To resolve “yang deficiency” from a TCM perspective (and support your thyroid in the process), you want to strengthen digestion (known as “the spleen”) with my tips above. Spleen adaptogens such as Reishi mushroom, Ginseng, and Astragalus can be very helpful – find the one that is right for you and take it daily in tinture or capsule form. On top of this, go for more foods that are “yang” rather than “yin.” And most of all, do not be afraid of eating protein. It is crucial for muscle mass maintenance and thyroid function.
4. Support your immune system
This piece is key, as weak digestive fire/Qi will make you susceptible to increased infections only makes you feel even more tired than you already are! You want to implement some sort of herbal tool that will provide you with daily immune support to prevent recurrent bugs from delaying your healing process. My best advice would be to choose an immune-boosting herb that is also a Spleen Qi adaptogen like the ones I listed above. This way you can kill two birds with one stone (aka poor digestion AND immunity with one supplement, haha). My favorite would be reishi mushroom. This is my #1 recommendation for those with poor immunity and yang deficiency/spleen Qi deficiency.
5. Test for and treat anemia if needed (iron deficiency)
TCM states that the lunula can disappear when one is experiencing long term iron deficiency. One of the labs recommended in the link above for testing your thyroid would be a full iron panel, which is how I caught my own iron deficiency. Click this post to see the iron labs you should be asking for if you suspect anemia. I was previously taking Douglas Labs brand of iron tablets, but I’ve now switched to Ancestral Supplements grass-fed beef spleen capsules which contain 5x the amount of heme iron as beef liver. In my opinion this is the most natural and absorbable form available in the world, but at the end of the day you have to find what works for YOU to get your lab values back up into range.
I hope you found this article helpful! Thank you so much for reading, and don’t forget to check out the rest of my Nail Signs series HERE.
