Relieving Summer Heat：Different Cooling-food For Cold and Hot Body Constitutions
After the plum rain, the summer solstice is approaching, the temperature rises, and the hot summer is oppressive. Many people choose to cool down with shaved ice, large portions of ice cream or fruits such as watermelon, but diarrhea,runny noseWang Jiahan, a Chinese medicine practitioner at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, reminds people to pay attention to the timing and type of ice when eating to relieve the heat. Not only ice, but also cold foods should be eaten in moderation and eaten slowly.
Wang Jiahan said that according to the theory of yin and yang balance in traditional Chinese medicine, the human body's yang energy begins to gradually decline from the summer solstice. People with a cold constitution who eat too much cold food will have their internal organs affected due to the imbalance of yin and yang, which may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.
Wang Jiahan explained that cold or hot constitution can be judged by physical symptoms: people with hot constitution often have symptoms such as sweating, dry mouth, constipation, etc.; people with cold constitution often havecold limbsHe pointed out that people with a cold constitution who want to eat foods categorized as "cold" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as shaved ice and salads, should choose to eat them during the day when Yang energy is strong. The best time to eat ice is between noon and 3 p.m., and ideally one hour after a meal to avoid stimulating the stomach and intestines with the combination of hot and cold foods. It is also not recommended to eat on an empty stomach to avoid affecting digestion.
"The choice of ice cream and the way to eat it should be particular," Wang Jiahan explained. People with a cold constitution are advised to choose ice cream that melts slowly, such as ice cream and sundaes, and eat it slowly to properly control the time for the body to adjust to the body's temperature. Wang Jiahan also reminded that it is best to avoid adding condensed milk or jam and other sweet foods to ice cream, because people with a hot constitution are prone toPhlegm dampness, making the body's water sticky, and bowel movements or sweating more sticky.
Wang Jiahan recommends that regardless of whether one has a cold or hot constitution, summer-cooling foods should be consumed in moderation. In addition to ice cream, common "warm" fruits such as lychees and mangoes are high in sugar and calories. Eating too much can easily cause internal heat, aggravating mouth sores, nosebleeds, and constipation. People with a hot constitution should not eat too much.
