It's a Jing thing. How full is your tank?

One of the things your Acupuncturist assesses is how much Jing you have. Your Jing is your constitutional health, the tank of petrol you are born with to get you through life. Some people are born with a lot, while others are born with less. Some people spend their Jing by living life in the fast lane, while others save it by getting enough rest.

Your initial quota of Jing is determined by the genes you inherit from your parents, their health at the time of your conception, and your mother's health during pregnancy. The amount of Jing you have later in life depends on how well you have looked after it. In general, the more Jing you have, the better your body can cope with what life throws at it and the healthier you are.

How much Jing did you start out with?

Signs that you were born with a lot of Jing include big earlobes, a wide glabella (that’s the space between your eyebrows), a strong jawline, strong teeth and robust health in early childhood. Signs that you were born with less Jing include poor bone development, late closure of the fontanelle, hearing loss in early life, frequent or chronic illness in childhood, and delayed development. Most of us fall somewhere in between.

The good news is that you don’t need to worry if your Jing wasn’t brilliant at birth. It isn’t how much you started out with that really matters, but how well you look after what you have.

How much Jing do you have now?

Your Jing may be running low if your hair is thinning or going grey, your libido or erectile function is declining more than you would like, your ovarian reserve is lower than normal for your age, or you have an achy back in the evenings that makes you feel old. If you recognise these symptoms in yourself, all is not lost! There is plenty you can do to make your Jing stretch a long way.

What can you do about it?

In China, acupuncture, certain medicinal herbs (including Ginseng), Tai Chi and Qi Gong are all recommended to nourish and preserve Jing.

Living a moderate life is also important:

• Rest when you feel tired

• Get enough sleep

• Avoid working too hard and endurance sport

• Cut back on sex if you are a man (Chinese medicine gets really hung up on this one!)

• If you are a woman, have acupuncture to reduce heavy periods and do as little as you can in the month after giving birth. This post gives practical advice on how to ‘Do the Month’.

There are also changes you can make to your diet. This post gets more specific about the best foods to get your teeth onto.