Always Tired in Winter, No Strength to Talk, Chest Tight and Heavy? Doctor Luo Dalun: How People with Heart Qi Deficiency (Xin Qi Bu Zu) Survive the Cold Season — Winter Tonic Tips and the Right Way to Take Ginseng

What people search for: always tired in winter / no strength to talk / chest tight and heavy / qi feels insufficient / what to eat as a winter tonic / how to take ginseng Medical terms for this condition: heart qi deficiency · heart-lung qi deficiency · sinking of qi with deficiency · palpitations · chest bi (xiong bi)

Opening: a good friend suddenly shows up — “I don’t have enough qi left”

A couple of days ago, a very close friend of Doctor Luo Dalun came to see him and said straight away: “You really have to help me!” What was going on? He said that lately his qi just did not feel sufficient — he felt extremely tired, his chest felt especially tired, and his voice ran out of strength mid-sentence, as if even pushing words out took effort.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: He asked me what this was, whether he was about to have something seriously wrong. I analyzed it for him — and let me tell you, this represents a whole category of people. I would like every one of you to check yourself. Many friends find that after winter arrives, their chest feels especially tight and heavy, they have no strength at all, talking is exhausting, and the days are a constant drag. Why does this happen? People with qi deficiency experience this, and above all people with heart qi deficiency. Today we will talk about how people with heart qi deficiency should get through the winter.

What is qi, and why is heart qi so important?

Before discussing heart qi deficiency, we have to talk about qi. This qi pervades the entire body — the movement of qi and blood through every organ and channel depends entirely on its pushing force. And every viscus has its own qi: lung qi, heart qi, kidney qi, spleen qi — they all have qi.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Strictly speaking, according to Chinese medicine theory, what does every organ have? Qi, blood, yin and yang. Deficient blood is a problem, and deficient qi is a problem too. This heart qi is extremely important in our lives. What is it connected to? It is connected to our middle qi (zhong qi) and our ancestral qi (zong qi), and to our lung qi. We usually speak of heart qi and lung qi together — why? Because the heart and lungs are extremely close: they sit together, they cooperate, and qi and blood circulate between them.

At this point Doctor Luo gave his listeners a side-by-side lesson in modern anatomy: the oxygen we breathe in exchanges with the blood in the lungs, the waste gas (carbon dioxide) is expelled, the oxygen enters the blood, then enters the heart, and is then delivered to the whole body — you see, that is how the heart and lungs are connected.

Why winter is hard, reason one: the cold

If your qi is deficient — especially if your heart qi is insufficient — winter feels especially hard. Why? First, in winter the weather is cold, and the body has to burn more energy resisting the cold — the body’s energy consumption is much higher than in summer.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: This is where heart qi matters enormously, because the heart belongs to fire — in the five-element system it is the fire organ. If heart qi is insufficient, the force pushing the blood through the vessels weakens, and the whole body’s ability to resist cold declines. So when a person’s heart qi is insufficient, when winter turns cold, he feels the heart especially weak and powerless. That is why so many friends tell me: “Why do I feel so easily exhausted once winter comes? By evening I am completely worn out, and I go to bed very early.” Why? Partly because the yang qi should be hibernating, but also because your body really does burn more energy than in summer — you have to resist the cold pathogen, don’t you?

Why winter is hard, reason two: all the extra clothing

The second reason has to do with clothes. In winter we put on many more layers, and those layers are themselves a load; at the same time, the layers rub against each other, and when you move, that friction creates resistance — so everything takes noticeably more effort than usual.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: In this situation, if a person has qi deficiency, he feels especially tired — exhausted every day. Why? Your load really has increased. So at this point a person with insufficient heart qi feels especially tired and feels the chest tight and heavy. This tightness is not something blocked inside — it is a lack of power inside. No strength to talk, no desire to talk, dragging through the day, even thinking feels like hard work — this is exactly what heart qi deficiency looks like.

Heart-lung qi insufficiency: winded after a few steps, and heart patients must be extra careful

Heart qi deficiency also drags down the lung qi, which is why we speak of heart-lung qi deficiency. What happens to people whose heart-lung qi is insufficient in winter? They get winded easily — a little exertion and they are panting, winded after a few steps. In summer this did not happen — so why does it happen in winter?

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Your heart-lung qi is insufficient, and now the cold outside is consuming your upright qi (zheng qi), so your heart-lung qi feels even more deficient. Friends like this must learn to take care of themselves in winter — if you get it wrong, the heart-lung qi gets depleted and it will affect the entire functioning of your body. Especially people who already have heart disease: they develop more problems at this time. For example, more people suffer palpitations (xin ji) in winter — with both qi and blood depleted, the slightest exertion makes the heart misbehave: palpitations, all kinds of arrhythmias. The heart can even hurt badly when it gets cold, producing chest bi (xiong bi). This is connected to insufficiency of heart yang, but yang and qi are always linked — when qi deficiency lasts long enough it accumulates into yang deficiency, and the two drag each other along.

Care tip one: subtract — let the yang qi truly hibernate

So how should you take care of yourself in winter? Doctor Luo gives two aspects. The first is economy. What does economy mean? In winter, try not to have so many desires — do not keep saying “I still have to achieve this at work, I still have to finish that.”

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Many workplaces are still sprinting toward year-end targets in winter, and I do not approve of that at all. According to Chinese medicine, winter is the time to lighten desires and lighten work worries — this is the season of storing and sealing (shou cang bi cang), the time to learn to let the yang qi hibernate and not spend it excessively. Modern people have lost the idea that “life corresponds to nature,” so every year-end they sprint — I think that goes against the rhythm of nature. So each of us should adjust personally: do the most important things, and stop spending yourself on the rest. Say your workplace is sprinting anyway — then after work your friends want to drink, your classmates want to gather. That gathering itself is a drain: you drink until midnight, you lose sleep, you eat too much and sleep badly, the yang qi never gets to hibernate, and it is bad for your health. So in winter, reduce — subtract. This is the first and most important thing: do not spend your upright qi.

Care tip two: a winter tonic — how the ancients stored up energy

Second, this is the time to take a tonic. Why did the ancients always say to take tonics in winter? Because winter is the best time to accumulate energy.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: The ancients would eat herbal pastes (gao fang) at this time of year, and the following spring they felt their bodies were in excellent shape. That is why so many elderly people who keep up with herbal pastes look wonderful by spring — the yang qi has enough force to rise. So I suggest: if your circumstances allow, take an appropriate tonic in winter. As long as you do not have a phlegm-damp constitution and do not have especially blazing liver fire, and your constitution is genuinely deficient, you can ask a Chinese medicine practitioner to help you choose a tonic.

The ginseng stories: Emperor Qianlong at 89, Sir Run Run Shaw at 107

For people with heart qi deficiency, what does Doctor Luo recommend most? Ginseng.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: I am from the northeast, and a couple of days ago I was at a gathering with friends from Jilin. Everyone was lamenting: so much of our ginseng is exported to Korea, and Korea packages it beautifully — such a pity. Meanwhile our ginseng sells for a pittance; at the farms they pile it on the ground and sell it like radishes — what a waste. It broke my heart. Ginseng is a specialty of our northeast, but remarkably few northeasterners actually know how to eat it. Which part of China eats ginseng? Guangdong. Cantonese people understand tonics — Guangdong is the province with the highest ginseng sales.

The benefits of ginseng were proven by the ancients long ago. The Qianlong Emperor ate ginseng every day from his forties until he died at eighty-nine — among all the world’s emperors he ranks second in longevity (only one pharaoh lived a year longer), and first among China’s emperors. Sir Run Run Shaw ate wild northeastern ginseng every day and lived past one hundred — to 107. People with qi deficiency who know how to nourish themselves stay healthy; people with liver fire should first drain the liver fire, then check whether they are qi deficient — tonify qi only if qi is deficient; if qi is sufficient, there is nothing to tonify.

Does ginseng cause “heat”? Only for certain constitutions

Why is everyone afraid to eat ginseng? They all say ginseng causes heat when eaten. Doctor Luo says this is exactly what happens when people do not understand the logic of Chinese medicine.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Chinese medicine talks about constitutions, right? Who gets heat from ginseng? If you have liver fire, yes, you will get heat. If your body is heavy with phlegm-damp, with strong phlegm-heat, then no — you cannot eat ginseng; it would be pouring oil on the fire. But for a qi-deficient person, ginseng can actually save the day. Using herbal medicine according to constitution — I think that is the essence of Chinese medicine. Step away from that, and saying “this herb is good” or “this herb is bad” is nonsense, pure nonsense, because you have abandoned the logic of the medicine.

So how can you tell whether you are qi deficient? Doctor Luo gives several signals: teeth marks along the edges of the tongue (he sees them everywhere in urban people), exhaustion every day, constant weariness, weak speech without bottoming-out power, unable to stand fully straight — for such people, especially in winter, a modest amount of ginseng is particularly suitable.

How to take ginseng: slice it and hold it under your tongue — morning is best

How should ginseng be taken? Not by grabbing a root and soaking it in liquor — no, not that way.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Ginseng can be sliced — the pharmacy sells whole roots, and you slice them yourself. Take one or two slices a day and hold them under your tongue. Gradually what happens? The taste of the ginseng comes out, and the medicinal power comes out with it, dissolving into your saliva, and you simply swallow. When it has finally softened, chew it up slowly and swallow it. You do not need a lot — one or two slices a day is enough. I have many friends around me who look utterly exhausted, and I give them ginseng slices. After holding them, what do they say? “Lately my energy really is noticeably stronger” — that is the benefit of ginseng.

Two more points of care. First, take it in the morning if possible, not right before bed — tonifying qi at night, when the qi is being replenished back in, can disturb sleep; in the morning the yang qi is rising, and tonifying qi at that time is especially good for the body. Second, which slices to choose — white ginseng (sun-dried, sheng shai shen) or red ginseng (hong shen)? Either works — sun-dried ginseng tonifies qi strongly, while red ginseng carries a slight dual action of tonifying both qi and blood; under ordinary circumstances, sun-dried ginseng is enough.

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: Which ginseng should you actually take? I do not think you need to chase the expensive wild ginseng. If your means allow it and you want to eat wild ginseng, fine — like Sir Run Run Shaw. For us ordinary people, ordinary ginseng is perfectly adequate. This kind is called garden ginseng (yuan shen) — ginseng grown on a farm, artificially cultivated, but its medicinal power is fully present. Take slices cut from this kind of ginseng and hold them every day. If your heart qi is insufficient — you feel short of breath and tight in winter, the breath will not come up, your speech has no strength, and so on — I believe this method really can help you.

Closing: do not let your body keep marching forward at a deficit

Finally, Doctor Luo added two “backup” formulas:

💬 Note from Doctor Luo: How should people with heart qi deficiency get through winter? I have told you. You can also take some Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan (Tonify the Middle and Augment Qi Pill) — that is for clearly sinking qi with deficiency; or you can take some of Doctor Zhang Xichun’s Sheng Xian Tang (Raise the Sinking Decoction) to regulate yourself. Whatever you do, please do not let your body keep marching forward in a depleted state. Thank you all. Next time we will introduce more Chinese medicine knowledge. Until then.

Friends, winter is here. If your body is also crying “I do not have enough qi” — chest tight and heavy, no strength to talk, utterly spent by evening — then first do some subtracting, then choose a tonic that fits you. When the heart qi is sufficient, this winter is one you can live through steadily.

What to take away

Heart qi deficiency explains a huge winter crowd: chest tightness that is not blockage but lack of power, no strength to talk, exhaustion by day, winded after a few steps — these are heart-lung qi deficiency, and they get worse in winter.
Winter is hard for two reasons: the cold makes the body burn more energy, and heavy layers of clothing add load and friction — both drain a qi-deficient person faster.
Heart patients need extra vigilance: palpitations, arrhythmias and cold-triggered chest pain (xiong bi) all increase in winter; long-standing qi deficiency gradually accumulates into yang deficiency.
Care tip one is subtraction: cut desires, skip the year-end sprint, limit parties and drinking — winter is the season of storing and sealing, and the yang qi must hibernate.
Care tip two is a winter tonic: herbal pastes (gao fang) were the ancient way; as long as you are not phlegm-damp and do not have blazing liver fire, a practitioner-guided tonic is appropriate.
Ginseng is the best supplement for qi deficiency: the Qianlong Emperor and Sir Run Run Shaw both took it daily; whether it causes heat depends on constitution — liver fire and phlegm-damp get worse, qi deficiency gets help.
How to take it: one or two thin slices held under the tongue each day, swallowed as they dissolve; morning is best; sun-dried ginseng (sheng shai shen) is enough for most people, no need for expensive wild ginseng.
Signs you are qi deficient: teeth marks on the tongue edges, daily exhaustion, weak speech, unable to stand fully straight.
Two backup formulas: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan (Tonify the Middle and Augment Qi Pill) for sinking qi, or Doctor Zhang Xichun’s Sheng Xian Tang (Raise the Sinking Decoction) — and never let your body keep running at a deficit.

Compiled from Doctor Luo Dalun’s winter health lecture.