| TCM believes foods boost your entire system with concentrated energy provided by a carefully selected combination of herbs. This is referred to as a "medicinal diet" because many herbs are used in the dishes. Such functional foods are popular in Chinese households where the knowledge of certain foods as medicine has been passed down through the generations.
For women with PMS, these special dishes are mainly focused on soothing the liver, fortifying the kidneys and spleen, or enriching the blood and qi (vital energy).
Below are some simple recipes, which can be consumed during the premenstrual phrase or for more long-term use.
1. Mood Swings
Recipe (1)
Ingredients:
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Bupleurum (chai hu) 10g |
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Selfheal spike (xia ku cao) 12g |
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White peony root (bai shao) 15g |
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Bitter orange (zhi ke) 10g |
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Red sage root (dan shen) 20g |
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Red sugar to taste |
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Method:
Boil the herbal ingredients with 600ml water, bring to a boil and then simmer until the decoction remains about 150ml. Filtered or strained the liquid into a container, add red sugar to taste. Serve hot, once a day.
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Recipe (2)
Ingredients: |
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Fresh reed rhizome (lu gen) 150g |
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Bamboo shavings (zhu ru) 15g |
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Long grain rice 100g |
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Fresh ginger 3 slides |
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Method:
Boil the herbal ingredients with 600ml water, bring to a boil and then simmer until the decoction remains about 150ml. Filtered or strained the liquid into a container, add red sugar to taste. Serve hot, once a day. |
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2. Breast Tenderness
Fried Goat Liver with Chinese Chives
Ingredients:
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Goat liver 150g |
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Chinese chives 100g |
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Green onion, two and diced |
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Ginger 5g, sliced |
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Cumin 5g |
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Salt to taste |
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Method:
Wash and dice the chives; slice the goat liver. Heat a wok or frying pan; add oil for stir-frying. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and green onion, stir-fry briefly until their flavor is released. Add goat liver and stir fry for about 1 minute, and then add the chives, stirring evenly. Add salt and cumin to taste. Serve hot, once a day for 3-5 days. |
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Congee of Smoked Plum
Ingredients:
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Smoked plum 20g |
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American ginseng 15g |
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Long grain rice 100g |
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Rock sugar to taste |
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Method:
Firstly, decoct the plum and ginseng for 15 minutes to make a 100ml thick juice. Boil the rice with 1000ml water; add the juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat but allow the ingredients to remain at a brisk simmer. Place the lid on the pot, leaving it slightly open so the congee doesn't bubble up and spill over. In about 30 minutes the congee is almost done; add rock sugar to taste and serve hot, once a day for 3-5 days. |
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3. Headache
| Chrysanthemum Tea |
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Boil 15g of chrysanthemum, 10g of Selfheal spike (xia ku cao) and 800 ml of water with a medium fire; turn off the fire until decoction remains about 150 ml. Filtered or strained the liquid into a container, add rock sugar to taste. Serve hot, once a day.
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| Boiled Fleece Flower Root and Eggs |
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Boil 60g of Fleece flower root (shou wu) and 2 eggs with 1000ml water. After 15 minutes, take out the eggs and peel them. Put the peeled eggs in again, boil on medium heat until there is 150ml of liquid left. Add rock sugar to taste. Eat the eggs and drink the decoction, once a day for 3-5 days. |
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Mutton and Angelica Soup |
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Ingredients: |
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Chinese Angelica (dang gui)10g |
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Mutton 250g |
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Tangerine peel (chen pi) 6g |
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Sichuan lovage rhizome (chuan xiong)10g |
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Fresh ginger 10g |
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Salt and pepper powder to taste |
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Method:
Rinse the ingredients, cut the mutton into pieces. Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan, add 3000ml of water, first bring quickly to a boil and then simmer for 90 minutes. Add salt and pepper as desired; simmer 20 minutes. Serve hot, drink the soup and eat the meat, once a day for 7 days. |
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4. Low Spirits and General Aches & Pains
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Black-bone Chicken and Notoginseng Soup |
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Ingredients: |
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Blackbone chicken 500g |
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Notoginseng 10g |
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Motherwort herb (yi mu cao) 30g |
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Ginger 6 slices |
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Salt and pepper powder to taste |
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Method:
Cut the chicken into pieces; rinse the motherwort herb and notoginseng. Put all the ingredients into a large pot, and add 3 liters of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat but allow the ingredients to remain at a brisk simmer. In about 90 minutes the soup is almost done; add salt and pepper powder to taste. Eat the chicken and drink the soup, once a day. |
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5. Edema and Diarrhea
| Recipe (1) |
| Decoct corn silk (30g) and winter melon peel (30g) with 1000ml of water, boil for 20 minutes. Sever as a regular drink. |
Recipe (2)
Ingredients:
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Lotus seed (remove the plumule) 30g |
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Coix seed 30g |
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Chinese yam 30g |
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Euryale seed 30g |
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Red sugar to taste |
Method:
Boil the above ingredients with 2000ml of water over a medium flame. Turn off flame when ingredients are almost mushy. Add red sugar to taste. Serve hot, once daily for half a month. Consume in the middle of the period.
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Recipe (3)
Ingredients:
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Rice beans (chi xiao dou) 30g |
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Coix seed 30g |
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Chinese dates 10 pieces |
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Red sugar to taste |
Method:
Boil the above ingredients with 1500ml of water on medium heat until they are almost mashed. Add red sugar to taste. Serve hot, once a day for 7 days.
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Carp and Radish Soup
Ingredients: |
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Radish 120g |
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Carp 500g (scaled and remove the organs) |
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Fresh ginger 15g |
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Salt and pepper powder to taste |
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Method:
Put the above ingredeints and 2500ml of water into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat but allow the ingredients to remain at a brisk simmer. In about 90 minutes the soup is almost done; add salt and pepper powder to taste. Serve hot, once daily for 7 days. |
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