As we folks often say, "When circulation is unobstructed, there's no pain; when there's pain, circulation is blocked." In fact, the same principle applies to blood replenishment—simply pouring tonics into blood vessels isn't as effective as first clearing the "blood stasis" that's causing congestion. Today, I'll teach you a blood-activating recipe that can be made right in your kitchen, saving you from wasting money on tonics.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there's a saying: "If stagnant blood isn't removed, new blood won't be generated." You should pay attention if you experience these symptoms: bruising easily with just a light touch, a complexion that looks as if covered in a layer of dust, dark lips, and two thick, purplish veins under your tongue—these are all signs your body is warning you that there's congestion in your blood vessels. If you only consume ingredients like donkey-hide gelatin or red dates to replenish blood at this time, it’s like adding more traffic to an already congested road—the more you try to replenish, the worse the congestion becomes.

We need to first "clear the pathways" of our blood vessels. Here's a recommended tea formula with four herbs: 6 grams of safflower (don't think it's too little—this herb is potent), 8 grams of Szechuan lovage rhizome (which can move both upward and downward, directing qi and blood to the head), 10 grams of Chinese angelica (the "universal remedy" in blood-tonifying), and 12 grams of hawthorn (sour and sweet, also aids digestion). When combined, these four herbs act like a cleaner for the blood vessels—safflower is responsible for dispersing stagnant blood, Szechuan lovage rhizome helps circulate qi and blood throughout the body, Chinese angelica replenishes new blood, and hawthorn aids digestion while preventing stagnation from over-supplementation.

How to do it? Simply rinse the herbs briefly (avoid vigorous scrubbing, as it may diminish their potency), place them in a health kettle with 500 ml of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it steep for an additional 15 minutes. When drinking, avoid having it cold; it's most effective when consumed warm. Sip it slowly throughout the day as a tea. After consistently drinking it for two weeks, check yourself in the mirror—your complexion will gradually take on a healthy, rosy glow, and unexplained bruises will also begin to fade.

However, a couple of reminders: pregnant women should not drink it (safflower has blood-activating properties), and those with heavy menstrual flow should also avoid it during their period. If you're currently taking other medications, it's best to consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner first—just like seasoning a dish depends on the heat, taking medications requires careful consideration of compatibility. In your free time, make a habit of massaging the Hegu point (located at the "tiger's mouth") and the Taichong point (on the top of the foot, between the big toe and second toe). These two acupoints regulate qi and blood respectively. When combined with the tea formula, the blood-activating effect can be doubled.