When it's cold, the first things people think of for preventing colds are to dress warmly and eat hot food. But that's not enough. If you don't understand the nature of food in terms of being "cold" or "hot" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and accidentally consume something "cool," you won't just fail to stay warm; you might even catch a chill and get an upset stomach.
Supplementing your diet in winter requires some consideration. This is especially true for people with a "cold" body constitution, who should avoid consuming excessive "cold" foods, as this can easily lead to stomach pain. This is because the body is in a state of storage during winter and needs to nourish its yin. Consuming too many "cold" and "cooling" foods can disrupt this state. The body then has to expend more energy to counteract the effects of these foods. If the "cold" is not expelled in time and accumulates in the stomach, it can easily cause abdominal pain. Common "cold" foods include: mung beans, pears, oranges, tangerines, crabs, river snails, clams, kelp, nori, duck blood, duck eggs (slightly cool), and century eggs.
Although you shouldn't eat too many "cold" foods in winter, you also shouldn't overindulge in "hot" and "drying" foods. Instead, you should consume more "yin-nourishing" foods, such as black fungus, lotus root, and sesame. People with a "cold" body constitution can eat more congee in winter. Adding red dates to your rice congee will have an even better effect.
If you accidentally eat too many "cold" foods, you can combine internal and external methods to drive out the cold. "Internal" refers to drinking brown sugar and ginger water. Brown sugar is warming, and ginger warms the stomach and dispels cold. Together, they can warm the intestines and fortify the body's yang. "External" refers to soaking your feet in hot water. This can stimulate the acupoints and reflex zones on your feet, promote blood circulation, and achieve the effect of dispelling cold. Furthermore, massaging the Zusanli acupoint while soaking your feet will yield even better results.
Mushroom and Chicken Congee