Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that women's blood should be abundant and unobstructed. Therefore, women should pay attention to the following three aspects during their menstrual period:
Dietary Regulation
During the menstrual period, it is advisable to consume light and nutritious foods, and avoid consuming spicy, hot, and cold foods. Excessive heat can lead to excessive menstrual flow, while excessive coldness can obstruct the flow of blood in the meridians, leading to dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation. It is also not advisable to consume excessive amounts of alcohol during the menstrual period, as it may stimulate the uterus and cause menstrual disorders.
Lifestyle Management
Women should avoid living in cold and damp places, and should not overexert themselves. It is important to strike a balance between work and rest, especially during the menstrual period. It is advisable to avoid cold stimuli, getting wet in the rain, vigorous exercise, and excessive mental stimulation.
Sexual Activity
Maintain cleanliness of the genital area and moderate sexual activity to prevent bacterial invasion and the occurrence of gynecological diseases.
In addition, women can consume some medicinal diets during their menstrual period to strengthen the spleen, nourish the qi, nourish the blood, and calm the mind. Here are two recommended medicinal recipes:
Chicken Soup with Dang Gui, Huang Qi, and Fu Ling
Ingredients: 1 black-bone chicken, 9 grams each of Dang Gui, Huang Qi, and Fu Ling.
Instructions: Clean the chicken, remove the internal organs, stuff the herbs into the chicken's abdomen and sew it shut. Cook it in a clay pot until fully cooked, remove the herbal residues, add seasoning, and consume the meat and soup in 2-3 servings. Take 1 dose per day before menstruation, and continue for 3-5 doses.
Effects: Tonifies the spleen and nourishes the heart, invigorates qi and nourishes blood. Suitable for insufficient qi and blood causing scanty and pale menstruation, dizziness, palpitations, sallow complexion, lower abdominal emptiness and sagging, pale tongue, and thin pulse.
Chicken Soup with Mother Hen and Ai Ye
Ingredients: 1 old mother hen, 15 grams of Ai Ye.
Instructions: Clean the old mother hen, cut into pieces, and cook it with Ai Ye to make soup. Consume it in 2-3 servings. Take 1 dose per day during the menstrual period and continue for 2-3 doses.
Effects: Tonifies qi, constricts blood, invigorates the spleen, and calms the mind. Suitable for qi deficiency leading to excessive menstrual flow, palpitations, insomnia and excessive dreaming, cold pain in the lower abdomen, pale tongue, and thin pulse.
