What the tradition asks you to skip.
A short, honest list of foods Chinese postpartum tradition asks you to set aside for forty days, with the modern reasoning where it exists. Strictness varies; ask your own mother or aunty when a list is family-specific.
Cold and raw foods 寒凉生冷
Examples: Ice water, salads, sushi or sashimi, refrigerated fruit eaten cold, raw watermelon, raw cucumber
In tradition: Introduces 'cold' into a body still in postpartum recovery and disrupts the qi and blood the diet is rebuilding.
Modern view: Cold foods are harder to digest after birth or surgery. Warm foods are gentler.
Cooling foods (in TCM sense) 性寒食物
Examples: Mung beans, bitter gourd, persimmon, raw pear, coconut water, raw tomato
In tradition: Counteract the internal warming the body needs after birth in TCM.
Modern view: Traditional belief; evidence is modest; many families relax this from week three.
Spicy and pungent foods 辛辣
Examples: Chilli, Sichuan peppercorn, hot sauce, heavy raw garlic
In tradition: Causes heatiness in TCM; can cause infant rashes or colic via breast milk in tradition.
Modern view: Sensible to limit while breastfeeding; not all infants react. Small amounts of cooked garlic are widely accepted.
Greasy and deep-fried 油腻
Examples: Fried chicken, chips, deep-fried tofu, oily takeaway, processed meats
In tradition: Burdens the spleen qi and weakens digestion in TCM.
Modern view: Consistent with evidence-based postpartum nutrition: lean, gentle proteins recover faster.
Caffeine 咖啡因
Examples: Coffee, strong black tea, energy drinks, cola
In tradition: Disturbs sleep; can pass through breast milk to the infant.
Modern view: Limit to under 200mg per day if breastfeeding (WHO guidance). One weak tea is acceptable. Avoid coffee in weeks one and two.
Alcohol (direct consumption) 酒精
Examples: Beer, wine, spirits, liquor
In tradition: Passes through breast milk to the infant.
Modern view: Standard breastfeeding guidance globally. Rice wine cooked into a dish is largely evaporated; small sipping of DOM Benedictine is a Cantonese-Singapore-Malaysian cultural exception some families practise.
High-mercury fish 高汞鱼类
Examples: King mackerel, shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna, tilefish
In tradition: ·
Modern view: Mercury accumulates in breast milk and passes to the infant. No safe amount during breastfeeding.
Wind-inducing foods 发风
Examples: Raw bamboo shoots, raw cabbage, certain leafy greens (family-specific lists)
In tradition: Believed to cause joint pain and aches.
Modern view: Limited scientific evidence; lists vary by family.
Excessive salt 重盐
Examples: Processed foods, instant noodles, canned soups, soy-sauce-heavy dishes
In tradition: Increases postpartum swelling and burdens the kidneys in TCM.
Modern view: WHO recommends limiting sodium. Cook with restraint and season to taste at the table.
Strong medicinal herbs too early 药性过强
Examples: Ginseng, large doses of dang gui, rhubarb root, coptis in week one
In tradition: Ginseng can affect bleeding if used too early.
Modern view: Dang gui has anticoagulant properties; introduce only from week two. Avoid coptis and aloe vera while breastfeeding. Important safety rule.
Processed and refined foods 精制加工
Examples: White bread, white sugar, fast food, instant noodles, packaged snacks
In tradition: Burden digestion in TCM and offer little nourishment.
Modern view: Whole foods support recovery and lactation better than processed alternatives. Strict in weeks one and two; moderate from week three.
Soy sauce and eggs (some traditions) 酱油与鸡蛋
Examples: Dark soy sauce; eggs in week one for C-section or scar-healing focus (Cantonese / HK variant)
In tradition: Some families believe these affect scar healing.
Modern view: No strong scientific evidence. Discuss with your own mother or mother-in-law if it matters in your family.
This is cultural guidance, not medical advice. If you take prescription medication, have a clotting disorder, or have any post-birth complication, discuss any restriction or change with your midwife, GP, or obstetrician before acting on it.