Do you often feel contradictory sensations in your body? For instance, you clearly feel cold with cold hands and feet (Yang deficiency), yet you also experience dry mouth, restlessness, and even insomnia (Yin deficiency)? This sensation of "fire and ice coexisting" is likely what Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to as "dual deficiency of Yin and Yang."

With dual deficiency of Yin and Yang, improper supplementation can further harm the body!

The late renowned senior TCM physician Mr. Li Ke particularly emphasized that the method for regulating individuals with deficiency in both yin and yang is crucial and should not be approached haphazardly. Why is that?

Blindly and intensely supplementing yin (such as extensively using yin-nourishing herbs like cooked rehmannia root and ophiopogon tuber) may "suppress" the already weak yang qi, making you feel colder and more fatigued.

Blindly and intensely supplementing yang (such as using large doses of yang-warming herbs like monkshood and cinnamon bark) may provide a temporary sense of warmth, but it can easily "burn dry the water in the pot," depleting the body's already insufficient yin fluids, thereby exacerbating "fire-like" symptoms such as dry mouth, restlessness, and poor sleep.

Li Ke's Advice: A "Three-Step" Approach to Regulating Deficiency in Both Yin and Yang

What should be done then? Old Master Li emphasized that the core lies in restoring the balance of yin and yang, rather than addressing them in isolation. The conditioning approach he summarized can be understood as a "three-step process":

Step One: Balance and Supplement Both Yin and Yang, Laying a Solid Foundation.

Directly addressing the root cause of dual deficiency in both yin and yang, select formulas that can both nourish yin and support yang, allowing both to gradually recover together. For example, classic formulas like the Turtle and Deer Two Immortals Glue (tortoise shell gelatin, deer antler gelatin, ginseng, goji berries) or Rehmannia Decoction (prepared rehmannia root, dogwood fruit, cistanche deserticola, morinda root, etc.) are designed to take both yin and yang into account.

Step Two: Regulate the Spleen and Stomach, Ensuring a Source of Nourishment.

Master Li often said, "Regulating qi comes first, gentle supplementation follows." Why? Because the spleen and stomach are the body's "logistics department" (the foundation of postnatal essence, the source of qi and blood production)! If the spleen and stomach are weak, no matter how many supplements you take, they won't be absorbed—it's a waste. Therefore, strengthening the spleen and stomach is a crucial step. You can use formulas like Sì Shén Tāng (Poria, Lotus Seed, Fox Nut, Chinese Yam) or Sì Jūn Zǐ Tāng (Ginseng, Atractylodes, Poria, Licorice) to first regulate the functions of the spleen and stomach, allowing the body to have the "capital" to absorb nutrients and generate qi and blood. This naturally helps in the restoration of yin and yang.

Step Three: Consolidate the Kidneys and Prevent Leakage, Ensuring Supplementation Takes Effect.

If the previous two steps have been taken, but you still feel that "supplementation isn't working," as if everything you consume is "leaking" out, it may be due to unstable kidney qi (the kidneys govern storage). It's like a bucket with holes—no matter how much water you add, it won't hold. At this stage, you need to "plug the leaks" and strengthen the kidneys' ability to consolidate and store. Consider formulas like Sāng Piāo Xiāo Sǎn or Wǔ Zǐ Yǎn Zōng Wán, which help "consolidate essence and reduce urination," holding onto the vital essence that has been supplemented. "Preventing leakage is itself a form of supplementation."

Real Case: Ms. Zhang's Journey of Health Regulation

Mrs. Zhang, aged 45, presents a typical case of dual deficiency of yin and yang: she has year-round cold hands and feet, and is particularly sensitive to air conditioning (indicating obvious yang deficiency), yet even mildly warming and tonifying foods immediately cause oral ulcers and nighttime dryness with heat, leading to insomnia (indicating yin deficiency with effulgent fire). Previously, she took various supplements indiscriminately, which either made her feel even colder or aggravated the "heatiness."

Later, following the doctor's advice, I followed these "three steps":

First, use Modified Rehmannia Decoction to mildly tonify both yin and yang and alleviate the "ice and fire" conflict.

At the same time, use Four Gentlemen Decoction as the foundation to strengthen the spleen and stomach.

After a period of adjustment, it was found that although energy had recovered, there were still frequent nighttime urination and soreness in the waist (indicating insecurity of kidney qi), so Five Seeds Pill for Offspring was added at the appropriate time to strengthen the kidneys and secure qi.

After about three months of phased adjustments like this, Ms. Zhang’s sensitivity to cold and feelings of dryness and heat improved significantly. Her sleep quality improved, and she became more energetic, feeling that she could now "absorb nourishment."

To summarize:

For regulating Yin-Yang dual deficiency, remember not to "treat the head when the head aches, treat the foot when the foot hurts." The wisdom of the senior TCM physician Li Ke lies in: first seeking balance (balancing and supplementing Yin and Yang), then ensuring logistics support (strengthening and activating the spleen and stomach), and finally preventing leakage (stabilizing and consolidating kidney qi). Following this approach allows for a stable and steady restoration of the body. Of course, specific medication must be consulted with a professional TCM physician for diagnosis and treatment!