Helix Clinic blog

Chinese medicine looks for patterns of symptoms and treats holistically by directing treatment based on the overall pattern rather than on specific symptoms. One pattern in Chinese medicine is called ‘damp’, and is characterised by symptoms like heavy limbs, bloating after eating, sluggish digestion, fluid accumulation, or congestion of phlegm/mucus in the chest or sinuses.

The pattern of damp is characterised as being heavy and slow to shift, and can be made worse by eating or drinking certain foods. Dairy products are a typical culprit, so if someone is suffering from a pattern of damp-type symptoms, we would normally advise them to cut back on products like milk, cheese and yoghurt. Often just doing this can make a real difference.

The thing is, when a woman is pregnant she is often advised to eat lots of dairy products to help keep her calcium levels up. Calcium is important for the development of strong bones, so is vital to the healthy development of a baby. But if that same woman has a tendency to develop damp-like symptoms, she may find that these become worse during her pregnancy once she increases her intake of dairy products. A common symptom is sinuses becoming more stuffy, because this can be doubly aggravated by damp and also by having to sleep flat on her back due to the growing bump!

So can anything be done? Well, dairy products are not the only sources of calcium. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and curly kale are excellent sources, as well as many nuts and seeds. Good calcium absorption is helped by vitamin D which is produced naturally by the body on exposure to sunlight, and also found in oily fish and eggs. If you are pregnant, eating lots of dairy produce and your sinuses are giving you trouble, why not try cutting back on some of the dairy and replacing it with some other less damp-forming sources of calcium?

Tags: dairy, damp, pregnancy, sinuses

It’s common to experience sweet cravings during pregnancy, and it’s easier than you think to manage the cravings in a healthy way. Our nutritionist Anneliese has a recipe for delicious muffins that combine lots of wonderful ingredients to support your nutritional needs, as well as satisfying that need for sweet, chocolatey things!

You will need:

Unrefined rapeseed oil, for greasing the muffin tray
40g flaxseed
270g unbleached plain flour
100g Xylitol (sugar alternative, available from health food shops)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 medium eggs
220ml soya milk
225g dark chocolate chips
200g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, and then lightly grease a muffin tray with rapeseed oil.

Grind the flaxseed using a processor until they look like flour, then add to a mixing bowl.

Sift in the flour, add the Xylitol, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until combined.

Whisk the eggs and the soya milk together and add to the dry ingredients, and gently fold the ingredients together until you have formed a batter. Stir in the chocolate chips and the dried cranberries.

Divide between the muffin tins and bake for 18 minutes or until golden.  Allow to cool before turning out. Enjoy!!

Tags: chocolate, muffins, pregnancy, sweet cravings