Cold water, especially refrigerated beverages, is often said to cause various health issues if consumed suddenly.
Here's a simplified explanation:
Impact on the Digestive System:
Cold drinks can rapidly decrease the temperature of the digestive system, slowing down the activity of digestive enzymes. This can lead to indigestion or reduced digestive efficiency, especially if consumed during or right after a meal.
Vasoconstriction:
The cold temperature tends to constrict blood vessels. This can temporarily reduce blood flow, limiting the supply of oxygen and nutrients to certain areas of the body. Some people might experience headaches or fatigue as a result.
Bronchial Reaction:
Consuming very cold drinks can cause a rapid constriction of the bronchial tubes, which can be problematic for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. This reaction can make breathing difficult or worsen existing respiratory issues.
Metabolic Impact:
Cold beverages force the body to use additional energy to normalize its temperature. This can temporarily alter the body's metabolic rate and, according to some theories, may lead to long-term metabolic health issues.
Understanding which foods warm up or cool down your body is crucial, though it's important to note that the best foods for you can depend on your specific body constitution.
#1. Foods that cool the body:
Coffee, despite being consumed hot, cools the body.
Foods with high moisture content such as vinegar, milk, beer, whiskey, cola, and juice, cool the body.
Flour-based foods cool the body.
Tropical fruits like bananas, pineapples, and lemons cool the body.
Sweet foods, including candy, chocolate, cake, and cookies, cool the body.
Overeating also cools the body.
#2. Foods that warm the body:
Salt warms the body.
Scallions, onions, leeks, garlic, ginger, ginseng, burdock, carrots, lotus root, Chinese yam, cheese, and scorched rice (nurungji).
Brown rice, black beans, sesame, apples, strawberries, and pumpkin.
If drinking milk, warm it up and add honey or brown sugar to warm the body.
Carrot juice is beneficial for those with a cold constitution (yin constitution), but it can be harmful to individuals with a "Taeyang" constitution.
#1. A single carrot a day can be more beneficial than herbal medicine. Drinking carrot and apple juice in the morning can warm the body. Dr. Walker, a pioneer in naturopathy from the USA, has described carrot juice as a miraculous food that can treat ulcers and cancer.
#2. To make the "cure-all" carrot juice: Blend 2 carrots and 1 apple together, and aim to drink three cups a day. Those with a cold constitution should reduce the amount of apple or blend the carrots alone.
#3. Just having carrot juice for breakfast can be sufficient. For modern people who are prone to various lifestyle diseases, it's advisable to have two meals a day with carrot juice as breakfast. If you have a good appetite in the morning, you can have breakfast followed by carrot juice.
#4. If you feel thirsty, drink warm, neutral beverages instead of cold water. Neutral beverages include ginger tea, honey tea, plum leaf tea, black tea, and omija tea. Cold-constitution individuals should avoid green juice as it cools the body.
#5. People with a cold constitution should take baths to sweat and find half-body baths beneficial for warming up the body.
#6. Walk 10,000 steps a day. 70–80% of the human body's muscles are located below the waist. Walking improves blood circulation in the lower body muscles and promotes heat production in the muscles. This increase in body heat can also heal diabetes.
#7. To improve your constitution, drink carrot juice for breakfast for 100 days, try to walk more during your commute (more than 10,000 steps a day, 8,000 for those above 65), and always drink warm water. Taking baths or half-body baths to warm up can enhance metabolism and significantly improve one's constitution. Drink warm coffee or tea, but try to limit the amount.
#8. Laugh as much as possible. Laughter relaxes the mind, secretes endorphins in the brain cells, and improves mood. Laughing also works the abdominal muscles, improves blood circulation, raises body temperature, and enhances the body's natural healing abilities. Even when alone (like in the bathroom), force yourself to laugh out loud.
Despite the abundance of food and health products today, the number of hospitals and cases of diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise.
Raising your body's temperature is essential for survival.