Let us now explore a third set of opposites: hot and cold. WARMING AND COOLING Traditional healing systems have always recognized temperature as one of the major influences on our health. Both inner and outer temperatures are taken into account. In Chinese medicine, for example, complaints such as arthritis, colic, and diarrhea are associated with cold, while headaches, sweating fits, and circulatory troubles are associated with heat. 11 External temperatures are seen as having not only a temporary effect: In some cases the heat or the cold are said to remain“ trapped” inside, causing continued disturbances. One of my students, who is Chinese, wrote a paper about“ hot” and“ cold” foods as used by her mother and grandmother: Meat, fried foods, spices, and tropical fruits were considered“ hot,” and forbidden if someone had a fever; seasonal fruits and vegetables, soupy rice( congee), and pears were considered“ cold” and were used to treat fevers. 12 The Ayurvedic medicine of India holds that one of the main properties of foods is that of virya, or the ability to warm or cool the body. These warming or cooling effects occur regardless of the temperature or composition of the foods; they seem to have to do with a form of energy that has been called“ the nonnutritious compounds or properties” 13 of the foodstuffs in question. Laboratory analysis of components cannot tell us much about the total effect of the system called“ food” upon the system called“ person.” In fact, most of the time one person cannot even tell with 100 percent accuracy how another person will feel or react after eating a certain food. Therefore, certain very subtle effects of food can only be noted by careful self-observation. Below is a list of warming and cooling foods that feels right to me. §
It is quite possible that you may disagree with me on some of these; it all depends on how your own body reacts. The most important thing here is that you should recognize the validity of the concept and learn to work with it. COOLING FOODS
WARMING FOODS
Raw fruits Raw vegetables Cucumbers Summer squashes Citrus fruits Raw tomatoes Papaya Leafy vegetables Soybeans Tofu Mung beans Sea vegetables Bulgur Corn on the cob Rice( brown or white) Ice cream Yogurt Milk
Cooked and dried fruits Cooked vegetables Cabbage Winter squashes Coconut Tomato sauce Avocado Root vegetables Tempeh Lentils Kidney beans Potatoes Yams Oats Kasha Barley Cornmeal Butter