Today, I want to share a story about a successful pregnancy that happened because of rice. Miss M, a 37-year-old Chinese woman living in the US, has been trying to conceive with her husband for a year without any good news. Although they underwent all the necessary Western medical examinations, which showed normal results, her anxiety continued to grow.

A Chance Encounter

During her birthday this year, she traveled to Hong Kong with her husband and decided to try traditional Chinese medicine. I had the privilege of being her practitioner and began this new journey of exploration with her.

Reflection on Dietary Habits

In our discussions, she reflected on her eating habits. It turned out that she primarily consumed fish and seafood, and due to her busy work schedule as a nurse, she often relied on cold meal boxes that she prepared herself, eating very little rice. For Chinese people, rice is not just a source of carbohydrates; it is also an important source for nourishing qi and blood. I explained to her that such dietary habits might be the key reason affecting her ability to conceive.

Nutritional Value of Rice

Nourishing Qi and Blood: Rice is an indispensable staple in the Chinese diet that effectively nourishes qi and blood. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that sufficient qi and blood are fundamental for maintaining health, and rice, as a primary source of carbohydrates, provides the energy needed by the body.
Strengthening Spleen and Stomach: The spleen and stomach are fundamental for generating qi and blood. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the spleen is the source of qi and blood transformation; good spleen and stomach function can convert ingested food into qi and blood. Rice is easily digestible and helps maintain spleen and stomach health while promoting digestion and absorption.
Medicinal Value: In classical Chinese medical texts like "Shang Han Lun," rice is used as a medicinal ingredient. For example, both Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) and Tao Hua Tang (Peach Blossom Decoction) include glutinous rice to enhance their effects of nourishing the stomach and generating fluids.
Special Effects of Aged Rice: Ancient wisdom emphasizes the importance of aging rice. Aged rice that has been stored for a year is considered beneficial for health because it is easy to digest, making it suitable for those who are weak or ill. Additionally, stir-fried rice can help alleviate symptoms caused by cold spleen and stomach conditions.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis

I carefully took her pulse and found that her left pulse was slightly heavy while the right was slightly floating; her tongue was pale with thin white coating and had tooth marks on the edges. These signs suggested that she might have insufficient qi and blood. I recommended that she adjust her diet to include more warming foods and rice to promote qi and blood circulation in her body.

Change and Hope

After returning to the United States, she began to seriously adjust her dietary habits by increasing her intake of rice and choosing more warming foods. To everyone's surprise, just one month later, she successfully became pregnant!

Conclusion

This lady's story teaches us that on the journey of trying to conceive, it is essential not only to rely on medical examinations but also to pay attention to one’s lifestyle and dietary habits. In different cultural contexts, every ethnic group has traditional foods that their ancestors have consumed for generations. Even when they immigrate to other countries and change their dietary structures, those familiar foods often provide unexpected healing effects when their bodies show signs of deficiency. For Chinese people, rice holds such significance; it is not only a staple food but also an important symbol of culture and health. I hope everyone who is striving to conceive can find methods that suit them—keep going!

The Story of Success in Pregnancy: Thanks to Rice