Table of Contents
As per the Traditional Chinese Medicine and the studies, it is noticed that most patients have a surprised expression when discussing how and why one must avoid raw and chilled food. While the Western culture talks about the health quotient of modern diets, such as smoothies, salads, and juices are necessary. These, to your surprise are just the opposite and against the core principles of traditional Chinese medicine.
The reason behind this is that the body tends to struggle to break down raw or cold food which could result in low qi (energy) and blood being generated. Raw foods are viewed as ‘cold’ in nature and the body essentially needs to cook the food to help obtain the nutrients from it.
Time and again consumption of raw and cold food could lead to the body’s struggle for adequate energy and issues when digesting. You might also feel cold or also regularly experience cold feet and hands, easily. In the language of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is called the ‘Yang Deficiency’ which equates to a depletion of the qi (energy) and warmth in the body.
Yang Warming
The Yang warming energy is an origin of a movement of qi and blood throughout the body. This is also a catalyst for reproductive processes, such as implantation and ovulation. The energy is also supportive and uplifting in nature, it’s also responsible for allowing a continuation of pregnancy.
This deficiency may correlate with issues of fertility like low progesterone, implantation failure, low luteal temperatures, luteal phase defect, miscarriages, and endometriosis. For an embryo to thrive and embed, the endometrium (which is the lining of the uterus) must have a good supply of blood from all the capillaries to feed into it. Simply put, a ‘warm womb’ is one that has a great blood flow as compared to a ‘cold womb’ where the capillaries are constricting and are not generating enough nutrients and warmth-rich blood supply to support life.
Tips for a Warm Womb
- Swap all raw and cold foods with warm nourishing foods that you would otherwise have in winter, such as chicken or vegetable soups, casseroles, bone broths, stews, and mild curries.
- Avoid cold drinks. Even if it’s a hot climate, try to regularly consume beverages that are not chilled as they could be damaging the yang and also affecting the body’s ability to conceive. You can also try homemade ginger tea and in case it’s too hot for tea, consume it when it’s at room temperature.
- Maintain the temperature of the soles of your feet too. It’s best to avoid being bare feet, especially on tiles, timber, or concrete floors. The kidney meridian in the theory of acupuncture originates on the sole of the foot and travels to the uterus, resulting in a direct flow to the uterus.
- Prevent your body from getting too cold by dressing in nice warm clothes, especially when in an air-conditioning room. Pay attention to your legs, lower back, and abdomen as centric places for maintaining the warmth in the body.
- Avoid sitting on cold floors as it allows the cold to permeate through the lower body and then to the uterus.
- Try to avoid swimming when menstruating. This is because the cervix during the period is open which can allow the cold to enter directly into the uterus.
- Include regular acupuncture in addition to moxa on the low abdomen. This will help warm the uterus and also build the yang. (Moxa, a traditional Chinese therapy where the dried mugwort is burned just above the parts of the body, like the uterus). Using this therapy with moxa can help warm certain acupuncture points and build yang and qi.
- Use warming traditional Chinese herbs as they are fantastic herbal formulas found specifically to warm the uterus and build the yang. Most formulas have been around for centuries.
To Conclude:
We hope the blog post above has helped you know and understand the importance of keeping your abdomen and other body parts warm after IVF. Having said that, we highly recommend consulting your doctor about the practice of acupuncture to be doubly sure, owing to the different body kinds and needs.
