1. Avoid scalding hot food.
Food freshly taken from the hot pot should not be eaten immediately. It should be placed in a bowl to cool down slightly before consumption to prevent scalding the oral and esophageal mucosa, which can cause ulcers. Frequently eating very hot food can also damage the taste buds on the tongue, reduce taste function, and affect appetite. Additionally, excessively hot food is harmful to the gums and teeth and can easily cause allergic dental problems.
2. Avoid eating raw food.
All main ingredients and side dishes must be thoroughly cooked in the pot. Raw vegetables and raw meat must be blanched before eating to help kill bacteria or parasite eggs in the raw food and prevent intestinal diseases. For example, beef and pork slices may sometimes contain larvae of tapeworms or trichinella. If undercooked pork or beef is consumed, the larvae will enter the human body and develop into adult worms in the small intestine. On fish slices, there may be cystic larvae of liver flukes. If people eat undercooked fish slices, the larvae will enter the human bile ducts, develop into adult worms, and thus contract liver fluke disease.
3. Avoid excessive spiciness.
Spicy seasonings should be used in moderation. Because spiciness is irritating, consuming overly spicy food can damage the gastric mucosa. Patients with tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, stomach diseases, and duodenal ulcers should eat less or no spicy food at all.