🌿 Folk Prescriptions

What does “zheng” (pattern) mean in Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Medicinal cuisine must be tailored to the consumer’s constitution and physical condition—this is a crucial principle. Historically, strict adherence required assessing the person’s physical and mental state to determine their TCM pattern.
“Zheng” means integrating the individual’s constitution, physical condition, mental state, physical strength, symptoms, and causative factors into a comprehensive analysis, summarizing the essence in a single term. Common types include Yin syndrome, Yang syndrome, Deficiency syndrome, Excess syndrome, Cold syndrome, Heat syndrome, and others.
Yin syndrome refers to a state of low metabolism. Severe cases may show pathological lowering of blood pressure and body temperature, pale complexion, cold intolerance, and mild diarrhea.
Yang syndrome is the opposite: hyperactive metabolism, often manifesting as elevated blood pressure and body temperature, flushed complexion, easy sweating, constipation, etc.
Consider physical strength and sensitivity to cold/heat.
Deficiency syndrome refers to thin, tall builds with poor digestion and weak physical strength. Excess syndrome is the opposite. Cold syndrome refers to cold intolerance, cold hands and feet, pale complexion. Heat syndrome is the opposite.
Generally, Yin syndrome often coexists with Cold and Deficiency syndromes, but Deficiency syndrome may also appear within Yang syndrome in many cases.
Sometimes, Cold and Deficiency syndromes are collectively called "Yin syndrome," while Excess and Heat syndromes are grouped as "Yang syndrome."
Supplement when deficient
In herbal medicine, a common scenario is: "Use a specific herb for a specific syndrome." Knowing the patient’s syndrome enables selection of the most suitable herb.
Thus, for Yin syndrome patterns, use herbs that "supplement deficiencies"; for Yang syndrome patterns, use herbs that "drain excesses"—this is the fundamental principle of medication.
This principle also applies to medicinal cuisine. For someone with chronic, obvious Yin syndrome, use herbs and ingredients that "supplement deficiencies" to boost metabolism—such as Astragalus, Angelica, Ginseng—and warming foods like carrots, leeks, and meats.
Conversely, for chronic, obvious Yang syndrome, choose herbs that "drain excesses" to normalize hyperactive metabolism—such as Coptis, Fructus Aurantii, Gardenia—and cooling foods like cucumbers, eggplants, raw fish.