"Eating cold drinks in winter" is one type of the increasingly popular "counter-intuitive dietary phenomenon." In winter, when we talk about eating, people always think of hot pot, nutritious hot soups, and eight-treasure hot tea. Even Coke is boiled with ginger slices before drinking. All these hot foods are enough to make our bodies feel warm. But did you know? In the cold winter, eating some "icy" foods can help reduce internal heat. Is eating only hot food in winter healthy? Wrong!
In winter, people bundle themselves in layers to go out, and indoors, they are warmed by heaters and air conditioners, making it feel like spring. However, what they don't realize is that the indoor air is very dry. Coupled with people's reluctance to move and reduced physical activity, it's easy for internal heat to build up and not dissipate in time. If you then eat too many "heaty" foods like mutton and blindly indulge in tonics, it's very easy to develop symptoms of internal heat accumulation. [China Food]
Depending on where the internal heat is located, there are often different clinical manifestations. For example, those with heat in the upper jiao may experience upper respiratory tract infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, or oral mucosal ulcers; those with heat in the middle jiao may show a thick tongue coating, yellow urine, constipation, or thirst; and those with heat in the lower jiao may often trigger or aggravate cystitis or hemorrhoids. Correction: Can eating cold drinks in winter reduce internal heat? Yes!
In winter, for friends with healthy digestive systems, if you can selectively eat some "cool" foods according to your physical condition, it's like letting your intestines go for a "winter swim." This can not only quickly reduce "heat" but also be a unique enjoyment, while also improving your ability to resist the cold. The following introduces several typical cold drinks to see which one suits you. Can anyone eat cold food in winter? Wrong!
Cold drinks can only remove some heat from the body; they treat the symptoms but not the root cause. To fundamentally solve the problem of internal heat accumulation, eating "cold drinks" is not the solution. Therefore, it's better to eat some "sweet-cold" foods, that is, foods with cool properties, to balance it out. Turtle, soft-shelled turtle, duck, goose, chicken, eggs, kelp, sea cucumber, honey, sesame, tremella, lotus seeds, lily, white radish, Chinese cabbage, celery, spinach, winter bamboo shoots, bananas, oranges, and apples are all considered cooling foods. Can eating only cold drinks in winter solve the problem of internal heat? Wrong!
Even people with a balanced constitution should not overconsume "heaty" foods in winter and should eat some cooling foods from time to time. For those who usually have symptoms of yin deficiency with blazing fire, such as low-grade fever, hot palms and soles, afternoon tidal fever, flushed cheeks, insomnia or night sweats, a red tongue with little coating, or dry stools, it's even more important to stay away from "heaty" foods. Of course, you don't have to worry too much about the "warming" effect of missing out on "heaty" foods in winter.
Of course, eating cold food in winter should be tailored to the individual, especially for those with poor gastrointestinal function and children who should be cautious. Children's gastrointestinal systems are not fully developed. After eating cold food in autumn and winter, it can easily lead to increased gastrointestinal motility, disrupting normal rhythmic contractions. The appendix is a blind-ended pouch that extends from the intestine. Once a fecal block mistakenly enters it, it can cause an obstruction that cannot be expelled, leading to local congestion, swelling, and inflammation of the appendix. When the appendix ruptures and perforates, the condition can progress rapidly, causing serious complications like peritonitis. Therefore, doctors remind parents to try not to let their children eat raw and cold foods in winter. Correction: Should one be cautious about drinking cold drinks with hot pot in winter? Yes!
Eating a hot pot in winter and then drinking a glass of iced cola makes many people feel "refreshing," but for some patients with high blood pressure, drinking hot pot soup followed immediately by cold drinks can cause blood pressure to fluctuate sharply, and there is also a risk of myocardial infarction.
Winter is inherently a season when high blood pressure can worsen. Drinking hot soup and then immediately cold drinks can cause blood pressure to fluctuate too much, possibly by 20 to 30 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), which can trigger physical discomforts like headaches. If the heart's blood circulation is already poor, it can lead to oxygen deprivation and cause a myocardial infarction. Therefore, experts suggest that when eating hot pot, there should be an interval of at least 3 minutes between drinking hot soup and cold drinks. It's also best to take small sips to minimize the impact on blood pressure fluctuations. Cool boiled water: Drinking cool water in the morning clears the lungs and prevents colds
As cool boiled water cools, its oxygen content is half that of regular natural water. The physical and chemical properties of the water, such as surface tension, density, viscosity, and conductivity, also change, becoming similar to biologically active water, hence it's called a priceless health treasure. Regularly drinking cool boiled water can prevent colds, pharyngitis, and other skin diseases; drinking a glass in the morning can enhance the liver's detoxification and the kidneys' excretion capabilities, promote metabolism, strengthen the immune system, and help lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Cold dishes: Eating cold dishes all winter without "getting fat"
In winter, whether at home or in a restaurant, we don't like to eat many cold dishes. Especially when ordering in a restaurant, we feel that eating meat will make us warmer. As a result, a meal often consists entirely of meat, and the intake of vegetables decreases. In fact, it's cold in winter, people tend to eat fatty, high-calorie foods, and with less outdoor activity, they are prone to gaining weight, especially in the abdomen and buttocks. To avoid gaining weight, in addition to paying attention to physical exercise, eating more cold dishes can force the body to warm itself, burning more fat, thus achieving the goal of weight loss to "cope" with the high-calorie, high-fat foods consumed. Homemade cold drinks: Skillfully make sago pudding to prevent nosebleeds
It's the peak season for nosebleeds again. Have some cold drinks; it's good for you. You must be thinking, "Drinking cold drinks in winter won't make me feel cold inside and out!" Actually, that's not the case. Although winter is dry and cold, it's very easy to get "heaty." A little cold food can not only reduce the "heat" but also give you a different kind of clear and moist feeling compared to summer.
You can make some fruit sago pudding at home. How pleasant it is to have a glass during your leisure time. Wash the sago in clear water, then pour it into boiling water (stir while cooking to prevent it from sticking to the pot); cook until the sago is semi-transparent, then separate the sago from the hot water; boil another pot of water, pour the semi-transparent sago into it and cook until it's fully transparent, then pour out all the boiling water; cook a small pot of milk (coconut milk can be used as a substitute) with a little sugar; pour the sago into the milk and bring to a boil; let the cooked sago milk cool down, add fruit cubes, and you have a sweet and delicious fruit sago pudding. This is also a reminder: when eating cold drinks in winter, don't gulp them down, or you might hurt your stomach.