Explore the world of Chinese Medicine Home Remedies through my journey in Hong Kong, where I learned from local kitchens and herbal markets how to use traditional remedies in everyday cooking for health and wellness.

Here’s how I incorporate at home Chinese Med remedies for period pain, PMS, headaches and upset tummies.

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How to smooth period pain, PMS, headaches and an upset stomach with Chinese Medicine

Many moons ago…

Many moons ago, living in Hong Kong, I had my first taste of the wondrous healing tonics coming from the kitchens in the homes of my local friends. A couple of these friends noticed my interest and generously began to teach me the ins and outs of using health remedies in daily cooking. Together we toured herbal markets, and I learned which foods and herbs were useful for clearing phlegm, which were immune boosters, the ‘hot’ meats to avoid in summer, and herbal teas to help digest a fatty meal or soothe an aggravated stomach.

One evening after a particularly heated discussion around the dinner table, one of my friends imparted (with a wry twinkle in her eye) the useful tip of serving chrysanthemum and red rose tea. These herbs cool and unblock the Liver Qi, which pertains to anger in Chinese medicine. I chuckled as she poured the tea, the mood diffused and a sense of peace fell over the table.

This was before I’d ever visited an Acupuncturist or Chinese Herbalist, and long before embarking on my five years’ university study to become a Doctor of Chinese Medicine.

Now, armed with my toolkit of herbs and Acupuncture points to help clients in clinic, I still find myself drawing on what I learned in those Hong Kong kitchens to treat minor health complaints, and using food as preventative medicine.

I’ll often send patients away with a recipe for soup, or a list of foods and culinary herbs to incorporate in daily cooking. It makes perfect sense that caring for and nourishing ourselves and our families begins at home.

Home remedies to try

Here are a few DIY home remedies for early stage or mild conditions and prevention of disease. Please be sure to see a registered health professional for treatment and advice in the case of an emergency or if mild symptoms persist or worsen.

Chinese Medicine for PMS and Period Pain

• Prepare a tea made from red rose buds (mei gui hua) and red dates (hong zao), both available from Asian grocery stores or your Chinese herbal medicine practitioner. These herbs soothe Liver Qi to ease irritability and feelings of depression, regulate and nourish blood and Qi circulation and relieve pain.

• Boil two cinnamon quills with a handful of hawthorn fruit (shan zha) in 750 mL of water until the water is reduced by half. Add a tablespoon of brown sugar, stir to dissolve and remove from heat. Drink hot as a tea to relieve menstrual cramps.

• Chop & boil 50 g fresh parsley in 750 mL water until the water is reduced to one cup. Crack an egg into the boiling water and whisk. The egg will coagulate to look like flowers. Season with salt and pepper. Eat to relieve menstrual pain.

• Apply warmth and gentle pressure to the abdomen using a heat compress like a hot water bottle or wheat bag.

• Take gentle exercise classes such as yoga, pilates or tai chi.

See more on how we work with Acupuncture for PMS & Period Pain.

Chinese Medicine for Headaches

• Stay well-hydrated.

• Massage peppermint or sweet basil oil into your temples, being careful to avoid the delicate eye area.

• Apply Acupressure to the fleshy part between your thumb and forefinger. This Acupuncture point is called HeGu and is the master point for imbalances occurring in the head and neck (avoid if you’re pregnant).

• Boil peppermint (bo he) and the crushed up white part of spring onion (cong bai) in water to make a tea to relieve a headache due to common cold. Drink up to two cups a day.

See more on how we work with Acupuncture for Migraines & Headaches.

Chinese Medicine for Gut Health

• Apply a heated wheat bag or hot water bottle and some gentle abdominal massage in a clockwise direction to relieve a sore or upset stomach.

• Massage Acupressure points with clove oil, tiger balm or peppermint oil for an extra soothing effect (ask us where!)

• Experiment with combinations of the following fresh or ground herbs for an after-dinner digestive tea, or to soothe a sore or upset stomach: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, fennel seed, peppermint, and licorice root.

See more on how we work with Acupuncture for Gut Health.

I hope this exploration into Chinese Medicine Home Remedies has inspired you to incorporate some traditional wisdom into your daily routines.

Whether it's through a soothing herbal tea or a nourishing soup, these practices are rooted in centuries of knowledge, aiming to harmonise body and mind. As I continue to blend these ancient remedies with modern Acupuncture techniques, remember that the journey to wellness often starts in the comfort of our own kitchens.

Stay curious and keep nourishing your body and soul with nature's gifts.

Learn more about Katie.