seeds are heavy, so it takes longer for them to bake through, but this needs to be figured out according to the type of oven.

For flavour lovers, you can add rosemary or, for example, fried bacon to the bread. It is also possible to make rolls from the dough and use various herbal ingredients to flavour them.

You can make part of the dough as a sweet variant. Stew apples or pears with cinnamon, cloves and a little coconut sugar, drain to get rid of the juice and mix with the remaining dough and fill into moulds and you can bake with the bread. You will get a tasty breakfast or snack.

You can also put the dough into moulds and add apricot, raspberries, blueberries, etc. inside and bake them in the oven and again you have a tasty dessert, breakfast or snack.

You can also cut the dough and throw it into boiling salted water, and when they float to the surface, take them out and use them as gnocchi or dumplings when preparing a main dish.

Seed Chia Crackers

What we need: 1 part chia seeds, 1 part sunflower seeds, 1 part pumpkin seeds, 1 part sesame seeds, 2 parts water, 1 clove of garlic (crushed), 1 tablespoon of grated onion, salt.

How to do it: Preheat the oven to 160 °C, line a baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix all the seeds together. In a smaller bowl, combine the water, garlic and onion well, pour over the seed mixture, season with salt and mix well. Let the mass rest for 30 minutes until thickened. Using a spatula, spread the mass onto the baking tray with baking paper, cut into any shapes with a pastry wheel or knife and bake for approx. 30 to 40 minutes.

Again, you can swap the onion or garlic for rosemary, thyme or cinnamon, etc.