From a Classical Chinese medical point of view menopause is considered a natural part of life.

The symptoms experienced by women during this significant transition period is not a problem of declining ovarian function (reduced circulating oestrogen and progesterone) but a problem of a relative increase in activity of the adrenal and thyroid glands and therefore of higher levels of circulating adrenaline and thyroid hormones.

The heightened levels of adrenaline and thyroxine accounts for many of the dramatic symptoms of menopause - hot flashes, energy imbalances, mood imbalances, increased appetite and hence weight gain, etc. Also during this period of transition we need to learn how to adapt or change lifelong habits of lifestyle and food consumption.

So the focus of Classical acupuncture treatments is to address and balance the adrenal and thyroid hormones, which in turn reduces the severity of the symptoms of menopause. Also lifestyle and dietary recommendations are given to guide you through this important period of change.

Congee otherwise known as rice porridge is very popular in the Far East.

When I was a child and would get sick my mother would make me eat this. I rejected it as I wanted to be like a modern Westerner and that eating this sort of food wasn't part of the image. Years later after undertaking training as a physician of Oriental medicine and truly understanding the important of food on health I changed my mind and now advocate to all my patients to get into congee as an important part of a health giving lifestyle.

Andrew Sterman, a professional musician, specialist in Qigong, and Chinese dietary medicine and herbs. Here is a link to his blog site with information on the benefits of congee and how to make it  : Congee for Health