1. NO COLD WATER

(opt for room temperature instead)

2. NO COLD SMOOTHIES 

(skip the ice and use fresh fruit at room temperature)

3. LESS RAW VEGGIES AND SALADS

(cook your veggies and add ginger if you have a salad)

4. AVOID BEANS, LENTILS AND CHICKPEAS

(the high fiber content often leads to painful gas)

5. DRINK REST + DIGEST DAILY!

(helps your body produce digestive enzymes naturally)

Why is warmth the key to better digestion?

In Chinese Medicine, the stomach is seen as a pot, with the fire under it being our metabolism. To properly digest or 'cook' food we need the fire under the pot to be strong.

The energetic and thermal properties of foods and drinks can either support this fire or put it out and since the body can only utilize that which is at its own temperature, drinking icy cold drinks or smoothies forces our bodies to expend a significant amount of energy to warm them up. For some this weakens the fire or puts it out completely, leaving the body unable to properly digest food that is eaten after.

Eating raw veggies is similarly taxing on digestion. By cooking our veggies before we eat them we are reducing the amount of energy the body needs to spend on 'cooking' in the stomach. 

No one is perfect but I encourage my patients to eat more warm and cooked foods than they do cold and raw - and to start tuning into how their body feels to continue guiding their choices. 

xx Dr. Stolberg