Wondering why eating watermelon gives you stomach pain or loose stools? Having a basic understanding of Chinese Food Energy may help you. In Chinese Medicine, when referring to foods which are either hot or cold, the reference is not based on the temperature of foods but rather the measure of the effect on our metabolism after initial digestion. The different food groups are based according to the energetic properties of Yin (cool, cold) Yang (warm, hot) and Neutral. Overconsumption of foods which are “cold” in nature will cause the individual to feel overly cool, experience weakness and may suffer from digestive issues like loose stool or diarrhea. In contrast, overconsumption of foods which are “hot” in nature, may cause an individual to feel overly warm, anxious and suffer from constipation.

A healthy diet is to find a balance between the cold and hot energy, which varies from person to person and is based on that individual’s constitution. The general rule is

• Neutral food is good for all seasons
• Warming food is good for cooler seasons
• Cooling food is recommended for summer season but avoid over consumption
• Avoid cold food or cook with warming and hot food to balance, especially for
people with weak digestion
• People with hot constitution should avoid hot food

Consult with us to help you identify your constitution. If you have poor digestion and want to enjoy some beer or ice-cream, take some Chinese herb medicine afterwards to counter balance the damage, or learn to use hot food to balance yourself.