Diet and lifestyle tips
Diet
• Avoid eating excessive amounts of coffee, alcohol, red meat, and hot and spicy foods.
• Avoid eating excessive amounts of greasy, fried and sweet foods.
• Do not consume large quantities of salt.
During the flow of heavenly water
• Do not eat cold foods or drinks, or raw and frozen foods.
• Eat dark green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, and sweet rice, fish, eggs, raisins, liver and poultry.
Restorative practices -- spiritual
• Qigong
• Tai chi
• Meditation
Lifestyle
• Avoid excessive work.
• Maintain a regular and balanced schedule for eating, sleeping, working, exercising and resting.
• Dress appropriately for the weather.
During the flow of heavenly water
• Avoid swimming.
• Do not lift heavy items.
• Do not engage in strenuous physical activity.
• Avoid the use of tampons.
• Do not walk around in bare feet on cold floors.
• Do not engage in sexual intercourse.
During our periods it is especially important to promote energy flow. The following soup recipe is one passed down from Dr. Zhao's mother and grandmother and aids in the movement of blood and qi.
Egg Soup
Makes 1 serving
1 cup water
1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons rice wine
1. In medium saucepan, mix 1 cup water and raw cane sugar. Bring to boil over medium-high heat.
2. Crack 2 eggs into boiling water, and bring to boil. Add rice wine and turn off heat. Serve hot.
If you cannot improve your PMS symptoms on your own, Dr. Zhao recommends seeing a naturopath or a Chinese medical practitioner. "PMS is an important stage that women need to take seriously," she says. "Our body is a temple and we have to respect it. We expect our husbands to respect us, so why not respect your own body, your very temple?"
Get support and solutions for PMS in our forums.
Book cover courtesy of Random House Canada
Excerpted material from Reflections of the Moon on Water by Xiaolan Zhao, CMD. Copyright 2006 by Xiaolan Zhao. Excerpted with permission by Random House Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
