Amy Galvan, DOM, L' Ac, FABORM
Comprehensive Women's Health
Acupuncture Infertility Specialist
Tired Type TCM Patterns: Diet and Lifestyle Tips
What Is the Tired Type?
You may have Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patterns that fit the Tired type if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:
Lethargic, run down, needing motivation, puffy eyes, brain fog, catches colds easily, sweats easily, hangry, craving carbs, digestive problems, tired or bloated after meals, low sex drive, urinating in the night, diarrhea in the morning, waking tired, sweats easily, back pain, knee pain, ovulation cramps, vaginal discharge, delayed periods, periods with back pain and bearing down pressure, tongue is pale swollen with a fine tremor and teethmarks.
These are just a sample of symptoms, and certainly not all of them. A complete medical history, physical exam, and clinical signs from a Chinese medicine workup will help identify your pattern diagnosis fits a Tired type.
TCM patterns that fit the Tired type may include Qi Deficiency, Yang Deficiency, Upright Qi Deficiency, Spleen Qi Deficiency or Sinking, Kidney Qi Deficiency, and possibly Liver Qi and Blood Deficiency causing these patterns.
Consult with a qualified doctor of Oriental medicine to confirm your pattern diagnosis.
The following information is generalized and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional who knows your health history before following any advice.
Lifestyle Tips for the Tired Type
Conserve your energy! Do not overdo it with work. Practice saying No. Set limits that leave you with energy left over at the end of the day. Limit stress. Learn stress reduction techniques that really work for you! Get plenty of rest and more than enough sleep. Keep warm. Wear socks, slippers, and dress for the weather. Keep a regular routine, with a regular bedtime routine and mealtime routines (like a baby!) Write down your goals and devise a plan for how to attain them. Make space in our life for fun and laughter. Protect the weak areas of your body---especially your back and knees. Do guided imagery exercises to restore your wellbeing. Do self massage or acupressure point stimulation as directed by your acupuncturist. Women should keep their energy conserved by resting, especially during menstruation and after TTC.
Foods to Eat for the Tired Type
Prioritize simple, well-cooked foods.
- Complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) for 50% of each meal.
- Easy to digest, warming, slow cooked foods such as soups, stews, casseroles.
- Lightly cook vegetables; avoid raw vegetables.
- Regular mealtimes
- Eat slowly, without stress, and chew your food very well!
- Home cooked meals with real ingredients; avoid restaurant and processed foods.
- Search out foods with lots of freshness and vitality. Shop local, farm fresh produce and free-range pastured meats from farmer's markets.
Specific foods to Tonify Qi and Yang include
- Produce: pumpkin, squash, radishes, celery, watercress, alfalfa sprouts
- Legumes, lentils, adzuki beans, kidney beans
- Whole grains only, including brown rice, white rice, quinoa, barley, oats
- Warm spices: ginger, cinnamon, clove, cumin, cardamon, fennel, rosemary, nutmeg
- Seeds and seed butters like sesame tahini, pumpkin, sunflower
- Foods with warm properties: meats, oatmeal, parsnips, onions, leeks, lamb, beef, chicken, stewed fruit compotes.
- Seaweed and kelp if you have tested negative for autoimmune thyroid antibodies
- No cold beverages. Hot teas such as chai masala, ginger, or cinnamon teas are best.
Foods to Avoid for the Tired Type
- Dairy
- Wheat
- Fruit juice
- Junk foods
- Sweets and artificial sweeteners
- Eating on the run
- Overeating
- Raw foods, cold foods, frozen foods, iced drinks
- Fried foods
- Stimulants such as caffeine or energy drinks. (If you feel sluggish, you need to rest or do light exercise.)
- Excess salt
- Alcohol, especially beer
- Indigestion. Avoid foods that disagree with you, or take digestive enzymes with meals to help.
Exercise and Movement
Pace yourself and do not overexert yourself. Do not let yourself be sedentary; you need to pump your blood a bit. Get regular, moderate exercise every 2-3 days. Work up to 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. Do exercise that leaves you energized, not exhausted. No high intensity interval training (HIIT) Build endurance gradually. It is better to do 10 min daily than 60 min once per week. Women: Do not exercise during your period, and exercise only moderately after TTC.
Learn More
The Tired type TCM patterns often co-exist with other patterns. Be sure to check out my articles on lifestyle tips for other general pattern types including Stuck, Pale, Dry, and Waterlogged. Tired types often are the foundation for the other pattern types developing; they can coexist with a number of different pattern types. In this case, talk with your provider to determine which pattern to focus on first.
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