Menopause, as a time when most women encounter change in their life roles, the external stress greatly affects the body. TCM believes that the liver is most affected and qi stagnation will usually result, so women tend to experience symptoms like a tendency to sigh, depression, chest tightness, insomnia, irritability, breast tenderness, and pain in the lower abdomen. The following food recipes help soothe the body under emotional stress.

1. Fried shredded mushrooms

Ingredients	Nutgrass rhizome (6g), perilla leaf (10g), bitter orange peel (6g), dried mushroom (50g), fresh mushroom (100g)
Method	Boil the herbal ingredients to prepare a thick sauce first, about 50mls. Soak the dried mushrooms, drain and slice, and wash the fresh mushrooms and slice. Add vegetable oil in a pot and heat; put in the mushrooms and stir-fry for 3 minutes, add the herbal sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Benefits	The herbs are commonly used for soothing the liver. Mushrooms are recommended for their anti-aging properties and those with high cholesterol level.

2. Crucian carp soup

Ingredients	Crucian carp (about 200g), cardamon seed (5g), nutmeg (5g)
Method	Scale the carp and remove the organs, grind the herbs into powder. Add vegetable oil in a pot and heat, insert carp and fry slightly; pour in 1000ml water, add the herb powder, ginger, green onion and pepper to taste; bring to a boil and allow the ingredients to remain at a brisk simmer until the soup turns silky white. Eat the fish and drink the soup.
Benefits	The dish soothes the liver and regulates qi movement; it also enhances digestion and absorption.

3. Lotus leaf and tangerine peel chicken

Ingredients	Fresh lotus leaf (1 piece), dried tangerine peel (10g), clove powder (3g), chicken (250g)
Method	Cut the chicken in pieces; soak the tangerine peel and slice. Marinate the meat with tangerine peel, clover powder, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and millet wine for 30 minutes. Wrap all the ingredients with the lotus leaf and put in a steam container. Steam for 1 hour and serve hot.
Benefits	Tangerine peel promotes qi circulation, clove and lotus leaf soothe the liver and reinforce the spleen. The dish can be consumed regularly.

4. Fennel and citron fruit pig's stomach

Ingredients	Pig's stomach (500g), fennel (6g), finger citron fruit (20g)
Method	Clean the pig's stomach fully, blanch with boiling water, remove the thin outer layer and drain. Boil the stomach and fennel together in pot of water until it is tender, then slice the stomach and put aside. Soak the citron fruit and slice. Add some vegetable oil in a pot and stir-fry the stomach slices and citron fruit together for 3 minutes, add in 50ml of rice wine, and add ginger, soy sauce, pepper and salt to taste, cook for 10 minutes more. Serve hot.
Benefits	The dish relieves liver stagnation, harmonizes the spleen and stomach.

5. Stir-fry shredded tofu

Ingredients	Lily flowers (50g), nutgrass rhizome (5g), bitter orange peel (5g), Sichuan lovage (5g), dried bean curd (200g)
Method	Soak and wash the lily flowers, and slice the bean curd. Boil the other three herbs to prepare 100ml of sauce and put aside. Add some vegetable oil in a pot and heat up, stir-fry the lily flower and bean curd for 3 minutes, add in the sauce, salt and sesame oil to taste and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Benefits	Lily flower helps relieve liver stagnation, the other herbs promote blood and qi circulation, and also nourish the liver, bean curd is rich in protein.

6. Pear dessert

Ingredients	Pear (2 pieces), finger citron fruit (5g), nutgrass rhizome (5g)
Method	Peel the pears, cut them into half and remove the cores. Grind the two herbs to powder, sprinkle on the pear and steam for 10 minutes.
Benefits	This facilitates qi flow and relieves stress.

7. Chrysanthemum tea

Herbal tea can be a regular drink when feeling stressed. Tea can be made using jasmine, rose, chrysanthemum, finger citron, white plum flower, and tangerine peel/pith.

Perilla leaf		Lily flowers		Tangerine peel