In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each food (and herb) has a unique flavor profile and a specific thermal energy (“hot”, “warm,” “neutral,” “cool,” or “cold”) which determines how it might be used therapeutically or combined with others in cooking to produce a balanced dish. These descriptors do not refer to the temperature of the served food, but to its innate thermal property as defined by centuries of TCM observations. It’s these thermal characteristics that are the basis for the Hot Flash Diet™ to remedy the perimenopausal vasomotor symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats. Choosing the right foods will calm the frequency, duration, and intensity of hot flashes. Even so, these thermal attributes are not intuitive—while you might expect a chili pepper to be “hot,” who would suspect that a cold-water fish like trout would also be a “hot” food?
For the Hot Flash Diet book (not yet published), I created three main lists: “hot” foods to avoid, “warm” foods to eat fewer of, and “neutral,” “cooling,” and “cold” foods you can eat more of. The diet provides stepwise instructions, and for many, following the first few steps may be all it takes to quell those flashes. If you choose to eat a “hot” food like lamb or BBQ brisket, you could try adding “cooler” ingredients to the meal to balance that desired “hot” food. (See HOT STUFF! Foods to Avoid If You Have Hot Flashes.)
I now introduce a list for the opposite end of the spectrum— “cold” foods. Again, the initial step to taming hot flashes is to avoid or significantly reduce “hot” foods. In addition to cutting back on “hot” foods, try adding a few of the following “cold” choices to tip the scales toward “cooling.” For instance, I like to make yogurt-based sauces like tzatziki, use tomatoes in a recipe to balance a “warm” meat, sprinkle seaweed onto a starchy side dish for flavor, add a “cold” vegetable to a stir fry or salad, or eat fruits for snacks or dessert. Additionally, lemon balm tea, served hot or cold, not only provides a “cooling” balance to a meal, but also has a calming effect.
If you cut out or eat fewer “hot” foods and add some “cold” foods, comment below as to whether this helps. For most, it should only take a couple days to notice a reduction of hot flashes and night sweats.
MEAT & SEAFOOD
Clams
Crab
Mullet
Octopus
Snails
DAIRY
Yogurt
GRAINS
Wheat germ
BEANS
Tofu
VEGETABLES
Bitter gourd/Bitter melon
Bok choy
Cucumber
Dandelion leaf (Italian green)
Mung bean sprouts
Plantains
Rhubarb
Seaweed—Kombu, Laver, Sea Lettuce
Tomato
Water chestnut
Water spinach/Chinese watercress
FRUITS
Banana
Berries—Cranberries, Gooseberries, & Mulberries
Grapefruit
Lime
Melons—Cantaloupe, Honeydew, & Watermelon
Persimmon
Rhubarb (great with strawberries which are “cool.”)
BEVERAGES
Dandelion (unroasted) tea
Lemon balm tea (also has a calming effect)
CONDIMENTS
Salt (Excessive salt might have negative health effects. Use sea salt preferentially, but don’t go overboard.)
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