This delicate slow-cooked pork belly gives up a glorious floral aroma thanks to an unusual combination of fragrant spices. It’s surprisingly light to eat, especially served with some steamed rice, veggies and pickles, with the delicious broth spooned over. You can either slow braise this dish in the oven or steam it on the stovetop.

In the clinic I’m often shocked to discover how little we understand about menopause as a society. Most perimenopausal women have never had the purpose of menopause explained to them and don’t understand what is happening in their bodies and why. We make the assumptions as a society that it’s going to be a terrible time, that there won’t be much we can do about it and that we’ll be relieved when it’s over. We certainly rarely discuss the opportunities that menopause presents a woman or how she can use this amazing transitional time to her advantage. And we certainly rarely celebrate the beauty, grace and wisdom of the older woman. I’m going to discuss all of this here, and my wish is that you feel empowered by this information as you move onwards with your perimenopause journey.

This article is a tribute to the brave, sensitive souls who are redefining what it means to live with autism. I’d like to celebrate the very special and essential gifts they have to offer the world and help to cut through another layer of misconception and stigma surrounding this poorly understood way of being. I’ll also offer a selection of acupressure points to try at home when life gets tricky.

It may be 'normal' to experience discomfort and inconvenience with your cycle, but a healthy cycle should be pain free. There is an old Chinese medicine saying ‘where there is free flow there is no pain, where there is pain, there is no free flow’. Period pain occurs when the blood flow in the womb is obstructed and the lining of the uterus cannot break down and exit the womb freely and easily. We call this ‘blood stagnation’ in Chinese medicine. Blood stagnation can be caused by cold, heat or blood deficiency.

It’s nearly summer, but for many of us hayfever is still going! In fact, many are suffering with hayfever symptoms well outside of the hayfever season, and for some, it never completely goes away, even in the cooler months. If this is you, then read on. I’m going to explain hayfever from a Chinese medicine perspective; what causes it, why it tends to worsen over the years and what you can do to turn the tide for yourself and head towards milder hayfever symptoms every season.

Eating a plant-based or vegetarian diet takes a little more care and thought than an omnivore’s diet. If you’re not eating meat, the key to getting all the nutrients you need lies in variety. In order to truly experience vital health, it’s important to branch out, experiment, and discover what each of our wonderful, unique bodies requires. So go forth and graze widely!