@sarajaneho: Chinese women have an obsession with black foods—black sesame, black beans, black fungus, black mushrooms. In Chinese medicine, black foods are traditionally associated with the Kidneys, and many are eaten to nourish Yin. As women move into perimenopause and menopause, Kidney Yin is believed to decline. Think of Yin as the body’s coolant: when there isn’t enough of it, you can start to feel the heat—hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, even that suddenly very short temper. These days, one of my weekly breakfast drinks is black sesame powder brewed with unsweetened soy milk, jujube dates, and slices of fresh ginger. We boil it, let it simmer, and drink it warm. It’s my Chinese perimenopause breakfast in a cup. Listen to the episode “The Menopause Nobody Prepared You For — with Dr. Suzanne Gilberg” on my podcast HOT WATER