Can I eat cucumbers during confinement?

Cucumber is a very common food ingredient in our daily life. It has a wide range of uses. It can not only be eaten raw, but also fried. Cucumber is rich in vitamins. Eating cucumbers regularly can help with weight loss. However, women in confinement should not eat cold cucumbers. As we all know, women’s bodies are very weak after childbirth. If they eat cold things, it will cause qi stagnation and blood stasis.

During the confinement period, you should try to avoid eating raw and cold fruits and vegetables, especially eating raw and cold cucumbers. Therefore, when postpartum mothers eat cucumbers, they should try to choose simple and light cooking methods instead of eating them raw. If you really want to eat something light, you can soak the cucumber in warm water before eating. Note: Pickled cucumbers are also not edible.

The benefits of eating cucumber during confinement

1. Cucumbers are rich in nutrients. They can not only moisturize the intestines and promote diuresis, promote the elimination of lochia, but also help postpartum mothers recover. Cucumber contains a large amount of vitamin C, which can enhance the absorption of iron, replenish the iron lost during childbirth, and improve complexion.

2. Cucumbers contain a large amount of dietary fiber, which is beneficial for the excretion of waste from the body. They are especially suitable for postpartum mothers who suffer from constipation during the confinement period.

3. Cucumbers are rich in protein and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Appropriate supplementation can enhance the baby's immunity and is also beneficial to the development of the baby's bones, teeth, and brain.

Precautions for eating cucumber during confinement

1. When eating cucumber, you need to be careful not to eat it with peppers, celery, tomatoes, spinach, coriander, cauliflower, toon, green pepper, citrus, and Chinese cabbage. Eating them together will easily destroy vitamin C and reduce its nutritional value.

2. Cucumbers are cool in nature and are not suitable for all mothers. Mothers with symptoms of weak spleen and stomach, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and cold lung and cough should not eat too much.

3. Breastfeeding mothers should pay attention to whether their babies have diarrhea. If not, they can continue to eat cucumbers. If the baby has diarrhea, they should stop eating cucumbers immediately.

4. How to tell whether the cucumber is fresh and high-quality: Check whether the cucumber body is straight and even, whether the skin is thin and thorny, and it is best if the surface is not broken, damaged, or infested with insects.

Postpartum diet

The first week after delivery: the main tonic is "Shenghua Tang" and "Siwu Tang", about one dose a day, the purpose is to help the mother to produce new blood and remove blood stasis.

The ingredients of Shenghua Tang include whole angelica, Chuanxiong, peach kernel, dried ginger, etc. Shenghua Tang is a prescription for postpartum women. It contains angelica, chuanxiong, peach kernel, wine and roasted ginger. It is good at removing blood stasis and activating blood circulation, and it is also effective in relieving pain and warming the meridians. It has the effects of removing blood stasis, promoting new blood circulation, warming the meridians and relieving pain. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that if the blood stasis in women after childbirth is not removed, new blood will not be produced. This prescription can dissolve blood stasis and promote new blood circulation, nourish blood and activate blood circulation, eliminate lochia, and contract the uterus, so it is called "Shenghua Tang".

The ingredients of Siwu Decoction include Chinese angelica, Chuanxiong, Paeonia lactiflora and Rehmannia glutinosa. Siwu Decoction was called "the best prescription for gynecology", "the prescription for blood disorders", "its expertise is in regulating all blood disorders" and "the holy medicine for women" by later medical practitioners.

Shenghua Tang helps mothers to discharge lochia smoothly after giving birth; Siwu Tang can replenish blood. In addition, right after giving birth, the bladder has not yet returned to its normal position due to the expansion of the uterus. Therefore, when the new mother is thirsty and wants to drink water, she should try to drink small amounts and multiple times, and not take in too much water at one time to avoid burdening the bladder. In addition, it is best to avoid eating too salty food.

The second week after delivery: You can gradually take supplementary food, mainly Angelica sinensis and Eight Treasures Soup.

The main purpose is to help new mothers expel lochia. In addition, these also have the effect of replenishing blood and Qi, so that the large amount of Qi and blood consumed and damaged during childbirth can be quickly restored.

Angelica sinensis nourishes and harmonizes blood, regulates menstruation and relieves pain, moisturizes and lubricates the intestines. It is used for blood deficiency, sallow complexion, dizziness, palpitations, blood deficiency, etc. Postpartum mothers consume a lot of qi and blood after giving birth, and at this time they need angelica to replenish qi and blood.

Bazhen Soup, an ancient Chinese herbal decoction, is made with angelica, Chuanxiong, white peony, Rehmannia root, ginseng, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, and roasted licorice, and has the effect of replenishing qi. Bazhen Decoction is a fusion of Siwu Decoction and Sijunzi Decoction. Siwu Decoction focuses on replenishing blood, while Sijunzi Decoction focuses on replenishing Qi. The combination of the two can replenish both Qi and blood. It is mostly used for sub-health, physical weakness after illness, deficiency of both Qi and blood, etc. It is also applicable to physical weakness after childbirth.

The third week after delivery: The mother can take supplements stewed with Eucommia ulmoides, such as Eucommia kidney flowers, etc.

At this time, the main focus is on nourishing the liver and kidneys, because during the delivery process, the mother loses a lot of bone and calcium. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the liver and kidneys are the main bones. Therefore, these herbs that nourish the kidneys and strengthen the tendons and bones can enhance kidney qi, strengthen the tendons and bones, reduce postpartum back pain, and the duration of various types of pain. Therefore, if the confinement period is done well and taken properly, it can even have a preventive effect.

Fourth week after delivery: Mothers can take Shiquan Dabu Soup.

The meaning of Shiquan is to replenish blood, qi, liver and kidneys, and make up for all that is lost in the production process. The Shiquan Dabu Soup mainly includes ginseng, cinnamon, Chuanxiong and Rehmannia, Poria, Atractylodes, licorice, Astragalus, Angelica sinensis, White Cloud Poria, Rehmannia glutinosa, Cassia truncatum, large Chuanxiong, white peony root, roasted Astragalus, cloves, young deer antler, roasted licorice, etc. It is suitable for postpartum mothers with weak bodies.

During the confinement period, the best food supplement is "sesame oil chicken". Because sesame oil contains sufficient protein and has the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, therefore, during the confinement period, mothers can eat some sesame oil chicken from time to time to supplement some nutrition. However, doctors recommend that you only eat one chicken every two to three days. There is no need to eat it for a long time or even every day. Not only will the mother be afraid of eating chicken, it will also cause overnutrition and weight gain.

In addition to eating healthily and getting enough nutrition, doctors also recommend that new mothers should restore their energy and blood quickly during the confinement period, and the most important thing is to get enough rest. However, adequate rest does not necessarily mean lying in bed for a long time. It only requires one or two hours more than usual rest time, as long as you do not overwork your body. But it must be combined with moderate exercise to enable the absorption function to be fully utilized.