In traditional Chinese medicine, there are several ways to approach cooling the body when going through menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are powerful tools, but if you combine these tools with changes in the foods you eat, you'll get even better results! Here are four categories of foods that are beneficial during menopause according to traditional Chinese medicine.
1. Cooling Foods:
Radishes, Cucumbers, Bananas, Asparagus, Apples, Celery, Spinach, Green Tea, Watermelon, Chrysanthemum Tea, Eggs
2. Bitter Foods:
Kale, Arugula, Dandelion Greens, Tangerine Peel, Bitter Melon, Turnips, Watercress
3. Yin-nourishing Foods:
Bone broth, Pears, Pomegranate, Artichokes, Sweet Potatoes, Mung Bean Sprouts, Zucchini, Walnuts, Barley, Tofu
4. Dark Green, Blue, Purple & Black Foods:
Black beans, Kidney Beans, Black Sesame Seed, Blackberries, Chia Seeds, Blueberries, Kelp, Seaweed
It's All About Balance
Of course, it's always important to maintain balance in our diet and according to TCM, that means balancing the energetic properties of our food (warm, cool, neutral, pungent, sour, bitter, etc). If you are eating a lot of cooling foods to help relieve menopausal hot flashes and night, you'll still want to include some neutral and warm foods to keep balance throughout the body. For example, too many cooling foods without any warming foods can wreak havoc on digestion so always incorporate a few warming foods and always cook your vegetables before eating (raw foods are considered cold in TCM.) A light sauté will do the trick.
Here are a few neutral to warming foods to incorporate: figs, goji berries, pumpkins, shitake mushroom, potatoes, honey, olives, plums, carrots, salmon, chicken.
Foods to Avoid if you have Hot Flashes and Night Sweats:
Wine, Chocolate, Spicy Foods in general and Spices such as Cumin, Turmeric, Cayenne, Coriander and Chilli, Greasy or fried foods, Coffee or Energy drinks, Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Black Pepper, Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Mangoes. Limit red meat, lamb and veal.
While there are some overlap in these lists, the important thing to remember is to add as many foods from the lists of cooling , bitter, yin nourishing and dark-colored foods to your life as possible while also incorporating cooked, neutral to warm foods to balance digestion. If you're looking to relieve hot flashes and night sweats naturally, please reach out. A combination of acupuncture, herbs and dietary modifications can make a big difference!
