According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are certain foods you should avoid after giving birth. These are basically foods that are considered "cooling" and which are harmful for post-natal mothers because
(1) the body has a lower temperature without the baby's additional pulse
(2) the surgical procedures involved in childbirth increases the body's immunity to fight the "wind" that will enter the body and upset the balance of the yin and yang.
(3) to replenish the loss of blood.
Anyway the food you should avoid:
- Cucumbers, lentils, tomatoes, brocoli, cabbage, celery, eggplant, pickles
- Melon, wintermelon, watermelon, pear, kiwi, apples, pineapple
- Herbal tea, most teas as they are considered to be "yin"
Food to Take
- Ginger, garlic, ginseng, carrot
- Mushrooms, dried mushrooms
- Mutton, Pork, Duck, Chicken
- Wine, rice wine, yomeishu, French DOM, Whisky
- Sesame oil, red dates
Some typical dishes will be chicken and shredded ginger stewed in rice wine, sesame oil and dark sauce; pork trotters in vinegar and rice wine; chicken and red dates soup; mutton soup; braised duck with dried mushrooms with rice wine or whiskey. It is also good to take a dose of Yomeishu or DOM 3 times a day as this will aid in blood ciculation and keep your body warm. Ginseng soup, garlic chicken and pepper soup are also popular dishes that are easy to prepare.
Do note that it does not matter if you are in a cold or hot country. The idea is for the body to maintain its internal balance which is not measured just by temperature. Also, for ceasarian births, it is even more important for the mother to keep to this strict regime of not taking any yin food. It is also said that eating fish (including the skin) is beneficial in aiding the wound's healing process. One way to enhance the benefit of eating fish for this purpose would be to deep fry the entire fish, together with shredded ginger. Pour boiled dark sauce, a dash of XO/whiskey/rice wine and sprinkle sesame oil on top of the fish and ginger.
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