Many women suffer from uterine cold. In hot summer, frequent consumption of cold drinks and midriff-baring outfits will easily aggravate this condition. How can women regulate uterine cold during summer?

Guard Against Uterine Cold in Summer

"Uterine cold", literally cold womb, refers to a series of symptoms caused by insufficient kidney yang failing to warm the uterus in women. The "uterus" in traditional Chinese medicine covers a broader scope than the uterus defined in Western medicine, including the uterus, ovaries and other pelvic organs.

Symptoms of uterine cold include delayed menstruation, scanty dark menstrual blood with clots, even amenorrhea; lower abdominal pain before or during periods relieved by heat compress; copious clear and thin leucorrhea. Severe uterine cold may lead to infertility, fetal growth retardation during pregnancy, endometriosis, ovarian chocolate cysts and other disorders.

Multiple factors trigger uterine cold:

Some women are born with a cold constitution, featuring cold limbs, pale complexion, preference for hot drinks, low thirst, intolerance to cold in winter and tolerance to heat in summer. If parents conceive at an advanced age with declining bodily yang energy, their daughters tend to inherit a cold physique and are prone to uterine cold.

Acquired triggers include long-term residence in cold environments, addiction to cold raw food, overstrain or persistent irritability that consumes internal yang qi.

In hot summer, many young girls crave cold treats, sit directly on the ground and wear crop tops with exposed navels. Though human yang energy flourishes in summer, it disperses to the body surface, creating an exterior-hot interior-cold state similar to a refrigerator, making women far more susceptible to uterine cold.

Most women are eager to lose weight in summer, and rapid weight loss is a major inducement of uterine cold. Whether via dieting, excessive exercise or weight-loss drugs, all weight-loss methods create a calorie deficit. Healthy weight loss should be gradual; crash dieting comes at the cost of physical health. Rapid loss of massive bodily essence allows cold pathogenic factors to invade and attack the uterus.

Daily Ways to Regulate Uterine Cold

Moxibustion and herbal foot soaks are effective conditioning therapies.

Herbal Foot Soak

Decoct mugwort, cinnamon and prickly ash in hot water for foot bathing. This therapy warms the kidney, dispels cold, unblocks meridians and activates collaterals.

Moxibustion

Suitable for women with uterine cold, menstrual cramps, cold lumbus and abdomen, cold constitutions, and postpartum womb warming. It regulates extraordinary meridians, warms the uterus and eliminates cold. Key acupoints: Guanyuan, Shenque, Baliao points and Shenshu.

Physical Exercise

"Movement generates yang energy". People with cold constitutions rely heavily on exercise to improve physical condition. Brisk walking is the simplest option, especially on cobblestone paths to stimulate plantar meridians and acupoints, unblock vessels, promote blood circulation and warm the whole body.

Avoid Cold Exposure

Cooling prevention remains vital amid summer heat. Do not sit directly under air conditioners; keep cold wind away from your back and waist, and set the air conditioner temperature above 26°C. Avoid sitting on cold grass, stone or concrete ground that harbors cold qi.

Prioritize Nutritious Breakfast

Maintain regular three meals daily, with special emphasis on high-quality breakfast, which supplies over 60% of daily nutritional intake. Opt for breakfast rich in plant protein, fiber and vitamins. Supplement premium nutrients such as vitamin A/B/C/E and minerals including calcium and iron after each meal.

Recommended Medicinal Diet Recipes for Uterine Cold Conditioning

Apart from the above daily regimens, the following medicinal diets can alleviate uterine cold symptoms.

Longan and Red Date Blood-Nourishing Tea

Ingredients: 3 red dates, 4 longans, proper boiling water

Method: Wash and pit red dates; shell and pit longans. Place both ingredients in a pot, pour in boiling water, cover and steep for 15–20 minutes until the flavor releases, then serve.

Warming Womb Egg

Ingredients: 1 egg, 1.5 g saffron

Method: Puncture a small hole in the egg, pour in saffron, stir evenly and steam fully. Start eating one egg per day on the second day of menstruation for 9 consecutive days, then resume the cycle on the second day of the next menstruation for 3–4 menstrual cycles in total.

Efficacy: Dissipates blood stasis and warms the uterus.

Chicken Stewed with Motherwort

Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 500 g motherwort (divided into 4 portions, soaked and stir-fried dry respectively with ginger juice, rice wine, vinegar and chuanxiong rhizome juice)

Method: Stuff the prepared motherwort inside the chicken cavity, stew the chicken in clear soup; eat the chicken plain or with rice wine. Bake the chicken bones and residual medicinal herbs into powder, add 120 g angelica sinensis, 60 g teasel root and 18 g ground ginger, blend with honey to make 9g pills. Take one pill three times daily (morning, noon and night).

Try these remedies to get rid of uterine cold this summer!