On such a cold winter day, many people love to eat hot pot, but hot pot is also something that can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火). So, if you get "heated up" from eating hot pot, what foods should you eat to cool down? Let's take a look!
How to Cool Down from "Internal Heat" from Eating Hot Pot in Winter
Drink a glass of fruit and vegetable juice
Cucumber Juice
Blend two cucumbers with an appropriate amount of purified water into a slurry, strain out the dregs, and keep the juice. Drinking it can quickly relieve the symptoms of "internal heat".
Drink a bowl of vegetable soup
Cabbage Soup
150g of cabbage, 2 shiitake mushrooms, 1 tomato, 1 potato, and an appropriate amount of scallions. Wash and chop all ingredients, then cook them together in a soup. This soup is rich in vitamins, especially cabbage, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and can help with sore throat, stomach aches, and toothaches.
Pear Juice
Pears are excellent for clearing heat and reducing "internal heat". Eating a pear or drinking a glass of pear juice right after a hot pot meal can effectively prevent it. If you're already feeling the effects, eating some pears can alleviate discomfort like a dry, sore throat.
Tomato Juice
Rich in vitamins, it can be called a "vitamin treasure trove", especially containing large amounts of vitamin C and lycopene. It can reduce heat, detoxify, and nourish the skin.
Seaweed and Duck Egg Soup
1 duck egg, 10g of seaweed, with appropriate amounts of fine salt, minced ginger, and sesame oil. Soak the seaweed in warm water, wash it, and cook it in a pot for 15 minutes. Then, season with fine salt and minced ginger. Pour in the beaten duck egg and bring to a boil. This soup clears heat, reduces fire, detoxifies, and promotes urination.
Kelp and Bean Sprout Soup
A soup made with kelp, soybean sprouts, carrots, and tomatoes. It supplements vitamins, clears heat, reduces fire, and promotes detoxification.
Tips for Eating Hot Pot Without Getting "Heated Up"
Pair it with a cup of cooling herbal tea
When eating hot pot, you can pair it with a cup of cooling herbal tea, vegetable juice, or green tea. This helps to nourish yin, reduce fire, aid digestion, and relieve greasiness. It not only prevents "internal heat" but also promotes digestion.
Let the food cool down a bit before eating
Freshly cooked food is very hot. Eating it too quickly can easily cause "internal heat" and may also burn the mucous membranes of the mouth and esophagus. It's recommended to let the food cool on a plate for a moment before eating.
Pair meat with vegetables
Don't just eat meat and meatballs when eating hot pot. It's best to order a half-and-half pot. Cook vegetables in the clear broth side. This combination of meat and vegetables makes it less likely to cause "internal heat". Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, as long cooking can destroy their vitamins and reduce the heat-clearing effect.
Things to Note When Eating Hot Pot in Winter
1. Start with seafood when hot potting
Many people love seafood, especially when hot potting. Various shellfish, shrimp, and fish are their favorites, and these foods are indeed very delicious. Health experts remind us that although seafood is tasty, it should be eaten first. This is because seafood is difficult to digest, and eating it first allows the stomach acid to begin the digestion process. Also, don't eat too much seafood. Consuming large amounts increases the demand for stomach acid and pepsin, which can strain the stomach's digestive function, leading to gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhea. Seafood is very high in protein, and excessive consumption can also burden the kidneys. Additionally, a question for pregnant women: Can you eat hot pot? It's best for expectant mothers to eat it sparingly or not at all.
2. Be cautious when choosing a Chinese herbal medicine hot pot base
Many restaurants now offer "nourishing" hot pots for health, wellness, and beauty, but many consumers don't know what medicinal herbs are in the base or their properties. Blindly choosing a base with Chinese herbs not only fails to provide the intended health benefits but can sometimes affect your health. This is because not everyone is suited for a Chinese herbal hot pot. In reality, the herbs added by restaurants, like cardamom, cinnamon, and amomum, are not specifically decocted. They only serve to remove the gamey smell, eliminate fishiness, and add flavor, and their medicinal effects are minimal. Furthermore, many people have contraindications to certain Chinese medicines, and improper consumption can lead to health issues.
3. Avoid excessive consumption of fish and meat balls
Many people feel that lamb and fatty beef have too much fat, so they use fish and meat balls as a substitute when hot potting, believing that the lower oil content allows for large consumption. This thinking is wrong and a common misconception. Fish and meat balls are made with large amounts of oil and salt during processing, making them unsuitable for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood lipids to eat in excess. When eating hot pot, try to choose lean meats and seafood with low fat content. You can also use chicken slices, tenderloin slices, omasum, and other low-fat foods as substitutes. Additionally, you can choose tofu or bean curd sheets to replace meat to supplement your intake of plant protein. Remember to maintain a balanced diet with a mix of meat and vegetables and try not to eat too greasy.
4. Don't drink the hot pot soup after the meal
Many people love drinking hot pot soup, saying it's rich, flavorful, and the essence of the meal. However, it's best to consume it in moderation. Most hot pot broths are made from meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and seafood. When these ingredients are cooked together, they create a highly concentrated substance. After being digested and broken down in the stomach and intestines, it is metabolized by the liver into uric acid. This can lead to reduced kidney function, blocked excretion, and excessive uric acid deposition in the blood and tissues, which can trigger gout. Therefore, when eating hot pot, you should drink plenty of water to help excrete uric acid.
5. Ensure good ventilation when eating hot pot
If you're using a charcoal stove for hot pot, be sure to open the windows to allow for air circulation. In a poorly ventilated room, the charcoal may not burn completely, producing large amounts of carbon monoxide, which can easily lead to poisoning. The symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning are often mistaken for drunkenness, such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and headache, especially when alcohol is also consumed. In severe cases of poisoning, one may experience coma, a drop in blood pressure, and cherry-red lips. Therefore, if you use a charcoal stove, be extremely mindful of indoor ventilation.