Ancient Healing for Modern Women: Traditional Chinese Medicine for All Phases of a Woman's Life

by Xiaolan Zhao

One of Canada's most trusted and beloved health practitioners introduces American women to the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine and the time-tested practices that have helped optimize physical and emotional health for centuries. Since establishing her practice in Canada twelve years ago, Dr. Xiaolan Zhao has treated thousands of women suffering from fatigue, PMS, infertility, depression, cancer, menopausal symptoms and other gynecological disorders ― health problems that are all too common in the West but less so in China, where traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been an integral part of women's lives for thousands of years. As a physician originally trained in Western medicine who later took up the practice of TCM, Dr. Zhao has seen how effective the Chinese approach is for her patients, and her book will help American women incorporate its wisdom and practices in our lives. Sharing stories from her own life and the lives of her patients, Dr. Zhao shows that we have nothing to reject about our feminine selves, and explains how we can develop new relationships with our bodies and our emotions. There is so much every woman can do in terms of ongoing and preventative self-care to improve her health and vitality and prevent illness. By making simple changes in diet, exercise routine, sex life and the way we deal with stress and our emotions, we can profoundly improve our health now and into the future.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Science

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Dr Xiaolan Zhao was born and raised in Kunming, in Yunnan province, south-west China. Toward the end of the Cultural Revolution, she attended medical school, studying Western medicine. After graduation in 1977, she went to work as an abdominal surgeon at a hospital where the focus was on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). She was soon exposed to the various forms of TCM, and in particular the use of herbs. It was an eye-opener for her to see that as many as 80 percent of patients were suffering from chronic illnesses, which generally responded more effectively to Chinese herbal remedies than to Western medicine. After a little over a year working, she went back to medical school and completed a degree in TCM. Subsequently, she returned to the hospital where she had started out, combining her training in Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. She worked there for eight years before coming to Canada in 1988.

Xiaolan came to Canada initially on a scholarship to do medical research at Queen’s University. After seeing the great interest that was developing in Canada for alternative medical treatments, and in particular Chinese medicine, she decided to go back to practising TCM. She opened her own clinic, which today has thousands of patients. Her patients are as ethnically diverse and demographically varied as the population of Toronto, although the great majority are women.

Reviews

[Maris]

Challenging to know how to rate this. I’ve been researching TCM more as a cultural interest than medical interest. This book is a great example of how understanding TCM really helps to understand the cultural stance of China (and many other Asian countries) as it relates to health, wellbeing, food, lifestyle, etc.
The author herself admits that there is limited clinical support for many of the principles in TCM. And yet, there’s a holistic approach to wellbeing in TCM that I think Western medicine lacks entirely. So, it’s an interesting subject to read about, but worth approaching with discernment.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a very interesting and potentially useful book for women. Some of the TCM theories of Organ systems had me completely lost (ie: the Liver acts on the Spleen, causes stagnation in the Gallbladder, affecting the Qi & Shen- not a real example but you get the picture). Zhao includes both Western and Eastern perspectives, as she has lived in both China and Canada, and I believe she has a good understanding. Also her training as a medical doctor makes her explanations of traditional medicine practices more believable. I also enjoyed her thoughts on the importance of self-care and emotional wellbeing.

[Mindy Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really glad I read this book. Although, my only nitpicky negative thing to say is how strongly it assumed women want to and will have children. As a childfree woman, who sections of the book could have been more engaging but I felt noticeably excluded. It missed an opportunity.

[Amira Salah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book , simple and full of knowledge, a good introduction to TCM , that I would love to study someday

[Cici · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this book up from a little free library I came across on a whim. Zhao's life story and perspective on TCM is super interesting to read about. Good resource to understand the fundamental difference in how illnesses are approached in Western vs Chinese society and medicine. I disagree with some of the framing in the breast health section, but overall a good read.

[Liza]

I love the beginning chapters of this book, which proceeds chronologically through a woman's life. If you've ever had health issues of any sort and had doctors make you feel insane, you should definitely read this, regardless of whether or not you believe in such things as qi. Not that I'm an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but Traditional Chinese Medicine seems to look as the patient as a whole human being, rather than, say, just a sufferer of painful cramps. Dr. Zhao recounts stories of her patients who have suffered from multiple ailments, how their bodies were unbalanced (e.g., blocked qi), and how she helped them heal through acupuncture, herbal supplements, and common-sense solutions such as resting more or eliminating stress. The approach is, "If you take care of yourself, you are less likely to become ill." Not that you won't become ill, but it seems a more logical approach than temporary solutions instead of discovering the root cause of the illness.

I chose to put the book down when it reached the "child-bearing" years, however, because it was specifically written for those dealing with pregnancies. I'm currently not too curious about menopause either, but I'm sure it would be good if you are.

[Sara]

I found this to be a good introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine as it applies to the female body. It's refreshing to see other ways of potentially handling ails--and doing so by looking toward the source of the problem--than with pills and prescriptions that are do not always solve a problem but sometimes only temper it briefly. I could go on and on but then this would become my treatise on what I've learned so far about the differences between Eastern and Western medicine and about my beefs with Western medicine.

[maría del pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short Chinese stories that the writer shares in this book are indispensable. They are nuggets of wisdom that will help any woman understand how beautifully complex we are and, rightfully so! We bear the humans on this earth!

This book has helped me see how incorporated emotions are to ones physical health. How anger is an imbalance of energy flow in the body and a stagnant liver.
A must have for all women interested in a holistic approach to understanding/healing all the stages of a women's life, both physically and emotionally.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

extremely readable look at Chinese medicine during each phase of a women's life cycle

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating.

[Hlry · Rating 4 out of 5]

my life has recently been completely transformed by chinese medicine.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is extremely interesting to me. I disagree with the sex chapter -geez! She assumes men are all selfish jerks and women are all frigid. But the rest of it makes a lot of sense.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book! So many women would have easier transitions into menstruation, childbirth, and menopause if they followed these practices.

[waking beasts · Rating 3 out of 5]

hey your QI is hanging out, read this is get yourself back in shape lady

[Jasmina Atanassova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for all women, helpful tips on preserving our health and energy long.