chinese food – Why You Should NEVER Drink Iced Drinks by Bob Dorris D.O.M.

Why you should NOT drink iced drinks.

There’s a saying in Chinese medicine that goes: “ABOVE ALL ELSE, PROTECT YOUR DIGESTION.” By “digestion”, they mean processing of both FOOD and FLUIDS. Think about this…

If you aren’t processing FOODS properly, you aren’t turning food into BLOOD and ENERGY (“Qi,” as the Chinese call it) for your organs to function properly – so your organs are literally “fatigued” and can’t perform their jobs well.

Your heart CAN’T function. Your lungs can’t function. Your kidneys, bladder, liver, gall bladder, stomach and intestines are all “fatigued” and can’t do their job.

And, your IMMUNE SYSTEM doesn’t have the energy to protect you from cancer, colds, flu, radiation, etc.

And that’s just the problems with not processing foods. If you’re not processing FLUIDS properly…

..fluid collects in your tissues (Chinese medicine calls this condition “Dampness”.)

This FLUID ultimately congeals, and becomes a condition called “Phlegm” (this includes, but is not the same as, having phlegm or mucus.)

This “Phlegm” leads to obesity, depression, urinary infections, dementia, seizures, cysts and tumors, sinus headaches, allergies, all breathing problems like sinusitis, asthma, COPD, and a host of other problems.

Furthermore… the processing of food and fluids includes ELIMINATION… so you will have problems with constipation, diarrhea and urination.

*************Sidebar****************

If you look through my website at www.natural-health-remedies.net you’ll see that all the diseases listed there have improper eating as one of the main causes of that condition.

In some cases, the problems come directly from the food itself. But, in most cases, the problem comes from how the food negatively affects your digestion, with the weakened digestion then leading to the disease condition.

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So, how do COLD DRINKS damage your ability to process food and fluids?

Here’s a simple analogy…

When you put water on the stove, it moves faster… there’s more activity.

When you put water in the freezer, it slows down (freezes)… there’s less activity.

Cold DECREASES activity. Heat INCREASES activity.

Chinese medicine describes the act of digestion as a WARM process. Energy (and life itself) is warm. When we are dead, we’re stone cold dead…

It has been shown through THOUSANDS of years of observation in China that, if we drink chilled or cold liquids, we decrease our digestive activity.

We HURT this warm process of digestion (cold negates heat).

FIRST OF ALL, this causes food and liquid to be digested poorly. Similar to when your car can’t completely combust fuel, food isn’t digested properly and you’re left with a sludge (which, in Chinese Medicine, is called “STAGNANT FOOD” and/or “PHLEGM”.)

That “SLUDGE” is often the ROOT CAUSE of problems such as a weak immune system, weight gain, fatigue, cysts, allergies, sinusitis and certain types of headaches.

SECONDLY, warming up the cold fluids CONSUMES energy (heat), leaving you with a net loss of energy.

THIRD, your weakened digestion now can’t produce good quality energy from the food you eat, leaving you with less energy for your organs to function properly…

..do you get the picture? You can (and will) end up with nearly every disease imaginable.

What to do about this?

You MIGHT be lucky enough to have strong digestion and not feel too affected by cold drinks. Consider yourself blessed. But, if you’re already in a somewhat weakened state…

..drinking COLD drinks might be one of the “straw’s” that breaks the camels back. Here’s my advice:

If you have ice water with your meals, stop.

If you drink your drinks cold from the refrigerator, stop.

Drink no more than a teacup of room temperature or warm water (or green tea) with your meals.

If you eat at restaurants, tell the waiter “No ice, please!”

One the biggest offenders is the ice water you get out at the restaurant. Just before eating a big meal, you put out your “digestive fire” (read that as DAMAGE your digestion) with that freezing cold water. Big mistake!

Iced drinks really aren’t good for anybody. Nature didn’t intend for us to frequently drink cold or frozen liquids. Refrigerators and freezers are extremely recent in terms of the history of human diet.

Not to mention, there’s just not a lot of refrigerators out there in nature!

*** Think about the implications of COLD FOODS here, too. Obviously, they’re equally damaging. ***

It may take some getting used to, but drinking room temperature or warmer water is a good first step toward being healthier.

If you’d like to discover more ancient wisdom from Oriental medicine, subscribe to my newsletter at http://www.natural-health-remedies.net/subscribe.html

You’ll learn the “must have” secrets of health and longevity from both ancient wisdom and modern research sources, much of which is virtually unknown, even by most health care practitioners.

Keep it warm!

About The Author

Bob Dorris, D.O.M. (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) is a Florida state licensed acupuncturist for the past 13 years and a long time practitioner of alternative medicine. He has published many articles and conducted workshops and lectures throughout the U.S.

Mr. Dorris is webmaster for http://www.natural-health-remedies.net/ – a site devoted to disseminating the invaluable wisdom of Oriental medicine and making these little known but powerful health secrets available to everyone.

Los Angeles County is home to over 400,000 Chinese-Americans. Undoubtedly, it has one of the largest ethnic Chinese populations outside of China. Many are first generation immigrants from China or are children of immigrant Chinese parents. In areas with a high population density of ethnic Chinese, one can find many skilled chefs and restaurateurs working in and running restaurants that serve good, authentic Chinese food, just like how they are being served in China. The prices are usually very affordable too.

Most of these restaurants are located in five main areas: the official Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra and Rowland Heights. Except for Chinatown, all areas are in the San Gabriel Valley. All 5 areas are within the confines of Los Angeles County, California.

To give you an idea about good cheap Chinese restaurants that you will find in the above areas, consider these three popular restaurants where you can enjoy good food at bargain prices:

Kang Kang Food Court (2 branches: Monterey Park, Alhambra)* – Despite the name, this is not a food court with multiple food vendors, but a self-service restaurant. Once you walk into the restaurant, you will find over 15 varieties of delicious entrees and hot and cold side dishes displayed behind the counter. Pick out any 3 items, steamed rice and soup and your check is less than $5. The dining area features two big plasma TV screens that will show popular sporting events like NBA basketball games, World Cup soccer or the Olympics when in season.

Yum Cha Cafe (3 branches: Alhambra, San Gabriel, Chinatown)* – The place specializes in Dim Sum, a part of Cantonese cuisine that includes many small dishes like little dumplings, buns and pastries. Yum Cha Cafe serves arguably the cheapest Dim Sum you can find anywhere in the entire Los Angeles. The quality may not be quite what you will get in higher end restaurants, but it is extraordinary value for the money. A small plate of four pieces of Siu Mai, a small meat and shrimp dumpling, costs just 99 cents.

Shanghai Restaurant (San Gabriel)* – As the name of the restaurant indicates, this place serves Shanghainese cuisine, a type of Chinese cuisine that is fast gaining international recognition. The food is flavorful and rich. During lunch time, the restaurant offers an special value lunch menu with over 20 entree dishes from $5 – $8 each. If you like fish, the fried yellow croaker with seaweed is highly recommended. Visit with a group of friends and enjoy a scrumptious family style meal consisting of a variety of dishes.

These are just three examples of restaurants serving good, inexpensive Chinese food. If you visit the five main areas listed at the beginning of this article, you will be able to find similar gems as well. There are several upscale restaurants offering lunch specials or late night specials, making it very affordable to get a good meal in a pleasing atmosphere.

One last tip – bring some cash with you. Most of these places will accept cash only, no credit or debit cards. A number will accept credit cards but with minimum charge requirements of $10 to $20. The good news is that you will be able to enjoy a satisfying meal on the cheap.

*The prices and locations are accurate at the time of this article’s writing in September 2009. For updated information, please contact the restaurants directly before you visit.

Article Source:

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