🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Formula for Strengthening Bones and Waist
Bone refers to the skeletal framework of the human body; its strength directly affects overall physical robustness, especially crucial for laborers who need strong skeletons. The waist serves as the body’s pivot, directly influencing full-body movement. Overall, waist circumference should be smaller than chest and hip circumferences, slightly cylindrical—connected above to a broad thorax, below to a rounded yet moderate buttocks, with a slender yet firm lower back. Since traditional Chinese medicine regards the waist as the "abode of the kidney," the condition of the waist relates to kidney function. Similarly, since the kidney stores essence, essence transforms into marrow, and marrow nourishes bones, bone health also impacts kidney function. Thus, in a sense, formulas for strengthening bones and waist are essentially kidney-tonifying and bone-strengthening formulas.
[Formula One]
Sheep bones 1 set, ginger 30g, tangerine peel and dried ginger 6g each, glutinous rice 100g, cardamom 2 pieces, appropriate salt. Crush sheep bones, boil with water, add all seasonings, simmer gently to extract broth. Use this broth to cook rice into porridge, or use it alone as soup. Consume as part of meals.
The original formula treats "deficiency fatigue, weak waist and knees." According to TCM theory, the kidney governs bones, and the waist is the abode of the kidney; kidney deficiency leads to sore waist, soft bones, difficulty walking. Treatment should focus on tonifying the kidney, strengthening the waist, and reinforcing bones. This formula primarily uses sheep bones to enter the kidney and fortify bones, supplemented by glutinous rice, tangerine peel, dried ginger, cardamom, and ginger to warm the middle energizer and strengthen the spleen, ensuring ample production of qi and blood to nourish zang-fu organs and limbs. The entire formula strengthens the kidney and waist. Those with kidney deficiency and weak bones should consume regularly.
Modern nutritional science holds that long-term calcium and vitamin D deficiency may lead to various diseases. Animal bones contain abundant calcium, which leaches into soups during prolonged cooking, so drinking bone soup or eating bone porridge greatly benefits the body. Meanwhile, adequate sun exposure or oral vitamin D supplements aid calcium absorption.
[Formula Two]
Pork kidney 1 piece, glutinous rice 50g, scallion white as needed. Halve the pork kidney, remove membranes and glands, cut into small cubes, marinate with yellow wine, ginger, and soy sauce; cook glutinous rice into porridge, add pork kidney and scallions near the end, continue stewing over low heat until tender. Take twice daily.
The original formula treats "elderly foot qi stubborn paralysis, sluggish limbs, inability to walk." Elderly foot qi results from damp-heat damaging the kidney channel, obstructing meridians. Treatment should clear damp-heat and regulate kidney qi. Pork kidney, salty and neutral in nature, enters the kidney, regulates kidney qi, and promotes bladder function; combined with glutinous rice and scallion white to strengthen the spleen, supplement the middle energizer, and reinforce yang. Together, these ingredients enrich kidney qi, enhance bladder transformation function, promote urination, eliminate damp-heat, unblock meridians, and alleviate symptoms.
[Formula Three]
Water caltrop (Bai Zhu) 30g, sheep spine bones 1 set, ginger juice 10ml. Grind water caltrop into powder; boil sheep spine bones to extract broth, mix with the powder using the broth, add ginger juice and salt for seasoning, then cook thoroughly. Consume once daily.
Water caltrop, commonly known as lotus seed, excels at strengthening the spleen, removing dampness, consolidating the kidney, and nourishing essence; sheep spine bones tonify the kidney, strengthen the waist, and fortify tendons and bones; ginger disperses cold with pungent warmth. Combined, they both expel dampness to relieve pain and nourish liver and kidney to strengthen tendons and bones. Suitable for those with liver and kidney deficiency and damp-heat arthralgia causing waist and knee pain.
[Formula Four]
Raw chestnuts 500g. Steam raw chestnuts until cooked, dry in the air, store for later use. Eat 10 chestnuts daily, chew slowly.
The original formula treats elderly foot qi, kidney deficiency, qi depletion, weakness in legs and feet, and fatigue. Chestnuts are sweet and warm, good for tonifying the kidney, strengthening the waist, and reinforcing tendons. Particularly beneficial for the elderly. Su Zhe, brother of Su Dongpo, wrote poetry describing how his own waist and leg ailments were alleviated by a mountain hermit’s method of eating chestnuts. Chestnuts contain B-complex vitamins, effective in preventing beriberi. They can also be cooked with glutinous rice into porridge, which both tonifies the kidney and strengthens the waist and knees, and benefits the spleen and intestines. People with kidney deficiency, weak legs, or spleen deficiency diarrhea should eat this. *Compendium of Materia Medica* records chestnut porridge. Avoid eating chestnuts alone or if digestive capacity is weak—prefer porridge instead.
Eating too many chestnuts at once can cause qi stagnation and indigestion, so it is better to consume small amounts over a long period.
[Formula Five]
Small fish 500g, baking powder 6g, flour 250g, pepper powder, vegetable oil, lard as needed. Select any type of small fish, remove heads and intestines, clean thoroughly, marinate with salt, yellow wine, and pepper powder; prepare a dough by mixing flour, baking powder, a little salt, vegetable oil, and lard with water; dip the fish into the batter, fry in hot oil until golden brown, then serve. Consume as part of a meal.
After frying, both flesh and bones of small fish are edible, providing protein and calcium. Beneficial for both adults and children.
Fish generally nourish the body—either invigorating qi and blood or supporting yang and nourishing yin. Combined with flour’s ability to strengthen the spleen, this ensures sufficient qi and blood, balanced yin and yang, and nourishment of tendons and bones. Regular consumption strengthens tendons and bones, enabling light and powerful movement.
Due to their nature as "stimulating foods," fish should be avoided by those with active rashes, skin itching, eczema, or psoriasis.
[Formula Six]
Pork kidney 1 piece, salted pepper as needed, du zhong 10g, scallion and ginger as needed. Boil du zhong in a pot with water for half an hour, filter out the liquid. Split the pork kidney, remove membranes and glands, slice into strips, mix with du zhong juice, salted pepper, yellow wine, salt, and starch, set aside. Stir-fry scallion and ginger slices in hot oil, then add kidney strips until tender and coated with sauce. Serve as part of a meal.
The original preparation was: "One pork kidney, sliced, marinated with salted pepper to remove fishy odor, mixed with 3 qian of du zhong powder, wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed." However, the fishy smell is too strong for most people to tolerate, so it has been modified.
Du zhong comes from the bark of the Eucommia tree, containing eucommia gum, resins, glycosides, organic acids, etc., with functions of tonifying liver and kidney, strengthening tendons and bones, and lowering blood pressure. Pork kidney regulates kidney qi and promotes bladder function. Together, they jointly strengthen the kidney and waist. Suitable for those with kidney deficiency, waist pain, weak legs, impotence, headache, and dizziness. Long-term use strengthens tendons and bones.
[Formula Seven]
Squash fruit 4 pieces, honey 1000g. Steam squash until soft, peel off skin, mash into paste. Mix with refined honey, store in clean ceramic container. Take several spoons each time, boil with water into soup, consume twice daily.
Squash fruit comes from the mature fruits of Chaenomeles speciosa (commonly called "wrinkled-skinned quince") and Chaenomeles sinensis ("smooth-skinned quince"). Mainly produced in Anhui, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Hubei, Guangxi, etc. The best quality comes from Xuancheng, Anhui, hence the name "Xuan Quince." It has a sweet-sour taste with fragrance. Main components include saponins, flavonoids, vitamin C, malic acid, citric acid, etc. Squash fruit is sour and warm, commonly used for treating wind-damp arthralgia, with functions of relaxing tendons, unblocking meridians, relieving pain, and strengthening tendons and bones. Reports indicate that decoction of squash fruit shows significant anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling effects on animal arthritis. Honey is sweet and neutral, tonifies qi, strengthens the spleen, and relieves spasms and pain. Combined, they relax tendons and unblock meridians, relieve pain, and strengthen tendons and bones. Suitable for cold-damp obstruction in joints, muscle cramps, cold pain in lower limbs, and limited joint mobility.
[Formula Eight]
Huangshan (Chinese yam) 50g, milk 100g, sweet apricot kernels 20g. Soak apricot kernels in water, remove skins and tips, then grind into powder; wash and peel the yam, chop finely; mix with apricot kernels and milk, extract juice by blending, heat to boiling, then stop heating. Take twice daily.
Modern studies show that aqueous extract of yam has anti-arthritis effects on experimental arthritis rats.
Milk is an excellent source of calcium, containing 120mg per 100g, easily absorbed by the human body. Modern nutrition science considers calcium essential for bone formation; it also reduces capillary and cell membrane permeability, preventing exudation, controlling inflammation and edema.
This formula uses yam to "support the five viscera and strengthen tendons and bones" (*The Herbal Classic of Li Hua Zi*); milk nourishes and strengthens the body while replenishing calcium; apricot kernels moisten lungs and broaden the stomach. The entire formula focuses on tonification to strengthen bones and tendons, suitable for deficiency-related waist and knee pain characterized by weakness, persistent pain, and joint stiffness. Healthy individuals consuming this formula can also achieve "strong bone marrow and walking as fast as a galloping horse."
According to the original text, this formula also has beauty-enhancing effects; regular consumption makes the complexion rosy and radiant.
[Formula Nine]
Yellow eel 500g, codonopsis root 15g, angelica root 15g, scallion and ginger as needed.
Remove head, bones, and internal organs from eel, wash thoroughly, cut into thin strips; wrap codonopsis and angelica roots in gauze; place eel strips and herb bag in pot, add water, cook into a soup. Remove herb bag, season with salt and scallion-ginger mixture. Consume as part of a meal.
Yellow eel is the meat or whole body of the snakehead eel (Monopterus albus), living in rivers, lakes, ditches, and rice paddies. Widely distributed across China except in the northwest and southwest regions. Known for its delicious flavor and rich nutrition, it is a popular aquatic product. Analysis shows that every 100g of eel contains 18.8g protein, 0.9g fat, 38mg calcium, 150mg phosphorus, and 1.6mg iron. Eel is sweet and warm, good for "tonifying the five viscera, eliminating twelve types of wind pathogens, treating rheumatism" (*Food Therapy Manual*). Also "treating wasting diseases, enriching essence and marrow, strengthening tendons and bones" (*Dian Nan Ben Cao*). Combined with ginseng and angelica, it tonifies both qi and blood, supports vital energy. The entire formula strengthens deficiencies, removes rheumatism, and fortifies tendons and bones. Suitable for conditions involving qi-blood deficiency, rheumatic obstruction, limb pain, and weakness.
[Formula Ten]
Raw yam 250g, ophiopogon tuber 50g, rehmannia root 150g, beef bone oil as needed. Boil raw yam, rehmannia, and ophiopogon tuber with water, extract liquid every 20 minutes, collect three times, combine, then simmer over low heat until thickened. Add beef bone oil gradually while stirring until a paste forms, then stop heating. Cool and store in bottle. Take 2 spoons each time, swallow with warm wine, twice daily.
This formula selects three classic tonic herbs used historically. Raw yam: "broadens the middle energizer, benefits qi, tonifies the five viscera, improves muscle quality, fills bone marrow, strengthens tendons and bones, delays aging" (*Yin Shan Zheng Yao*). Rehmannia root: tonifies liver and kidney, nourishes yin and blood, fills bone marrow. Research shows rehmannia decoction has effects similar to adrenal corticosteroids on rheumatoid and rheumatic arthritis. Ophiopogon tuber: nourishes yin, treats deficiency, strengthens the body. Experimental studies confirm ophiopogon extract has anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects. Combined with the warm, sweet beef bone oil, which tonifies the center, fills bone marrow, boosts energy, and prolongs life with long-term use. Together, these four ingredients provide tonification of essence and marrow, strengthen tendons and bones, and promote longevity. Swallow with warm wine to promote blood circulation and prevent excessive greasiness of the ingredients. Beef bone oil contains high levels of saturated fatty acids, prone to depositing on arterial walls forming atherosclerotic plaques, thus promoting atherosclerosis. Most plant oils contain beta-sitosterol, which inhibits cholesterol absorption, beneficial for preventing hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. From the perspective of both strengthening tendons and bones and preventing cardiovascular disease, it is advisable to reduce beef bone oil usage and increase plant oils such as soybean oil, corn germ oil, peanut oil, etc., for more ideal health benefits.
[Formula Eleven]
Job's tears 200g, dried rehmannia 250g, coix seed 200g, ash-free wine 4000ml. Roast Job's tears until fragrant; wrap coix seed and dried rehmannia in gauze bags, place in wine, seal tightly to prevent air leakage. After one week, open and take 10ml each time, once or twice daily.
The original formula states: "For elderly people suffering from wind-damp arthralgia, weakness in limbs, and waist-knee pain." Elderly individuals often have insufficient qi and blood, making them susceptible to wind invasion, leading to dizziness due to deficiency-wind; liver and kidney yin deficiency, poor distribution of spleen essence, results in limb weakness and paralysis. Treatment should focus on tonifying liver and kidney, expelling wind, and unblocking meridians.
In this formula, Job's tears (also known as sesame) tonifies liver and kidney, nourishes tendons and bones, removes wind-damp obstruction; coix seed strengthens spleen and eliminates dampness, relaxes tendons and meridians, pharmacological studies show analgesic and antipyretic effects; dried rehmannia nourishes kidney yin and blood, promotes menstruation; ash-free wine refers to wine brewed directly from rice without adding lime or furnace ash—highly pungent and hot substances. This type of wine preserves natural aroma, does not impair spirit, and has pure, delicate taste. Wine is pungent and warm, promoting blood circulation and enhancing drug efficacy. The entire formula tonifies liver and kidney, strengthens spleen and stomach, expels wind-damp, and benefits tendons and bones.
[Formula Twelve]
Fresh cherries 500g, rice wine 1000ml. Wash cherries thoroughly, place in rice wine, seal, soak for 10 days before drinking. Take 20–30ml each time, twice daily.
The spleen governs muscles; when spleen qi is weak, the nourishment from food and drink cannot adequately nourish muscles, resulting in weakness in limbs. When additionally affected by wind-damp pathogens, obstruction occurs in meridians, leading to waist and leg pain. Treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen and removing obstruction.
This formula uses cherries to regulate the middle energizer and boost spleen qi; paired with warm rice wine to dispel wind and activate circulation. Consuming cherry wine strengthens spleen qi, removes wind-damp, and fortifies tendons and bones. Beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic paralysis, and numbness in limbs.
Cherries contain sugars, B-vitamins, vitamin C, carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc., and greatly replenish vital energy while moisturizing the skin. Regular consumption nourishes the body and beautifies the skin.
[Formula Thirteen]
Coix seed 100g, yeast as needed, glutinous rice 500g. Grind coix seed into powder, mix with glutinous rice to make sticky rice, cool down, add yeast, ferment into fermented rice wine. Alternatively, use hot soaking method: place coix seed in gauze bag, add appropriate amount of white wine, steam over water for half an hour, then soak for several days. Take 20–30ml each time, twice daily.
Coix seed is sweet and bland, slightly cool, slightly descending and diuretic, thus able to drain dampness, relieve joint pain, and treat foot qi; sweet taste tonifies the spleen, and a strong spleen nourishes limbs and promotes blood circulation. After fermentation, it enhances the ability to circulate meridians. The original text claims this formula strengthens the spleen, removes wind-damp, and strengthens tendons and bones. Suitable for wind-damp obstruction in meridians, joint and tendon pain, heaviness, limited limb movement, or spleen deficiency with poor appetite, loose stools, and difficulty urinating.
Modern pharmacological experiments show that coixenolide has sedative and antipyretic effects on the central nervous system; coix seed oil inhibits muscle contraction. These align with TCM’s view that coix seed can remove obstruction and relieve muscle tension. Caution advised for those with spleen deficiency and constipation, or pregnant women.
[Formula Fourteen]
Dried deer tendon 200g, snow lotus 3g, mushroom slices 50g, chicken feet 200g, ham 25g, plus monosodium glutamate, cooking wine, ginger, green onion, refined salt, and clear broth as needed. Wash deer tendon with cold water, soak in boiling water, replace when cooled, repeat multiple times until tender. Cut ginger into slices, green onion into segments. Clean and trim tender deer tendon, cut into finger-sized pieces, boil with green onion, ginger, cooking wine, and water until fully cooked, then remove and place in a bowl. Blanch chicken feet in boiling water, remove outer layer, cut off tips, remove large bones, wash and place in another bowl. Wash snow lotus, loosely pack in gauze bag, place in bowl, top with ham slices and mushroom slices, add clear broth, cooking wine, ginger, green onion, steam in a steamer until deer tendon is soft (about 2 hours), strain out thick broth, add monosodium glutamate and salt to broth, pour back into bowl, steam again for half an hour, then serve.
This formula tonifies deficiencies, strengthens tendons and bones, suitable for those with weak waist and knees, and frail tendons and bones.
[Formula Fifteen]
Snake meat 15g, chicken breast 100g, winter bamboo shoots 100g, ham 20g, ginger, sesame oil, cooking wine, monosodium glutamate, salt, white pepper powder as needed. Prepare by cutting snake meat into 6cm-long pieces, boil together with chicken stock and ginger in a pot until cooked, then slice into fine threads. Slice fresh chicken breast and winter bamboo shoots into fine threads. Heat pan, add sesame oil and cooking wine, add 1000g chicken stock, bring to boil, add snake threads, chicken threads, and bamboo threads, adjust salt and monosodium glutamate, then pour in pre-heated snake broth, stir well, sprinkle ham threads, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil, sprinkle a little white pepper powder, and serve. Named "Dragon Phoenix Soup" because snake resembles dragon and chicken resembles phoenix.
Dragon Phoenix Soup has functions of regulating qi and activating blood, expelling wind and unblocking meridians, strengthening tendons and bones. Suitable for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and joint pain or waist-knee pain caused by senile tendon and bone weakness.
[Formula Sixteen]
Fresh lotus root 300g, pork rib 500g, raw yam 15g, ginger 1 piece, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, cooking wine as needed.
Wash lotus root, peel off outer skin, rinse briefly, cut into small stick-like pieces; wash pork rib, pat dry, cut into same-sized pieces; wash raw yam, pat dry. Place lotus root, pork rib, and raw yam in a large bowl, add fresh broth (chicken, meat, or pork rib broth), smash one small piece of ginger, cover the bowl, place in a larger pot, add water to about half a bowl depth, boil over high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce to low heat and stew for about 2 hours (add boiling water every hour). Season with refined salt and monosodium glutamate before serving.
In this formula, raw yam is sweet and neutral. Tonifies the middle energizer, benefits qi, moistens lungs, strengthens tendons. Treats various deficiencies, post-illness weakness, pulmonary tuberculosis with hemoptysis, weak tendons and bones, rheumatic pain.
[Formula Seventeen]
Soaked shark fin 600g, crab meat 80g, fresh crab roe 150g, ham powder 5g, cooking wine, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, ginger, green onion, white soy sauce, water starch, lard, ham juice, clear broth as needed. Boil soaked shark fin in cold water 1–2 times, remove fishy smell. Heat lard in pan, add wood ear mushrooms and green onions, sauté until translucent, add cold water, pour in shark fin, simmer once, discard water. Heat pan again, sauté ginger and green onions, add broth, pour in shark fin, simmer once, discard broth to remove fishy smell. Chop fresh crab roe finely, place in bowl, add a little broth, white pepper powder, ginger juice, cooking wine, mix well. Heat pan, add lard, cooking wine, clear broth, crab meat, ham juice, monosodium glutamate, salt, white soy sauce, add shark fin, cook through, thicken with water starch, add crab roe, stir well, transfer to bowl, sprinkle ham powder on top.
This dish is a high-grade nourishing therapeutic recipe for tonifying the kidney, enriching essence, and strengthening tendons and bones. It has functions of tonifying the kidney and enriching essence, strengthening the body. Suitable for patients with kidney essence deficiency, physical weakness, and various syndromes.
[Formula Eighteen]
Pork kidney 1 piece, du zhong 10g, fresh lotus leaf 1 sheet, Sichuan pepper 3g, salt a little. Wash pork kidney, split open, remove white membranes, soak in a brine with pepper and salt for half an hour, then remove. Crush du zhong, place inside pork kidney, wrap tightly with fresh lotus leaf. Add water to pot, simmer over low heat until cooked.
This formula harmonizes kidney qi, promotes bladder function, and strengthens tendons and bones. Suitable for kidney deficiency-related waist pain, facial and bodily swelling, seminal emission, night sweats, frequent urination in the elderly, chronic urinary issues, and miscarriage in women.
[Formula Nineteen]
Whole wild chicken 1 (about 500g), chestnuts 200g, green onion segments 3g, ginger slices 2g, sugar 50g, soy sauce 15g, refined salt 5g, monosodium glutamate 3g, Shaojiu 30g, wet starch 15g, clear broth 50g, peanut oil 750g (uses about 100g), Sichuan pepper oil 10g. Pluck feathers from chicken, wash thoroughly, remove feet and beak tips, cut into 3cm long × 2cm wide pieces, place in bowl, add 10g soy sauce, 10g Shaojiu, 2g refined salt, mix well to marinate. Score chestnuts with a cross-cut at the top, boil in water until the cuts split open, then peel off hard shells and inner skins. Heat peanut oil in a wok, heat to medium temperature (five parts hot), fry chestnuts until crisp, remove. Heat oil to seven parts hot, fry chicken pieces until crisp, remove. Leave 50g oil in wok, add sugar and stir until reddish-brown, add fried chicken, stir-fry, add 5g soy sauce, 20g Shaojiu, 3g refined salt, clear broth, stew for 3 minutes, then add chestnuts, stew for half a minute. Arrange chicken and chestnuts alternately in a bowl, pour original broth over, place green onion segments and ginger slices, steam in a steamer for 30 minutes, invert onto plate. Pour original broth into a clay pot, thicken with wet starch, add monosodium glutamate, drizzle Sichuan pepper oil, pour over chestnut-chicken dish.
Tender chicken, fragrant chestnuts, sweet and savory taste. Tonifies kidney and qi, strengthens spleen and harmonizes stomach. Can assist in treating diabetes, frequent urination, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and weak legs and feet.
<Strengthening Bone and Waist>