🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Domestic data indicate that excessive mental and physical stress from chaotic work and study routines, irregular rest and sleep, family conflicts, strained interpersonal relationships, unresolved life frustrations, and prolonged psychological conflict or trauma leading to negative emotions are key psychological factors behind neurasthenia. Neurasthenia is a common condition, and many have experienced its suffering. Despite numerous tests showing no clear physical cause, and despite trying dozens or even hundreds of medications without improvement, doctors remain uncertain, and treatment costs can reach tens of thousands of yuan—this is the awkward reality faced by many neurasthenia patients. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies this condition under categories such as palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, vertigo, and deficiency syndromes. Pharmacological diets combine the properties and functions of Chinese herbs with suitable foods, prepared through cooking to match the body’s organ systems, yin-yang balance, qi-blood status, and cold-heat-deficiency-excess conditions, thus offering effective treatment for neurasthenia.
Celery and Sour Jujube Seed Soup: 90g fresh celery, 8g sour jujube seeds. Wash celery, cut into segments, boil with water to make a decoction. Strain out the residue, drink the liquid. This is one day’s dosage, divided into two servings—after lunch and before bedtime. This recipe has functions of calming liver, clearing heat, nourishing the heart, and soothing the spirit. Suitable for insomnia due to internal heat, neurasthenia-related insomnia and forgetfulness, and dizziness from high blood pressure.
Lily and Turtle Meat Soup: 50g turtle meat, 15g lily, 10 jujubes, seasonings as needed. Cut turtle meat into chunks, remove seeds from jujubes, boil with lily, add seasonings, cook until meat is tender. Drink the soup, eat the meat. One day’s dosage, divided into two meals. This recipe nourishes yin and blood, tonifies the heart and kidneys. Suitable for insomnia, irritability, palpitations due to heart-kidney yin deficiency.
Raw Peanut Leaf Soup: 15g raw peanut leaves, 30g red adzuki beans, 2 tablespoons honey. Wash peanut leaves and red beans, boil in a pot with water, strain out leaves, stir in honey, drink the soup, eat the beans. One day’s dosage, divided into two servings. This recipe nourishes blood and calms the spirit. Suitable for neurasthenia, insomnia, and frequent dreams.
Scallion and Jujube Soup: 20 large jujubes, 2 stalks of scallions with roots. Wash jujubes, soak in water, wash scallions, cut into 1-inch segments. Place jujubes in a pot, add water, bring to boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add scallions and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Eat the jujubes, drink the soup. One day’s dosage, divided into two servings. This recipe nourishes blood and calms the spirit. Suitable for neurasthenia, insomnia, frequent dreams, and memory decline.
Longan, Ginger, and Jujube Soup: 10g longan flesh, 5 slices of fresh ginger, 15 jujubes. Select thick, large, soft, oily, dark yellow, semi-transparent, sweet-tasting longan flesh; wash fresh ginger, peel off outer layer, slice; wash jujubes. Place longan, ginger slices, and jujubes in a pot, add 2 bowls of water, boil down to 1 small bowl. Strain out residue, drink the soup. One day’s dosage, divided into two servings. This recipe tonifies blood and qi, nourishes blood and calms the spirit. Suitable for middle-aged and elderly people with blood deficiency, insomnia, forgetfulness, neurasthenia, and anemia.
Treatment for neurasthenia requires long-term consistency. Patients who frequently switch medications without persistence achieve no results. Similarly, dietary therapy must be sustained. Additionally, patients should understand that dietary therapy is only an adjunctive approach and cannot replace medication or psychological treatment—over-reliance is unwise.