Spring is in the air. Seeds are sprouting, flowers are blooming and birds are chirping.

Welcome spring with open arms to shake yourself from your winter hibernation and lethargy. The season is calling as it is the time of the year to stimulate the flow of the Qi internally.

What is the Qi?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi is the “vital energy” stored in your liver. Our hectic lifestyles, improper diets, and our poor relationship with nature stagnate our liver, causing blockages with the flow of our Qi. It is when the flow of our Qi is blocked, is when we start to feel an imbalance within our system.

Let’s talk about a discomforting feeling that us women are all to familiar with: premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

According to the five element theory, these seven nourishing foods are recommended to be ingested during the spring high to help de-stagnate the liver, reducing the symptoms of PMS. 

7 Foods that help to fight PMS

A sprinkle of cinnamon a day keeps PMS away. Cinnamon, cumin, mango and sea cucumber are superfood that help to bring the liver and spleen back to balance, encouraging the flow of Qi. Cinnamon and cumin are renowned to be the perfect solution for menstrual pain and menopause. Try them with chicken and coriander. If you are having excessive vaginal discharge sea cucumber is what you need. Braise it with some veggies and fish and you will not be disappointed! Scanty menses? A mango for a snack can help you a lot with that and get you out of the menopause in a heartbeat!

Do you feel that your PMS pains are beyond what the average symptoms feel like? Are you interested in a customized dietary plan for your symptoms? Book a consultation with our Traditional Chinese Doctor, Dr. Erica Yee-ki Chan.”