With the passing of Chinese New Year comes the season for cleansing the insides and dousing the fire within. Interestingly, many people seem to be sick this time of year after the celebrations. The weather is one culprit, the fatty foods and excess thereof another. Many more or less tradition-bound Chinese will offer you herbal remedies to reduce your body heat.
In Chinese culture, food is given the attributes of being hot, cold, dry or wet. While these qualities do not necessary reflect the temperature or dampness of the food, Chinese people believe that each food has a dominant quality that promotes one of the four humours in the body.
It is believed that an imbalance of the humours in the body will lead to illness, while a healthy individual has the four humours well balanced.
The ancient Greek theory of humours revolve around the idea of the four major bodily fluids that circulate the body, namely blood (sanguine), yellow bile (choleric), black bile (melancholic) and phlegm (phlegmatic) affect both physical and emotional health.
A tad bit too technical? Don’t worry about it.
The major attribute of foods consumed during the festivities is heat, be it dry heat (燥火, chou foh) or wet heat (濕熱, sup yeet). While internal heat is necessary for certain organs to function healthily, too much of it knocks the system out of equilibrium, therefore impairing the internal organs.
So what causes too much heat?
Weather: Obviously hot and dry weather, but also prolonged exposure to cold, humidity and strong winds. Watch out if you’re always under the air-conditioner.
Food: Heaty food include deep fried food, seafood and fatty food. In more technical terms, food that have high caloric content are usually heaty food. And that pretty much sums up your Chinese New Year diet, yes?
Drink: While beer is considered cooling, alcohol has a diuretic effect that increases the body’s heatiness due to dehydration. Drink more water!
Lifestyle: Lack of sleep. Stress. Bills. Taxes.
One common symptom of heatiness is itchy red bumps, mouth ulcers, aches all over the body, especially in the waist or the spine, insomnia and irascibility.
In severe forms, body heat can also interfere with the body’s natural system of regulating heat causing fever, heat exhaustion and even death. (You’d think twice about eating that many durians now.)
Reducing Body Heat
Excessive body heat may result in generalized weakness and lethargy in an individual. Reducing body heat becomes crucial when the environmental temperature is high. Sweating is a natural process to reduce body heat; however your diet and food play a crucial role in controlling body temperature.
- Fresh fruits juices are very beneficial in reducing body heat. Orange and Grape fruit juice is considered beneficial in maintaining an average body temperature
- Excessive heat may result in excessive sweating which in turn may result in electrolyte imbalance and hence consuming fruits that help restore electrolyte balance is crucial in maintain ideal body temperature.
- Banana is rich in potassium and helps restore electrolyte balance in the body. Other fruits that help to maintain electrolyte balance include lemon, pineapple, jackfruit and watermelon.
- Increase the intake of dairy products like buttermilk and yogurt. These foods tend to aid in cooling the body internally.
- Nuts need to be avoided. Nuts are highly acidic and result in generation of heat in the body. Avoid meat and restrict your diet to purely vegetarian to reduce body temperature.
- Barley has a cooling effect on the body and should be included in your daily diet.
Ingredients:
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar and few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a glass of water and drink about four to five glasses a day. This drink supplies essential electrolytes to the body that are lost through perspiration, in hot weather. Further studies have shown that Vitamin C can help reduce body temperature and lemon is packed with Vitamin C.
Ingredients:
- 1 spoon of coriander seeds
- 2cups of water
METHOD:
- Boil water and add then add coriander seeds.
- Boil up to water reduced to 1 cup.
- Now rest it to cool.
- Now add sugar to it and drink(sugar is optional ,Based on your taste).
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