Dry, Deficient Blood
When blood is deficient a person will feel weak, tired, have a pale complexion or become anemic, they may feel easily cold, underweight and have dry skin. Signs of poor digestion including gas, bloating, and constipation are common. Dry, thin blood will also result in emotional problems. Symptoms may include: anxiety, easily startled, nervousness, dream disturbed sleep, mood swings, depression, sensation of floating out of the body, inability to root or ground, speech disturbances like stuttering, insomnia and an inability to form rewarding relationships. In extreme cases there may be irrational behavior, hysteria, insanity, manic disorder and delirium.
Although there is no direct translation of Blood deficiency in Western terms, we can describe many patterns that may arise from, or are a part of, Blood deficiency. Like other patterns Blood deficiency exists on a continuum from mild to extreme. For example–a healthy woman may experience a little Blood deficiency 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 recover from this quickly, whereas deficiencies that have been allowed to perpetuate or become extreme, like anemia, may take months to fully rebuild from.
Symptoms of Blood deficiency
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
Negative perspective and despair after sunset
Nervousness
Nervous laughter and laughter at inappropriate times
Pale complexion
Pale nails
Pale tongue
Palpitations
Sadness
Scanty or absent periods
Sensation of cold
Slow growing hair and nails
Slow healing and recover
Slow mental thought
Weak immune system
Causes for blood deficiency
There are different causes that lead to blood deficiency. One major cause is a weak digestive system. When digestion is weak it cannot sufficiently perform its transformative function; transforming food into blood and energy. Thus not enough blood is being produced. If this is the case, the blood deficiency is accompanied with some digestive issues like poor appetite and/or poor digestion.
A diet, which lacks sufficient nourishment, such as a diet poor in proteins, is another cause for the blood to become deficient. Dry, thin blood is typically caused by strict dieting, not eating enough foods, eating foods that are light in nature or eating foods that are especially diuretic or fibrous.
A third cause for blood deficiency is severe hemorrhage (bleeding). Since women lose blood on a regular monthly basis, if it is not sufficiently regenerated through a healthy nutrient dense diet and proper rest, this deficiency can easily develop. And although women are more prone to blood deficiency than men, men that continuously overexert themselves with work and stress and do not take in enough good nutrition can develop blood deficiency as well.
Sleep deprivation will increases white blood cell count. This means that the body responds to sleep deprivation the way it would to an illness or disease. Because the immune system is a metabolically expensive process, chronic stress from chronic sleep deprivation will quickly deplete the body of its blood resources.
Treatment for dry, deficient blood
To treat blood deficiency blood needs to be built. The best way to do that is by adding blood tonifying foods to the diet while making sure the digestive capacity is strong enough to handle more nutritious items. Dry blood needs hydration. Sour taste can temporarily relieve dryness. Salt, since it encourages water retention, offers a more stable remedy. Try both sour and salt together by squeezing a wedge of lemon or lime in warm water with a pinch of mineral salt. This rehydrates the blood and helps balance electrolytes.
Eat food! You cannot build Blood if you do not eat. The higher the quality of food and the better you’re 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.
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.
Eat regular meals and avoid fasting – The energy that you use today, should ideally come from the foods ate yesterday. With Blood deficiency it is very important to not skip meals.
Nourish Blood after times of blood loss –Rebuild after any type of blood loss, including menses. Women should learn to include specifically building foods after their cycle. 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 vitality. Napping in the early afternoon is particularly beneficial, giving your Liver and Spleen a chance to revitalize the Blood.Getting sufficient rest, starting with an early night sleep, the earlier the better, and putting some time away for a midday break, best done laying down on a soft surface with closed eyes and releasing tension from all the body, breathing naturally.
Cook in cast iron utensil –a simple way to increase your iron intake.
Use Blood building foods– like increases like. Foods that are dark, red like blood are good builders. Flesh, especially red meat and marrow broths are particularly building too.
Eat easy to digest fats, such as ghee and coconut oil.
Eat animal protein, fish and meats – 100 to 200 grams, every day or every other day. Darker meats and organ meats are the most building, but use only clean, GMO and hormone free meats.
Eat blood foods – such as blood sausages. Know your source and keep your meat and blood free of GMOs and hormones.
Bone broth— Marrow stock is deeply nourishing and quickly builds the Blood. Toss egg shells into the stock pot, which are incredible for ligaments and Blood.
Eat chlorophyll rich foods– dark leafy greens, macro-algae’s (seaweeds), micro-algae’s (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.
Combine animal protein with greens: It is great to combine foods rich in iron (such as free roaming organic red meat) with foods rich in enzymes and vitamins (such as a green salad) as it helps the body absorb the iron more effectively. Additionally, the fats in the nuts/seeds, meats, and oils help your body absorb the essential vitamins and minerals from the fruits and veggies while the fiber rich fruits and veggies help your body expel the excess wastes and toxins.
Strength building herbs such as Ashwagandha or a cup of warm and sweetened milk with Ghee will nourish dry, deficient blood.