In TCM diet therapy, warm foods are encouraged. Warm foods are believed to enhance the flow of Blood and Qi, which helps nourish and heal the body, particularly the organs affected by pregnancy and childbirth.
After childbirth, a mother’s body is considered to be in a more depleted state due to the energy that has been given to the fetus during pregnancy and childbirth. This can leave the mother more vulnerable to illness as her immune system is weakened. During this time, energy should be reserved for healing the body rather than processing cold foods.
Balancing the yin and yang after birth is key to postpartum recovery. This balance can be supported with proper nourishment, along with adequate rest, warmth, and supportive care.
While completely avoiding cold foods might be challenging and stressful, following the 80/20 rule can support your recovery during the first month postpartum and beyond. This means aiming to consume 80% of your food warm and cooked, while allowing for 20% of your intake to be cold. This approach helps you benefit from the healing properties of warm foods while still enjoying a variety of foods.
The most important aspect during this transformative time is to ensure you are well-nourished, focusing on wholesome, less ultra-processed foods. Below are some tips to help increase the warming energetics of western food.
- If you don’t like warm water, opt for room temperature water instead of chilled or ice-cold.
- Enhance the warming effect of your smoothies and yogurt by adding a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Choose fruits with warming properties, such as cherries, mangoes, raspberries, peaches, Chinese dates, durian, lychees, and pineapple.
- Include warming ingredients into salads such as root vegetables, chicken, lamb, beef, basil, oregano, mustard, pepper, chives, fennel, rosemary into salads.
Personally, during my postpartum recovery in the summer, I followed a 90/10 ratio. I mainly enjoyed warm water, teas, soups, and cooked foods, but also loved my fruits, occasionally enjoying salads, fine cheese, and a cool drink during the festive season!