Nine Different Physical Constitutions

In TCM, we believe that our human body has nine different physical constitutions: Gentleness/Neutral type, Qi-deficient type, Yang-deficient type, Yin-deficient type, Phlegm-dampness type, Damp-heat type, Blood-stasis type, Qi-stagnation type, and Special Diathesis/Intrinsic type. Besides being inherited from our parents, our physical body constitution is mainly affected by diet, lifestyle, work and rest and weather.

Food comes in four natures and five flavors, such as cold, hot, warm and cool. This means that our body constitution can also be affected by diet. Most people nowadays fall into compound body constitution - having two or more of the following constitutions. Let's take a look at which one do you belong to?