Diet to Boost Your Fertility

Chinese believe proper food intake not only supports the daily nutrient needs, but also cures or relieves health problems via their moderate therapeutic actions. Many food ingredients serve as herbs, for example, job tears, tangerine peel and ginger. They are used to make delicious dishes while at the same time exert medicinal properties. From this, eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones can make pregnancy possible. 

The way of selecting the right foods is based on syndrome differentiation, so that they fit into the individual's constitution, correspond to the pathological conditions and assist the existing remedy. TCM refers to this as "an application in accordance with the individual, locality, season and disease."

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According to TCM theory, the blood and qi (vital energy) are the fundamental substances for normal menstruation; they all derive from essence. The kidneys store essence, thus fertility enhancement can start from the kidneys. The Chinese like to eat certain foods to boost the kidneys, such as black fungus, walnut, lotus seed, Euryale seed, Chinese chives, pond loaches, oysters, catfish, maw, sea cucumber, abalone, mutton, beef, venison, sparrows and animal kidneys. Besides these, certain other ingredients may be added into the dishes to ease the disorders associated with infertility such as:

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• For kidney deficiency: walnut, wolfberry fruit, Chinese yam and black sesame;

• For stagnation of liver-qi: citron fruit, finger citron and dried tangerine peel;

• For accumulation of phlegm and dampness: Poria, Job's tears and small red bean.

• For blood stasis: hawthorn, peach kernel and kelp.

During the menstrual period, it is better to consume warm and cooked foods, and avoid too much food and drinks that are raw, frozen, not easily digested and spicy. This will ensure a smooth menstral flow. Below are some recipes that can be taken on a daily basis to enhance fertility. They also benefit a couple for health maintenance purposes.