Nourishes the body

Moistens the tissues (eyes, tendons, ligaments, skin, hair, tongue)

Provides material foundation for mind (anchors the mind so it can flourish)

If one does not have enough blood the mind can become restless, anxious, sleepless, irritable, and dissatisfied. Symptoms such as numbness, dizziness, and palpitations can occur. As well, eye sight, flexibility, menstruation, immune function and fertility can be affected.

It is important to work on the Spleen, Liver, and Kidney.

Ways to do it:

Blood building foods:

Blood building foods, due to their high concentration of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid, are an effective way to relieve anemia, fatigue, paleness, coldness of the body, and amenorrhea.

Eat: Animal liver, brewer’s yeast, bone marrow soup, and black strap molasses. Colostrum, the milk produced in mammals during the late stages of pregnancy, is also considered a blood building food. Colostrum is high in antibodies and nutrients needed by newborn mammals to build blood after birth.

Eat: meats, particularly duck, goose, lamb, and oyster. Dark leafy greens, such as spinach and wheatgrass, are also particularly high in iron, and are considered a blood building food. Wheatgrass, and other foods such as raisins, prunes, kidney beans, mushrooms, apricots, and soy foods can be particularly effective in building blood, especially if one is following a vegetarian diet.

Take Herbs: licorice, ginger, red dates, citrus, cardamon, and alfalfa.

Avoid: foods that offer little nutritional value, or rob the body of nutrients. Foods such as refined sugar, coffee, and alcohol are often thought to rob nutrients from the body, not to mention the taxing effect they can have on the liver.