Understanding Your TCM Body Type: A Complete Guide

Signs: Good energy, sound sleep, good appetite, regular digestion, rarely sick, positive mood

Percentage: About 32% of the population

Advice: Maintain your balance with moderate diet and exercise. You're the gold standard!

Signs: Fatigue, shortness of breath, catches colds easily, soft voice, spontaneous sweating, prefers quiet activities

Common in: People who overwork, skip meals, or have chronic illness

Foods to eat: Sweet potato, chicken, rice, mushrooms, dates, astragalus tea

Foods to avoid: Raw/cold foods, excessive salads, iced drinks

Signs: Always feeling cold, cold hands and feet, pale face, loose stools, frequent urination, low libido

Common in: Elderly, people in cold climates, those who eat too much cold/raw food

Foods to eat: Lamb, ginger, cinnamon, walnuts, leeks, fennel

Foods to avoid: Cold drinks, ice cream, watermelon, bitter melon, raw vegetables

Signs: Feeling warm, night sweats, dry mouth/skin, hot palms and soles, restless sleep, thin body type

Common in: Night owls, people under chronic stress, menopausal women

Foods to eat: Pear, lily bulb, duck, tofu, sesame, honey, goji berries

Foods to avoid: Spicy food, alcohol, coffee, lamb, fried foods

Signs: Overweight, oily skin, heavy feeling, chest tightness, sticky mouth, sluggish digestion

Common in: People with sedentary lifestyles, those who eat greasy/sweet foods

Foods to eat: Barley, mung beans, winter melon, seaweed, white radish, green tea

Foods to avoid: Dairy, sweets, greasy food, excessive meat, beer

Signs: Oily face, acne, bitter taste in mouth, yellow urine, irritable, body odor, heavy sweating

Common in: People in hot/humid climates, those who eat spicy/greasy food and drink alcohol

Foods to eat: Mung beans, cucumber, bitter melon, lotus root, chrysanthemum tea

Foods to avoid: Alcohol, spicy food, fried food, chocolate, mango

Signs: Dark complexion, dark lips, easy bruising, fixed sharp pains, dark circles under eyes, varicose veins

Common in: People with sedentary jobs, those with chronic pain conditions

Foods to eat: Hawthorn berries, turmeric, vinegar, brown sugar, eggplant, black fungus

Foods to avoid: Cold/frozen foods, excessive salt

Signs: Emotional, sighs often, feeling of lump in throat, chest/rib tightness, mood swings, depression tendency

Common in: People under emotional stress, introverts, perfectionists

Foods to eat: Rose tea, jasmine tea, citrus fruits, celery, mint, buckwheat

Foods to avoid: Coffee (worsens anxiety), excessive alcohol

Signs: Allergies, asthma, hives, drug sensitivities, genetic conditions

Common in: People with family history of allergies

Foods to eat: Varied diet, seasonal foods, cooked vegetables

Foods to avoid: Known allergens, highly processed foods