Traditional Chinese Medicine diet for menopausal hot flushes and insomnia

Here’s just a snippet of information from my latest research paper on menopause (the topic as voted by the HealthWise Clinic facebook fans).

Menopause brings with it a range of symptoms for many women and these symptoms vary in different parts of the world.  In Asian countries women are more likely to suffer from joint pains and body aches.  Over here in the west, women are more likely to feel the effects of hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness and anxiety.

There are a range of therapies that can be of assistance to women to transition through this time of change, which is convenient given that we are all unique and have our own individual symptoms and preferences.  Treatments range from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to complementary medicine treatments such as herbal medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques such as acupuncture.

Additionally, research is showing that when women are more relaxed their symptoms also decrease in severity and frequency.  Don’t sweat the small stuff – literally.  Easier said than done, I know, but worth incorporating into your lifestyle anyway.

Here are some dietary and lifestyle recommendations for women who fall into the menopausal category marked by hot flushes, night sweats, dryness, anxiety and insomnia.  You may notice these recommendations are all about ‘self nurturing’, in TCM we call that nourishing our Yin:

• Partake in relaxing, low impact exercise such as yoga or tai chi and short walks most days per week.  
• Participate in ‘Yin’ activities (slow, quiet, cool, gentle, feminine) such as meditation, breathing exercises, reading for pleasure.  Have a massage or facial, particularly when feeling more anxious or stressed. 
• Refrain from stimulating activities before bedtime including TV and computer use, and instead use this time to ‘wind down’.
• Avoid excessive spicy food, red meat, coffee and alcohol as well as minimising barbecued, roasted or fried foods.
• Increase intake of oily and white fish, raw nuts and seeds, leafy green vegetables, mung beans, celery, tomato, olive and flaxseed oil, and have up to two serves of fruit per day such as berries, citrus, melon or apples.  Goji berries and dates (Chinese red dates in particular) can be added to porridges for breakfast.
• Use cooking methods such as steaming, stewing, stir-frying and making soups. 
• Make sure that the fluid intake is around 2L of water per day.  Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to this makes for a refreshing, cooling beverage.

For women who also have oedema and cold hands or feet, or other sensations of coldness, the information above may vary.  If you are struggling to manage menopausal symptoms you should seek assistance from a qualified health professional for personalised advice.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): can natural medicine help?

Here’s a little summary (from my Masters literature review) of what Traditional Chinese and natural medicine has to offer women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

For those wondering what PCOS is, it’s a female reproductive condition which is diagnosed by excluding other diseases, hence it’s known as a syndrome.  To be diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria, a woman needs to have any two of the following:

1. Polycystic ovaries (that’s right, ovaries with many cysts on them).  The jury is out on how many cysts constitute PCOS, but they may be arranged in a classic black pearl necklace formation identified by ultrasound.
2. Androgen excess.  Basically, we are talking about too much free testosterone (but other hormones may be out of balance too – including the LH FSH ratio.)  This hormonal imbalance can lead to symptoms such as hirsutism (an increase in body hair on the face, chest, nipples and lower belly), hair loss/thinning (again in the male pattern) and acne (although this is controversial as to whether it is definitely a part of the syndrome.
3. Anovulatory menstrual cycles/amenorrhoea.  This means that either you have stopped having periods altogether (and you are not pregnant or menopausal) or that you are not ovulating during your cycle.  Women may also experience longer menstrual cycles.  (35-60 day cycles are common in PCOS).

So, what can be done if you are given this diagnosis from your doctor (aside from or complementary to the common drug protocols – OCP, Clomid, Metformin)?

• Acupuncture.  Research suggests that acupuncture can be useful in increasing the number of menstrual cycles a woman with PCOS has (that means bringing the length of the cycle down to a healthier range).  Two randomised controlled trials have been undertaken on the topic.  The first double-blind study showed that both the control group and the sham group (who had pretend acupuncture with a special non-needle) both improved on their before trial results.  This suggests that perhaps the sham acupuncture may have worked after all.  (Pretend acupuncture is very difficult to do without making a change to the body.)  The second trial, I think used better acupuncture points (more like what I would use in my clinic), and showed that acupuncture was superior to exercise for PCOS.  The researchers pointed out that doing acupuncture and exercise would be the most beneficial treatment.
• Paeonia and Licorice.  These herbs have both been shown to be beneficial in women with PCOS.  They have also been studied in Chinese herbal formulas for the condition.
• Vitamin D.  Have you had your levels checked?  Researchers identified that women with PCOS are often low in Vitamin D.  This has a relationship with calcium in your body and can influence ovulation.  This makes sense from a Chinese medicine point of view as sunlight (one source of Vitamin D that we have) is a source of Yang (the warming, energetic, functional aspect of our body).  A woman needs a peak in Yang to ovulate.  (Anyone who has taken Basal Body Temperature charts knows to look for a peak in body temperature prior to ovulation.)
• Spearmint Tea.  A month-long study on hirsutism was undertaken with participants drinking 2 cups of spearmint tea each day.  The participants experienced a decrease in androgens and a subjective decrease in male pattern body hair.
• Weight loss and Insulin management. Most of the studies specify that the treatment is more likely to work in patients with a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) and without insulin resistance.  There are additional dietary, herbal and nutritional interventions that may assist in these areas, so that your PCOS treatment works more efficiently.  These areas can not be overlooked.  It’s suggested that PCOS may be an evolutionary condition allowing a small percentage of women to be able to reproduce in times of starvation (when most other women would experience infertility).

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, I recommend discussing the condition with not only your doctor but also your acupuncturist or natural medicine practitioner (who has an interest in women’s health).  PCOS if left untreated, may be a risk factor for other metabolic disorders including diabetes and hypertension.  Every woman is different, and PCOS is notorious for presenting in many different ways so an individualised treatment plan is a must.

Need a reason to feel brilliant? Just look at how clever your body is.

Recently, I started my Master of Chinese Medicine at the University of Western Sydney, kicking off the study with a Women’s Health unit.  As many of you know, I have a special professional interest in working with women’s health and reproductive medicine (which yes, also includes men’s health – after all it takes those first two cells to tango).  Already I find this subject fascinating with endless possibilities for chinese medicine research.

In giving a talk about the application of acupuncture on pregnancy and birth to a roomfull of midwives (through the lovely people at Capers Bookstore) on Friday, I remembered this wonderful video that was shown to us during the masters workshop on women’s health.

If you are not feeling incredibly clever right now, the mathematician Alexander Tsiaras will leave you with no doubt that the way you were formed in your mother’s womb was nothing short of brilliance.

Enjoy this beautiful presentation.

Red bean heart biscuits

It’s Valentine’s Day.  And somehow I’ve gone all mushy.  I have been meaning to make these gluten and dairy-free adzuki bean biscuits for a while.  They were originally supposed to be circular but the vibe of the day got to me and I used the heart shaped cutters instead.  They have a crisp outer layer but you’ll discover that the inside is sweet, soft and mushy.

These little treats feature adzuki beans.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, adzuki beans are valued for their ability to reduce dampness in the body.  Dampness translates to feelings of heaviness, waking sluggish, having a fuzzy head and experiencing digestive symptoms that are worse when consuming dairy, fatty and excessively sweet foods.  High humidity in the air or rainy days will also aggravate people who are holding dampness. The recipe also features some healthier sugar substitutes to keep the calorie count down.  These biscuits are based on this recipe, which is based on the red bean sweets that are popular in China. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe as detailed below.

Filling ingredients

• 1 cup cooked adzuki beans
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons xylitol
• pinch sea salt
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

 Biscuit ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons xylitol
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons almond meal
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot flour
• pinch sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Filling method

1. Place adzuki beans, agave nectar, water, xylitol and salt in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place mixture into saucepan and heat until it thickens (approximately five minutes).  Then add coconut oil and stir until the bean mixture looks glossy.   Remove from heat and cool.

Biscuit method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C .  Grease two biscuit trays.
2. Combine brown sugar, water, xylitol, vanilla extract, almond meal and vinegar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add coconut oil and beat well.
4. Mix in remaining dry ingredients and gently knead into a dough.
5. Flour a clean, dry surface.  Roll out dough to about 3mm thick.  Use heart shape (or any shape you like) biscuit cutters to cut dough.
6. Take one biscuit and place a teaspoon of bean mixture into centre.  Place another biscuit over the mixture.  Pinch the edges to avoid the mixture escaping.  Then smooth the edges over.
7. Dip one flat side of each completed biscuit into sesame seeds.
8. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until firm and golden.

Lamingtons: a traditional Aussie favourite with a gluten-free twist.

The humble lamington was believed to have been named for Lord Lamington, a Governor of Queensland in times long past.  There are many theories as to how the sponge cake became cut into squares, dipped in chocolate and then coated in coconut.  However it happened, the lamington has since become somewhat of an Aussie icon in the dessert world.  Interestingly, Lord Lamington hated the dessert named for him, referring to lamingtons as “those bloody poofy woolly biscuits”.

Regardless of Lord Lamington’s opinion, I quite like them and was delighted with the results of this gluten-free lamington recipe.  They are based on polenta and almond meal so don’t have the lightness of a sponge, but instead take on a crispier texture.  You can substitute the butter for a dairy-free alternative if desired.  Orange rind and juice give these traditional little cakes a modern twist.

Take a course in massage for wellbeing

Come and learn to massage with me on Saturday 18^th February 2012.

Massage for Wellbeing

Start as you intend to go on! Begin 2012 loving and caring for your body by learning how to give a proper head, shoulder, neck, arms & hands massage.

In this one day course, I will not only teach you how to massage to another person, but will also cover off self-massage techniques for wellbeing.

Details and booking info here.  Early bird rate finishes on 13^th January 2012.

You’ll learn from this course:

• The benefits of massage
• Common sore points
• Basic massage techniques and when to use what
• How to assess tense areas
• When NOT to massage and practicing safely
• Learning a simple self massage sequence
• Basic acupressure points
• Creating a simple massage sequence to give to another

The course will run in seated positions and fully clothed.

This course is suitable for those who would like to learn how to massage friends and family, as it does NOT lead to any formal qualifications.

Read five reasons why you should learn to massage for fun!

How to make your own (gluten & dairy free) Wellness Ninja ginger bread

I was very lucky to get some ninja bread cookie cutters for my birthday, so I’ve put them to good use by making gluten and dairy free ginger bread.  As you can see, these are no ordinary ninja bread, they are Wellness Ninjas.

The Wellness Ninja Bread have some special ingredients in them including: brown rice flour (gluten-free and high in fibre), molasses (high in iron), ginger, cinnamon and cloves (these spices all support digestion and promote circulation) and tumeric (as a natural substitute for yellow food colouring – also promotes digestion and is an excellent anti-inflammatory).  These ninja bread should be saved as a treat though, despite the good ingredients found in them, they do contain quite a lot of sugar (particularly when iced).

Wellness Ninja Bread

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup nuttelex (or dairy-free butter substitute)
•  1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons ginger, ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
• salt, a pinch to taste
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3 cups brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free)
• 100g organic dark chocolate (dairy-free)
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1-2 teaspoons tumeric, ground

Method

1. Cream nuttelex, sugar, spices and salt.  Add egg and molasses, mixing well after each addition.
2. Add sifted flour, baking soda and baking powder to the mix.  Stir until mixture is even in consistency and colour.  Refridgerate mixture.
3. Flour a bench surface and rolling pin.  Take one third of the mixture and roll it on prepared bench to 3-4mm high.  Use ninja biscuit cutters to cut dough and carefully transfer them to your prepared biscuit trays.  Repeat until all dough has been transformed into ninja shapes.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. When golden brown cool on rack, before icing.
5. Melt dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of water (don’t allow the water to be deep enough to touch the bottom of the bowl).  When melted, set aside.
6. In a new bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add sifted icing sugar and mix well.  Remove one third of the icing and set aside in a snap lock bag with one corner cut from it for you to pipe the icing from.  To the remaining two thirds add 2 tablespoons of water or enough to give icing a spreadable consistency.  Halve this mixture, and to one half add 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric until desired yellow colour is reached.
7. Drop chocolate into little circles (the size of a 5 cent piece or about 1.5 cm in diameter) onto a tray covered with greaseproof paper or foil.  Freeze for a few minutes until hard.
8. With the spreadable white icing, cover one half of the hardened dark chocolate circles with the white part of the yin yang symbol (as per image).  Freeze again until needed.
9. Ice the ninja bread with the yellow icing leaving space for their eyes (as per image).
10. Very gently place the hardened yin yang symbol onto the yellow icing before it dries.  Add the final touches to the ninja bread by piping the white dot onto the yin yang symbol.  With a skewer you can add the dark chocolate dot to the yin yang symbol and make two dots on the face for eyes.  Enjoy your Wellness Ninja Bread!