The Cold Scoop
If you’ve ever been to an acupuncturist, its likely they’ve told you to steer clear of cold food and drink.
In our western society this feels at odds with how we usually consume food and drink… ice cold water, milk straight from the fridge with our muesli in the morning... even mainstream health advice advocates the benefits of morning smoothies with frozen berries, and raw salads for lunch. There is nothing wrong with these foods. In fact, in the right environment and for the right person, this could be very beneficial. If you are living in a hot climate, the right amount of cold and raw food could support your body in dealing with heat and create a balanced internal environment. The problem however, comes when people living in colder climates consume cold foods and drinks on a daily basis, or when those living even in hot climates consume an excess of cold natured foods.
When it comes to what we consume there are two kinds of cold: Thermal Cold (right out of the fridge) and Energetic Cold (think of raw foods). Both types of colds cause vasoconstriction in our digestive systems. Consuming cold/ raw foods can make things more difficult for our bodies to digest and when this happens to the mucus membranes that line our digestive system, we produce more mucus. In Chinese terminology, this could be translated as ‘damp’.
Mucus membranes are found in lots of different places, like our lungs, sinus cavities, stomach, vaginal canal and uterine lining. When excess mucus is produced in one mucous membrane, other mucous membranes follow suit. This domino effect can have a big impact. In order to keep mucous membranes healthy, it’s important to keep circulation optimal, by avoiding overly mucous producing foods, in particular cold and raw foods.
8 things you can do to counteract the cold:
If you are choosing to have a salad, try gently streaming, blanching or boiling your vegetables, which will help to break the vegetables down, putting less pressure on the digestive system.
If eating a cold meal, brew a cup of tea to drink alongside. This is a great way to balance Yin and Yang.
If eating a cold meal, brew a cup of tea to drink alongside. This is a great way to balance Yin and Yang.
When you do have a salad, gentle massaging the greens with an acidic liquid like lemon or lime juice can have a similar effect as lightly steaming: it makes the leaves “warmer” and therefore less mucus producing.
If you are making a smoothie or juicing, include a bit of ginger in it to energetically warm things up a little.
Add aromatic warming spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom to cold foods.
When eating a traditional cuisine (such as Japanese) consume it in the way it is traditionally served. Many combinations that exist within traditional food pairings take into consideration the balancing of overly cold foods. For example, miso soup is always served before sushi. Not only does miso warm the stomach, but it also adds probiotics to aid the digestion of cold raw fish.
Try to have breakfast warm. This will be easier for the body to digest, and will help to kick-start your metabolism for the day ahead. Porridge with fruits and sprinkled nuts is a great morning meal. Try adding cinnamon during the winter months to enhance the Yang energy of the meal.
Warming herbs and spices: fennel, ginger, cayenne, nutmeg, garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, basil. These are great to include in teas, soups and stews on cold days in order to build the Yang energies of the body.