Recovering from trauma is no small task, and developing resilience following trying events can tax us greatly. The good news is that food can be a great ally throughout this process. Three major “building blocks” in Daoist healing serve as the foundation of our vitality and resilience: qi, blood, and jing. Particularly in light of trauma, each of these reflects a distinct kind of essential substance our bodies and brains need to flourish.
We’ll discuss what these three components are in this piece and offer some easy strategies to nourish them with everyday foods.
Qi, Blood, and Jing: The Foundations of Vitality in Daoist Nutrition
According to Daoist thought, the keystones that keep us going strong are qi, blood, and jing. Here’s a brief overview:
- Qi: Consider this your basic energy or life force. It drives everything from moving to clear thinking. We often feel fatigued, foggy, or even emotionally unstable when qi is low. The appropriate nutrients can nourish qi and enable us to feel energized and vibrant.
- Blood: Daoist healing links blood to mental stability in addition to bodily nourishment. Healthy blood grounds and balances us. Should blood be lacking, we could experience mental scatteredness, emotional instability, or physical weakness. Food can help to create and restore blood.
- Jing: Jing is a little more complex; linked with our long-term vigor and resilience, it’s like the essence of life we inherit. Stress, lack of sleep, or trauma all readily exhaust Jing in the short-term; and jing deficiency is the fundamental driver of the aging process. So, restoring it as best we can will help us to feel more profoundly nourished and restored.
Knowing these three components helps us to cultivate resilience holistically; let’s now look at the foods that might support this process.
Foods That Boost Qi
Let’s start with qi first. Foods that strengthen qi often are filling, simple to break down, and consistent in how they impact energy. These foods can help you restore your qi if you’re feeling exhausted or require a consistent supply of vitality.
- Grains: Grounding and a gentle, a consistent source of energy are grains like rice, oats, cornmeal, and related varieties. For that “full but not too full” sensation, they’re a great way to start the day or as the foundation of a meal.
- Legumes: Garbanzo and pinto beans, and black beans especially, beans aid with digestion and general vitality. Rich in protein and fiber, they provide a steady energy boost free from the crash.
- Cooked Root Vegetables: Cooked root veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, and winter squash help fuel qi and keep you feeling balanced and nourished; they’re also gentle on digestion and filled with nutrients.
Advice for Strengthening Qi:
- Aim to eat these foods warm and cooked instead of cold or raw. In general, warm, prepared foods let your body more readily absorb nutrients and are easier on the stomach.
- If you’re especially fatigued, consider beginning the day with a warm bowl of oatmeal or over-cooked rice (porridge) topped with some berries or almonds for a little lift.
Foods That Support Blood
Usually loaded with color and nutrients, blood-nourishing foods ground us both physically and emotionally. Strong blood helps us to feel more balanced and focused.
- Dark Leafy Greens: Iron and other minerals present in spinach, kale, and collard greens enhance blood health. Cooking them lightly makes improves absorption considerably.
- Animal Products: Small amounts of top-quality eggs, red meat, or bone broth can be quite helpful for blood health; yet, it’s essential to eat them in moderation. Rich in nutrients, these foods can be deeply nourishing when you need some extra support, but can overwhelm digestive function if overconsumed.
- Beets and Black Sesame Seeds: Rich in minerals to help replenish blood, beets and black sesame seeds are particularly useful. Beets provide an anchoring energy that supports emotional stability as well as physical strength.
Advice for Supporting Blood:
- Try including at least one food that nourishes your blood at regular meals. A lunch with a small amount of animal protein or a dinner with lightly cooked, dark leafy greens can have a tremendous impact.
- For a well-rounded meal, balance blood-building foods with qi-nourishing grains or legumes.
Foods to Restore Jing
In Daoist healing, jing is referred to as essence—that core vitality which keeps us going over time. Although rebuilding jing requires more time than rejuvenating qi or blood, the foods below can provide such deep sustenance.
- Nuts and Seeds: Nutrient-dense and great for sustaining long-term vitality are nuts and seeds. These include sunflower seeds, black sesame seeds, and walnuts. One little handful every day can give a jing boost.
- Root Vegetables: For jing, root vegetables—carrots, sweet potatoes, and parsnips—are profoundly grounding and nourishing. They support core level resilience in general.
- Goji Berries and Black Beans: Easily added to meals, goji berries and black beans are renowned for their jing-nourishing qualities. Goji berries, especially, have been utilized historically to improve general health and restore jing.
Advice for Supporting Jing:
- Eat these foods mindfully; a little goes a long way. Since jing-supporting foods are often dense, even a tiny bit can have a significant effect. Aim to eat a small amount daily.
- Snack on nuts or seeds; sprinkle goji berries over porridge or a salad.
Meal Practices to Support Qi, Blood, and Jing
Our eating style counts just as much as the foods we eat. These are some meal practices to maximize the nutrients in your foods:
- Mindful Eating: A big difference can be made by eating in relaxed surroundings. Try to sit down when you eat, inhale deeply a few times, then begin your meal and eat at a calm pace. This improves not just your digestion but also your body’s nutrient absorption capacity.
- Balancing Meals: For every meal, strive for a combination of jing-supportive nuts or seeds, blood-nourishing veggies or a small amount of animal protein, and qi-tonifying grains. This balanced approach offers a consistent, supportive energy supply.
- Consistency Over Time: Building resilience is a marathon rather than a sprint. It requires consistency. Regularly including these foods and eating practices can help you progressively increase your qi, blood, and jing, therefore sustaining a consistent sense of vigor and resilience over time.
Summing Up
Rebuilding resilience is a journey, but food can be a great tool for support along the way. Focusing on basic choices that boost your qi, blood, and jing will help you not only feed your body, but also support your emotional health and long-term vitality.
Try including just one or two of these foods into your diet if you want to give it a try and see how you feel. These little adjustments can add up over time, helping you feel more grounded, balanced, and strong. One meal at a time, one step at a time.