Confinement diet is an essential part of your body’s path to recovery. Eating the right foods and maintaining the right diet can ensure that your body is properly replenished.
During confinement, mothers are encouraged to consume more “heaty” or warm foods so as to allow the womb to recover faster and to expel wind from the body. Confinement meals are all about replenishing the nutrients that your body has loses. It is believed that a woman loses a lot of blood and “Qi” during childbirth, therefore she should replenish her body with ample herbs and supplements during confinement. Read How is a Proper Diet During Confinement
1. Oats
Oats are high in protein, fibre, and vitamins, where It is essential for your body to have adequate fibre during confinement to avoid constipation. Oats are also a great energy booster for breastfeeding mothers when you need the extra boost of energy.
2. Leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are a great source of iron, fibre, Vitamin A and C. Therefore you must not forget your vegetables. Spinach is known as a superfood when it comes to replenishing blood. The quicker your blood is replenished, the faster you recover.
3. Pork Livers
Pork liver is well known as the source of iron and Vitamin A. It is commonly consumed by most confinement mothers to replenish their blood after childbirth. However, pork innards like the intestines, kidneys and liver must be consumed in moderation as these may cause uric acid and high cholesterol. The taste of pork liver might be too overwhelming for you at first, but there are many different ways to make the dish much more appealing. Check out our Signature Traditional Dishes
4. Dairy Products
Make sure that you consume enough dairy products for your calcium needs (e.g. for promoting healthy bones). Products like milk, cheese and yoghurt are all safe for consumption if you are breastfeeding. It is recommended that you consume at least 2 servings of dairy products a day in order to replenish your body’s calcium.
5. Red meats
Despite that some people advice to prevent consuming on red meats during confinement. Red meats are actually high in protein and iron where it can help confinement mothers to replenish blood loss. However, do consume in moderation, as we will only need 19mg of iron in our daily intake to recover quicker.
6. Chinese rice wine
It was made from fermented glutinous rice and was widely consumed by Chinese mothers during confinement as a warming supplement to expel wind from the body and to maintain the body’s heat. Chinese rice wine has a lower alcohol content compared to other types of wine and is usually used to promote blood circulation. Due to be having the lowest alcohol content, it is also safe to be consumed by breastfeeding mothers. Read on the Myths you should stop believing for not consuming Alcohol-Related dishes
7. Almonds
We figured we could add at least one type of snack to this list! Almonds make an excellent snack for any health-enthusiast who is in search of ‘healthy snacks’. Almonds contain high levels of healthy fats, magnesium, and vitamin E. As you may already know, vitamin E is great for improving the appearance and condition of your skin. It helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and make it easier for your skin to bounce back. Of course, you are free to include almonds in your other meals too. The best part of eating almonds? They can reduce your hunger and also promote weight loss! Who wouldn’t like snacks with these properties?
As we all know, pregnancy and childbirth cause a huge drain on all the nutrients in our body. Therefore it is vital to replenish the lost blood and nutrients during confinement in order to nurse our bodies back to health. Always ensure that you maintain a balanced diet completed with the right nutrients needed by your body. As it has been said over the years, what you eat during your confinement period will determine your health in future.
