Are herbal tonics safe for breastfeeding mums?

As a mum who just delivered her baby, you know that the next 4 weeks of confinement is an important time for both you and your newborn.

Apart from resting and recovering from the long and challenging labour that you just went through, it is also crucial that you work hard to establish a breastfeeding routine. And that involves making sure that you eat right to keep up with the demands of your baby.

According to Annabel Karmel, a leading expert and bestselling author of books on mother and baby nutrition, keeping up a good milk supply not only depends on what you eat or drink.

It is also important for mum to take care of herself and rest well — as your newborn is bound to keep you up all night.

Chinese confinement food and tonic

In the Chinese culture, there are various types of confinement food that new mothers consume to help their bodies recover and boost their milk supply. There are also tonic wines and concoctions that are believed to provide warmth to the body and help mum rest better at night.

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK advises that mums limit themselves to 1 to 2 drinks per week while breastfeeding. However, there are many breastfeeding mums who avoid alcohol altogether — just to be on the safe side.

In fact, I was presented with a massive bottle of tonic wine during my last confinement.

Although the recommendation was to drink this a few times a day, I tried to keep it to just once a day before bedtime. As a breastfeeding mum, I was concerned about the alcohol content of the drink.

This led me to wonder if there is a tonic drink that does not contain alcohol and so I started to do some research on the matter.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there actually is a non-alcoholic herbal tonic drink that is available in Singapore called Huiji Waist Tonic.

This would certainly help to ease the worries of mums who are concerned about alcohol getting passed down to their baby through breastfeeding, when taking other traditional tonic wines.

Find out more about Huiji Waist Tonic on the next page.

What is Huiji Waist Tonic?

Huiji Waist Tonic is a health tonic that’s made from pure vegetarian ingredients, and prepared according to a traditional Chinese recipe.

I spoke to a few mums who have tried Huiji Waist Tonic, and most of them had great things to say — especially about the taste.

As there is no added alcohol and cane sugar, this herbal tonic drink actually has a  mild taste and a naturally sweet smell. This is in contrast to most tonic drinks and wines, which come with a heavy alcohol and herbal after-taste.

I also found out that Huiji Waist Tonic is one of the few herbal tonics in the market that’s Halal.

So, not only is this suitable for breastfeeding mums, Muslim mums can drink it too to enjoy the benefits of better health and increased energy levels.

What’s in a bottle of Huiji Waist Tonic?

Besides helping to boost your overall health and strengthen your waist (as the name of the drink suggests), there are so many more benefits that you can enjoy from drinking Huiji Waist Tonic regularly.

All this is made possible thanks to the power of 6 Chinese herbs and their healing properties:

Cordyceps

One of the most popular herbs that’s commonly used in TCM, Cordyceps is known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as to boost immunity.

Duzhong

This herb consists of barks that come with healing properties that help strengthen your waist and legs. Duzhong also helps to cleanse the liver and kidneys, making it beneficial for those who suffer from deficiencies in these areas.

Dang Gui

Dang gui is made out of fibrous roots and is usually prepared through cross cutting. It is widely known as a ‘blood tonic’, as it helps to promote blood circulation and nourish the blood in your body.

Shouwu

This Chinese patent medicine is the healing tonic that helps to darken your hair. It is generally consumed by mixing a few tablespoons of this herb into a glass of warm water, tea or soup.

Well, now you can enjoy the benefits of this herb just by drinking Huiji Waist Tonic!

Dazao

Also known as the Chinese red dates, Dazao helps to nourish the blood and calm your nerves. It also works to strengthen your digestive system, particularly the spleen and stomach.

Ginseng

A common Chinese herb added to soups and made into tablets and capsules, ginseng is typically known to improve your health and boost your energy levels.

More details on where to purchase Huiji Waist Tonic on the next page…

Is it suitable for everyone?

While Huiji Waist Tonic can be consumed by almost everyone as a health tonic, pregnant mums should avoid taking it. This is because certain Chinese herbs that are contained in this concoction may disrupt the development of the growing foetus.

What is the recommended dosage?

To enjoy the health benefits of Huiji Waist Tonic, it is recommended that you consume 20ml,  2 times a day.

Where can I get Huiji Waist Tonic?

Huiji Waist Tonic is widely available in 700ml bottles from leading supermarkets, health stores and medicine halls in Singapore.

[Update]

Give the Gift of Health this Lunar New Year

You can now give your loved ones and friends the gift of good heath in the Year of the Goat with the following Huiji Gift Sets:

The Huiji ‘Gift of Thoughts’ set is priced at $63 and contains the following items:

• 1 bottle of Huiji Waist Tonic 700ml
• 2 boxes of Fruity Lite tea (6 sachets each)
• 1 bottle of Huiji Honey 500g

The Huiji ‘Gift of Love’ set is priced at $138 and contains the following items:

• 2 bottles of Huiji Waist Tonic 700ml
• 6 jars of NESTural Bird’s Nest with rock sugar

All gift sets are available exclusively at FairPrice, FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra for a limited period only.

Have you tried Huiji Waist Tonic before? Tell us what you think of it by leaving a comment below!

References:

https://www.webmd.boots.com/children/baby/features/breastfeeding-diet

https://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/womenhealth/Pages/Traditional-Chinese-Medicine-and-Pregnancy.aspx