10 Simple Ways to Build Your Blood

Nourishing the Blood from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

Now that you know how Traditional Chinese Medicine thinks about blood, and blood deficiency, here are some creative ways to treat it!1. Move your body. Although one of the most common reasons for blood deficiency is poor diet/poor absorption, the mental-emotional etiology of blood deficiency involves the separation of body and mind (i.e. ever felt as if your head is a helium balloon attached to your body by a piece of string?)  Need a good way to reconnect with your body? Get your sweat on! Too tired? Well, then get your walk on. Feel your feet hit the pavement and think, "This is the ground, these are my feet on the ground, this is the ground." The mantra of the walking feet. It works.2. Learn how to cook with green, chlorophyll-rich foods. Check out The Visual Guide to Cooking Greens. Remember, most greens love to spend quality time with bacon. No bacon for you? Fermented soy products (miso, tempeh, natto, tamari) play nice with greens too.3. Eat some pâté.  After I had my baby, I was all like "Yo, baby, run to Whole Foods and get me some of that sweet pâté."  He did. I ate it with rice crackers for the next couple of days. My blood rejoiced, and began to build. In fact, I produced so much milk that one nurse told me that I'd make history at the hospital. If you don't know why I'm talking about breast milk in relationship to blood deficiency, then read this. Also, I'm not bragging... though I was the Major Milk Machine, I did become very blood deficient because I didn't sleep for 7 months and lost my appetite due to pure fatigue. I'll tell you all about it another time. But I will tell you this - acupuncture n' beets n' beef got me better.4. BEET BLOOD DEFICIENCY NOW! Beets are magic for your blood. Eat them. Juice them, too, if your digestion is strong.5. Beets blend well with others. Speaking of juicing beets, check out this recipe. And this one. Let your tongue turn a brilliant purple-red. You will literally feel your blood increase in all of its glorious robustness.6. Whip out the Crock Pot. Your neighbor just had a baby? Make her beef stew. Borscht if she's vegetarian.7. Treat white sugar with respect. White sugar can really worsen blood deficiency. Same goes for alcohol.8.Snack on blood-nourishing foods.  Eat cherries, oats, red grapes, and dates! Sing a little song about them!9. Drink nettle tea. Nettle tea both nourishes and cleanses the blood. I like to order my tea from Mountain Rose Herbs. They aren't close geographically-speaking, but I haven't found a company that I love more than them.10. Molasses for the Masses! Nettle tea not your thing?  Blackstrap molasses (unsulphured) is a great blood-nourishing treat. Warm up a little soy/rice/cow milk. Add a teaspoon - tablespoon of molasses (to your taste). A dash of cinnamon. Enter beverage heaven.