Diet taboos in winter

Excessive warming and tonic regardless of body constitution, pursuit of "eating while it's hot", and one-size-fits-all avoidance of cold food.

A while ago, a reader from Liaoning sent me a message, saying that after the beginning of winter, he listened to the advice of his family members and stewed a pot of angelica, ginger and mutton soup every day. After drinking it for eight days, he first developed three ulcers at the corners of his mouth, and then became constipated for three days in a row. After seeing a Chinese medicine doctor, I found out that he has a damp-heat constitution and gets acne every time he eats spicy food. In winter, the heating at home is 24 hours above zero, and he sweats even if he wears short-sleeved shirts. He also drinks mutton soup every day, so it’s strange that he doesn’t get angry. You said "winter tonic" is wrong? Of course not. This statement originally refers to the situation in the past when there was a lack of material, lack of food and clothing in winter, and most people had cold spleen and stomach, and insufficient Qi and blood. Nowadays, everyone is wrapped in a heater and eats meat every meal. Many people usually have excess nutrition. If they take supplements indiscriminately, it will put a burden on the body. There is also data from nutrition. The human body’s basal metabolism is only 5% to 10% higher in winter than in summer. Unless you are a worker who works outdoors for a long time, otherwise, if you eat a lot of meat and fish, excess calories will only turn into fat and pile up on the body. It will also increase blood lipids and increase the burden on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

The most easily overlooked pitfall is the phrase "eat while it's hot". Last winter, I went to eat at the Old Beijing Copper Pot with my friends. I stuffed the freshly cooked beef rolls wrapped in sesame sauce into my mouth. At that time, I felt a burning sensation in my esophagus, which lasted for three days. I went to the hospital to check that it was a mild burn on the esophageal mucosa. The doctor repeatedly reminded me that repeated stimulation of this kind can easily induce inflammation and even cancer. My mother used to always say, "Eat food while it's hot, as it will hurt your stomach when it's cold." But in fact, the maximum temperature that the human body's esophagus and gastric mucosa can tolerate is only around 40°C. Foods exceeding 65°C have been classified as Class II carcinogens by the WHO. Occasionally, the mucosa can be burned and repaired by itself. If you eat hot food, the mucosa will be repeatedly damaged and proliferated, and the risk is high. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should deliberately eat cold food. Warm food in the 30s and 40s is just right and neither burns your mouth nor irritates your stomach.

When it comes to cold weather, many people will probably say that there is no such thing as cold weather in winter. In fact, this matter really depends on the person. I went to Harbin a few years ago. On a day of more than 20 degrees below zero, many people were eating frozen pears and persimmons on the street. There were also popsicle sellers selling them directly on the ground. Local friends said that the heating in the house was too strong in winter, which made the throat so dry that smoke would come out. It was more comfortable to eat it cold. I tried half a frozen pear at that time. It was sweet and refreshing, and I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. But my best friend who has a cold spleen and stomach cannot do it. She will have diarrhea even if she drinks pure milk at room temperature in winter, let alone eat ice. You see, there is no unified "can't eat cold food", it's just whether your body can bear it.

There is another little misunderstanding that is often ignored. Many people like to drink alcohol to warm up when it is cold in winter. In fact, this is all an illusion. Alcohol will dilate blood vessels and bring heat from the body to the surface of the body. When you touch your hands and feet and your hands and feet are hot, in fact, all the heat in the body has dissipated, and it will become colder after a while. My dad drank two taels of white wine before going out to buy New Year's goods last winter. He felt hot all over, so he didn't wear a thick coat. He was shivering from the cold within 20 minutes of going out. He caught a cold and had a fever for two days when he came back. For people with high blood pressure, drinking high alcohol in winter can easily cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents, so be careful.

In fact, I have been doing nutrition science for so many years, and I feel more and more that the so-called dietary taboos are never rules carved in stone. Everyone’s physique, living environment, and eating habits are different. If someone else eats something that is comfortable, you may feel uncomfortable after eating it. Don’t worry too much about eating in winter. Follow the trend less and pay more attention to your body’s reaction. It’s more effective than any health tips.