Warming and cooling characteristics of common foods
Each type of food has its own unique characteristics. Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used the warming and cooling nature of foods to balance the body’s yin and yang – to prevent and treat disease.
The ancient Chinese medicine practitioners discovered that most foods have either cooling or warming characteristics. When you eat cooling foods, they are adding cooling effects to your body and eating warm foods will add warming effects to your body. Therefore, warming and cooling foods can be used to balance the body which may be deficient in yin or yang.
Chinese medicine has categorised many common foods into three thermal natures:
1) Cooling foods
2) Warming foods
3) Balanced, neutral foods (neither cool nor warm)
1) Effects of cooling foods
Cooling food has effects of clearing heat and toxins, cooling and calming the blood and nourishing yin. These types of food are suitable for people who have heat constitution of the body. Usually these people have the following symptoms: The body feeling hot, perspiration, thirst, constipation, pungent odourous wind and stools, burning of the anus area after bowl movement, anxiety, red eyes, red face, emotional, head aches, vivid dreams, ulcers in the mouth or tongue, cold sores around the mouth, red tongue with a thick yellow coating on the tongue, rapid pulse, heart burn and dark or yellow urine.
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, the following cooling foods are suitable to be eaten:
Cooling foods
| Fruits | Vegetables | Grains, Legumes & Seeds | Meat, Seafood & Dairy | Condiments & Beverages |
| Apple Avocado Banana Grapefruit Kiwifruit Lemon Mulberry Orange Pear Plum Strawberry Watermelon |
Asparagus Bok Choi Bitter Gourd Celery Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) Chinese cabbage Cucumber Daikon (Chinese Radish) Eggplant Leafy Green Vegetables Seaweed (Kelp) Spinach Tomato Winter Melon |
Barley Buckwheat Millet Mung Beans Soy Beans Tofu |
Crab Duck Fish Pork |
Chamomile Tea Chrysanthemum Tea Coconut Water Green Tea Lemon Water Peppermint Tea |
2) Effects of warming foods
Warming foods have the effects of raising the yang, energy (qi) of organs and warming and improving the circulation and dispelling the cold. These types of food are suitable for people who are yang deficient. Usually with the following symptoms; cold hand, cold feet, cold body, diarrhea, stomach pains or discomfort after eating or drinking cold things, bloating after eating, lack of energy, sore joints, oedema and fluid retention.
If you have any of the following symptoms listed above, it is suitable to eat more of the following warming foods:
Warming foods
| Fruits | Vegetables | Nuts, Seeds & Spices | Meat, Seafood & Dairy | Beverages |
| Apricot Cherry Chinese Red Dates Grapes Mandarin Mango Peach Pineapple |
Chives Leek Onion Pumpkin Spring Onion |
Chestnut Chilli Cinnamon Garlic Ginger Mustard Pepper Turmeric Walnut |
Beef Chicken Lamb Prawns (Shrimp) Venison (Deer) |
Black Tea Ginger Tea Jasmine Tea Pu’er Tea Wine & Spirits |
3) Foods which are neither warm nor cold, and are suitable for any type of body;
Neutral foods
| Fruits | Vegetables | Grains, Legumes & Seeds | Meat, Seafood & Dairy | Condiments & Beverages |
| Figs Goji Berries Olive Papaya Plum |
Black Fungus Mushrooms Carrot Corn Potato Shiitake Mushroom Sweet Potato Taro Turnip White fungus |
Adzuki Bean Almond Black Sesame Seed Black Soybean Broad Bean Kidney Bean Lotus Seed Peanut Peas Rice bran Rye String Bean Sunflower seed White Rice Yellow Soybean |
Abalone Cow’s Milk Oyster Scallop |
Peanut Oil Honey Saffron Licorice |
The food we eat every day affects our body’s balance. In the clinic we find that many diseases are caused, or made worse by eating the wrong foods. Therefore it is important to know your own body’s constitution so you can find out what foods are best for you. If you do not know your constitution you can make a visit to an experienced TCM practitioner to find out.
Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that during different seasons we should eat more certain cooling or warming foods which can help to combat the changing weather. As Chinese medicine also considers that the human body and health are associated with the environment, so changes in the weather can affect our body and therefore our health.
For example, in summer, it is very hot and dry, which can cause the body to acquire heat and can dry out our body leading to dry skin, constipation and lack of fluid in the body. Thus if we eat more cooling food, it can balance the body which has been attacked by the hot summer.
Usually we suggest you to eat local seasonal fruit and vegetables as they are most suitable for the body during a particular season.
Food as medicine (A disclaimer)
Our “food as medicine” articles share knowledge about health foods in the context of traditional Chinese medicine diet therapy and practices often dating back thousands of years. We also support this knowledge with references to published scientific research. Please keep in mind that scientific research into the health benefits of foods is still emerging and human research is limited.
Consuming a wide variety of natural foods as part of a balanced diet is most beneficial for health, however, we don’t advise using food alone to treat diseases. Please consult with your doctor or health professional about which foods are suitable for your body or health issues.
What Does The Research Say?
The following insights are obtained from scientific studies, systematic reviews and analysis of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of Cold & Hot Foods.
2021 Food Research International
This review further put forward the possibility that cold-hot nature of food and Chinese medicine exert different biological effects on the inflammatory response via regulating the signaling pathways viz. NF-κB and MAPK.
This review explored that the cold and hot natures are not only linked to the chemical components such as water, carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, but also correlated to the biological effects, comprising of energy metabolism, inflammation response, oxidation reaction, immune response, and cell growth and proliferation. Besides, this review further put forward the possibility that cold-hot nature of food and Chinese medicine exert different biological effects on the inflammatory response via regulating the signaling pathways viz. NF-κB and MAPK. More extensive studies are needed to consider the overall connections between both the biological effects and chemical components and how food processing affects the cold-hot nature of the food.
New insights into molecular mechanisms of "Cold or Hot" nature of food: When East meets West Zhou Y, Xu B.
2020 Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
ANOVA and multivariate analysis indicated that 18 food components have significant effects on cold/hot property of food and vitamins play an important role in food cold/hot properties.
The contents of 32 nutritional components and calorie were used through ANOVA and multivariate analysis to evaluate the most important variables affecting food warming and cooling characteristics, and the interaction effect of different components on food properties. Mathematical equations were derived to correlate the component variables and the probability of the food being cold/hot.
The results indicate vitamins (B6, folate, and VA) are among the most important influencing factors. Logit functions were developed to evaluate the hot and cold characteristics of a food based on its compositional data. The obtained information from this study is expected to enhance the understanding of the link between food composition and its cold/hot properties which may provide another method to evaluate the food diet and their health effect.
Relationship between food composition and its cold/hot properties: A statistical study A. Xie, H. Huang, F. Kong
2019 Scholar Works at UT Tyler
Based on the statistical analytic results, calories, dietary fiber, fat, retinol, and vitamin C were found to possibly determine the effect of Yin-Yang properties of foods on human health. The influence of these nutrients on the human body was partially consistent with the function of Yin, Yang and neutral foods recorded in traditional Chinese medicine.
Having a healthy diet by restoring Yin-Yang balance is a cost-effective method to maintain overall health with positive effect on CVD, diabetes, gut microbiota, smoking therapy, sleep patterns, and some acute illnesses due to the determinant nutrients including fat, fiber, sodium, and vitamin C. While dietary fiber and sodium were not significant in this study. At a p<.10, fiber and sodium would have been significant. A Yin-Yang paradigm not only provides an alternative medicine intervention for patients by reducing economic burden, as well as improving symptoms and quality of life, but also is beneficial to healthy people by preventing disease. Yin-Yang balanced dietary therapy has a comprehensive effect on health and should be a significant component of health education.
The "active ingredients" of Yin, Yang and Neutral food and the effect of these nutrients on improving and maintaining health Jingle Xu
Scientific References
Browse our collection of scientific research on Cold & Hot Foods. It includes recent and reputable papers published by peer-reviewed journals within the last 10 years.
2021, Apr 5
New insights into molecular mechanisms of "Cold or Hot" nature of food: When East meets West
Food Research International
This review explored that the cold and hot natures are not only linked to the chemical components such as water, carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, but also correlated to the biological effects, comprising of energy metabolism, inflammation response, oxidation reaction, immune response, and cell growth and proliferation. Besides, this review further put forward the possibility that cold-hot nature of food and Chinese medicine exert different biological effects on the inflammatory response via regulating the signaling pathways viz. NF-κB and MAPK. More extensive studies are needed to consider the overall connections between both the biological effects and chemical components and how food processing affects the cold-hot nature of the food.
Zhou Y, Xu B. Full Article
2020, Dec
Relationship between food composition and its cold/hot properties: A statistical study
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
The results indicate vitamins (B6, folate, and VA) are among the most important influencing factors. Logit functions were developed to evaluate the hot and cold characteristics of a food based on its compositional data. The obtained information from this study is expected to enhance the understanding of the link between food composition and its cold/hot properties which may provide another method to evaluate the food diet and their health effect.
A. Xie, H. Huang, F. Kong Full Article
2019, Dec 16
The "active ingredients" of Yin, Yang and Neutral food and the effect of these nutrients on improving and maintaining health
Scholar Works at UT Tyler University of Texas at Tyler
Based on the statistical analytic results, calories, dietary fiber, fat, retinol, and vitamin C were found to possibly determine the effect of Yin-Yang properties of foods on human health. The influence of these nutrients on the human body was partially consistent with the function of Yin, Yang and neutral foods recorded in traditional Chinese medicine.
Jingle Xu Full Article
mikey
hmm ? What about sugar? Cooling , warming or neutral ?
Ping Ming Health
According to Chinese medicine, white sugar is sweet and neutral in nature. It especially enters the lung and spleen channels. Brown sugar is sweet and warm in nature. It enters the liver, spleen and stomach channels.
John
Warming plus sugar is Toxic; something that should avoided as much as possable
Mikey Chai
My name is mikey too!!!
mossles
Just learnt about cooling and warm foods from our Chinese Doctor last night. What would bread be (since it is processed I am not sure where it would be categorised)….
Ping Ming Health
White bread is sweet and eating too much can result in a pattern of dampness in the body. It is best to choose wholemeal/sourdough breads over commercially available white bread.
Rick
What happens when you combine warming and cooling foods? If, for example, you add warming spices to cooling foods?
Ping Ming Health
You can combine foods from warm and cool groups to balance each other out.
Jasmine
Old people says eat cabbage will create wind and also people who has thyroid can not eat cabbage, is it true?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Jasmine, thanks for your question. Cabbage is a very nutritious vegetable which contains sulphur compounds that break down and produce gas when digested. These compounds are also very good for you and can help to strengthen your immune system. Healthy people can eat cabbage as part of a balanced diet and not worry about so called ‘goitrogens’ contained in cabbage. If you have thyroid problems it is best to seek advice and treatment from your doctor or Chinese medicine practitioner to see if cabbage is suitable for your individual condition or not. You can also read this article: “An Up-to-Date Look at Goitrogenic Substances in Food” http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250
wei ling
The chinese doctor says I have problem of heatiness, coldness, as well as dampness in my body right now. what food should i eat?
Ping Ming Health
You can start by eating more of the neutral foods mentioned in our article above, and avoid strongly hot and cold natured foods. You also need to ask your Chinese doctor which organs may be affected so that you can choose the most appropriate foods to help restore your organ function.
erika
my blood is overheating and causes painful,itchy rash, i have cravings for sweet foods like chocolate and liqorice and also coffee . Im sure these are not good for my condition . What foods would yo recommend . I thought i wold need cooling foods but dont have any of the symptons for such…thank you
Ping Ming Health
Dear Erika, it sounds like you may have an underlying organ imbalance which is causing your food cravings. It would be best if you could see a qualified and experienced Chinese medicine practitioner to diagnose your symptoms first, then you could ask for more specific dietary advice that matches your condition.
Zoe
Would acne also be realated to too much heat on the body?
If so, could you eat cooling foods to combat it?
Or is it to do with toxins?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Zoe, too much heat/toxins (and dampness) in the body is one common cause of acne according to Chinese medicine, but there are also other causes. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis (using TCM tongue and pulse methods) to find out if you may have an underlying internal organ imbalance that is causing the excess heat and toxins to accumulate in your body. You can also read our article on Mung beans and acne:
https://pingminghealth.com/article/281/mung-beans-can-clear-body-heat-toxins-and-help-acne/
Tatiana
I have migrain, nausea and dizzyness for over three weeks now, my Chinese doctor told me that i could have problems with my kidneys or some heart desease that doesnt allow a good circulation of my blood through my body causing the symptoms, also i suffer from cold hand and heavy menstrual pain. he said that i should look more about warm foods but im not really sure where to start? :/
Ping Ming Health
Dear Tatiana, you could try adding a little ginger, cinnamon or fennel to your cooking. These are all warming spices that can help your circulation. Try to eat less cold-natured foods such as raw foods, cold fruits and salads, ice-cream and ice-cold drinks. Try to avoid these cold foods especially around the time of your period as they can make your menstrual pain worse. Soups are also great warming foods you could eat more of.
Amy
I am currently dealing with Gu syndrome (candida, anxiety, muscle aches, hormonal migraines, painful cramps) per my D.O.M. I see that green tea is cooling. I am currently drinking white tea made from organic loose leaf. Is it, too, cooling? If so, is there anything I could add to balance it? And / or is white tea beneficial to drink for my condition? Thank you!
Ping Ming Health
Dear Amy, green and white tea is cooling in nature and drinking too much of it can weaken your Spleen (digestive function) according to Chinese medicine theory. For your condition, we can suggest boiling some Chinese pearl barley (also known as Job’s tears, which you can buy from Asian grocers) in a small saucepan of water until they are soft, and drinking the soup as a tea. Chinese barley can strengthen your digestive function while helping to clear dampness and heat from your body. If you don’t suffer from digestive problems, you can continue to enjoy your white tea in moderation. We hope you get well soon!
Brooke
Hello. My daughter has been suffering from migraine/epilepsy symptoms for some time. She also frequently feels problem breathing and heart palpitations and feels her throat is blocked during these times. I read your description of hot and cold constitutions and I think she has strong symptoms of both. Our friend did acupressure on her yesterday on the heart and lung points and she improved very quickly. The problems get worse because she panics once the symptoms start. He said she needs all warming foods. He says she has blockages everywhere and all her points are painful. So I am confused about only giving her the warming foods. He said the lung and heart are affected by her kidneys and adrenals. And because her menstrual hasn’t started yet and feels heaviness in the lower abdomen,,,her body is too weak to start that happening. She is 12 years old. I’m confused about what foods are best now.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Brooke, we first recommend that you take your daughter to see a GP (medical doctor) if you have not already done so for a medical diagnosis and general health check. We would then suggest visiting a Chinese medicine practitioner experienced in children’s health conditions. Unfortunately we cannot give you any more specific advice regarding foods without a consultation and Chinese medicine diagnosis of her condition.
Michelle
I have been advised to cool my body to aid my heart. Can you recommend any recipes or books which would be beneficial? Besides ingesting cooling foods and drinks are there other things I could do to aid the cooling? Also I have a small white bump on my tongue which won’t go away and had cancer four years ago – do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Michelle, unfortunately we cannot give you any more specific advice without a consultation. If you are interested in learning more about Chinese medicine diet therapy, we can recommend reading The Tao of Healthy Eating, by Bob Flaws. It has many recipes and food ideas which you may find useful. Activities such as meditation and light exercises that relieve emotional stress should also help to prevent stagnation and heat from building up in your body.
Yasir
Hi, i want to know what is the best way to consume cooling food, should it be boiled or fried, does both ways consist their cooling effects or does frying vegetables decrease its cooling affects.
Also i m old patient of Psoriasis n Acne, pimples n white/black heads, what is the best diet for me. please guide me in this regard.
Thanks
Yasir
Ping Ming Health
Dear Yasir, most vegetables are cooling in nature but they can be made warmer (or more neutral) by cooking. In general we suggest lightly cooking or steaming most vegetables, as over-cooking and boiling them will result in the loss of nutrients and taste. In general, avoid sweet, spicy/chili and greasy/fried foods. Please also read our articles on skin health. Also try to reduce stress and sleep earlier at night. Unfortunately, there can be many internal causes of psoriasis and acne and without a Chinese medicine diagnosis we cannot give you more specific diet advice. We suggest you visit an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner for more help and advice regarding your diet.
carmen
I’m currently 11 weeks pregnant and my parents have been telling me not to eat watermelon, bananas, cantelope, and honeydew because it is not good for the baby. Is there any truth to this as they also mentioned something about the fruit being ‘cool’.
Ping Ming Health
Generally, you can eat the fruits you have mentioned in moderation, except if you have an allergy to those fruits. During pregnancy, we suggest not eating too much hot and spicy foods, shellfish because they can give your body too much heat and toxins, which is not good for the baby’s skin.
ELTer
I have had hypothalamic amenorrhea for one year. The acupuncture doctors I’ve seen tell me I need to eat more meat, more warming foods, not exercise (beyond gentle yoga), and not stress nor worry.
Where do raw walnuts, wheat bread, cookies, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, and dark chocolate fall – cooling, neutral, or warming?
Ping Ming Health
Walnuts are considered a warming food in Chinese medicine. The other foods you have mentioned are cooked foods consisting of mixed ingredients, so it is very hard to say whether they are cooling or warming foods according to Chinese medicine theory.
Cheryl
What a wonderful site! Thank you for your most helpful information!
I don’t have an ailment, I don’t think, but struggle with staying up VERY LATE… often until 3-4 a.m. I do get a full 8 to 9 hours of sleep but wonder what is “off” in my body prompting me to want to stay up so late. Is this thyroid or adrenal related or something else. Suggestions?
Thank you!
Ping Ming Health
Dear Cheryl, thank you for your enquiry. Generally, your type of insomnia is associated with Liver imbalance in Chinese medicine, I suggest you have some lemon, orange juice, banana or peppermint tea to assist your sleep. The best way is to see your local experienced Chinese medicine practitioner for a tongue and pulse diagnosis to find out the exact cause of your insomnia. Best regards, Ping Ming Health.
ELTer
Is this tea overall warming, neutral, or cooling?
“Rooibos Safari Spice” from Celestial Seasonings, with these ingredients:
rooibos, hibiscs, cinnamon, natural sweet piquante pepper flavor, soy lecithin, blackberry leaves, allspice, cardamon, ginger, roasted chicory, cloves, and banana.
Ping Ming Health
Thank you for your question, the tea you mentioned has many ingredients so it may be hard to determine the overall nature. However, it is most likely to be warming as it contains the following warming herbs: cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, ginger and cloves.
Myann
Thank you so much for this GREAT information! Is there an in-depth resource that you would recommend that lists a broader list of foods that Westerners eat? For instance, I don’t see oatmeal listed above in your chart–and I don’t want to bug you with question after question as I build my new TCM-inspired menus! Thanks so much, Myann
Ping Ming Health
Dear Myann, we can suggest two books on Chinese dietary therapy which you may be interested in:
The Tao of Healthy Eating by Bob Flaws and Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. Between the two, The Tao of Health Eating is a great introduction for those new to the idea of Chinese diet therapy, while Healing With Whole Foods is a much more comprehensive resource and bigger book. We hope you can benefit from reading these books.
Myann
Thanks so much–I will buy them both today! =)
amy
Could you tell me please what kind Of food is better to treat rosacea? Thanks
Ping Ming Health
Dear Amy, without knowing more about the condition of your body, the general diet advice we can give you is to consume foods that are neutral to cool in nature. Avoid spicy, fried, greasy foods, also coffee and alcohol that can heat up the body and aggravate the flushing. Examples of foods you can eat include barley, celery, cucumber, fish, mung beans, green tea, tofu. A Chinese medicine consultation can also help you to identify any internal organ imbalances that may be generating heat in your body.
Olga shmidov
Are kobucha and water grain kefir cooling body and liver?Which food are the best for warm up the liver , muscles and joins?Thank you so much Olga
Ping Ming Health
Dear Olga, sorry we don’t have any information about kombucha or kefir at this time. Perhaps another reader can share more knowledge regarding these foods. You can read our articles on Cherries, Chestnuts, Walnuts and Chives for more ideas about warming foods that are beneficial for circulation.
Jenna
Happened to stumble upon your site by accident while looking for some remedies in TCM. What a great site !
I read that one must eat warming food if one is said to suffer from deficient yang energy of the lung with cold syndrome if the following symptoms appear : itchy nose with sometimes itchiness around the eyes, copious discharge of clear, watery liquid from the nose with back drip from the throat, some dizziness on occasions, itchy ears. The foods recommended are royal jelly, red dates, string beans, mutton, job’s tears, longan, yam, grapes, squash, carrots, apple cucumber, cheese etc. But isn’t cheese also a diary and as such, diary is supposed to encourage the production of phlegm ? And rock sugar is mentioned too…..isn’t this a refined food ? Hope my comment and questions are not too burdensome to you. Thank you.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Jenna, thanks for your questions! Chinese medicine diet therapy not only categorises foods according to their nature (warming, cooling, neutral) but also by taste (such as sour, bitter, sweet) and organ systems (such as Lung, Spleen, Liver). All of these aspects are taken into consideration when matching the most appropriate foods to your body type. In your case, you are correct not to consume too much cheese or sugar, as the “damp” nature of these foods can contribute to the formation of phlegm, especially if your Spleen function is weak.
jenna
I have what is generally known as chronic rhinitis sinusitis ( copious discharge of clear, watery liquid and back drip from the throat, itchy nose, eyes and ears, lethargic fatigue with ‘heavy’ arms and legs, watery eyes) and was told to avoid diary products which will promote phlegm. Is free range eggs banned from the list of foods to be consumed ? I have avoided stuff like ice cream, butter, cream, etc. Can eggs still be part of the menu for sufferers of RS since I find eggs to be a convenient complete food and easy to consume. Is the above symptoms reflect deficient yang energy of the lung with cold syndrome as described by TCM? Is it due only to the problems of the lungs ? what about the stomach and the spleen ?
I also avoid most tea which has caffeine as it affects sleeping. But Reebios Tea is fine but is this alright for those with Rhinitis Sinusitis ? Also, some articles in TCM mentioned to avoid oranges as this is also phlegm forming. Would appreciate some answers to some of the above questions. Thank you.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Jenna, Chinese medicine diet therapy considers eggs to be a sweet and neutral food that is nourishing for the body. It especially nourishes Blood and Yin of the body for symptoms such as dryness, fatigue, insomnia, blurred vision. Some people with weak digestion (Spleen Qi) may find eggs hard to digest in which case this may contribute to the formation of dampness and phlegm. Otherwise, eggs are suitable to eat for almost everyone.
We suggest you should also tonify your Spleen Qi (and if you have a tendency to feel cold or have frequent clear urination, there may also be deficiency of Kidney Yang). In general, neutral to warm (but not hot) foods are best to support your body during treatment.
Rooibos tea is caffeine free and should be okay for you. Some texts do regard sweet and sour foods as dampening, this includes citrus fruits and tomatoes. If you tend to produce lots of phlegm and feel cold generally, we can suggest boiling dried orange peel (“Chen Pi” from a Chinese grocer) with cinnamon to drink as a tea. This is a great recipe for clearing phlegm and warming the Spleen and Kidney.
Nove
Hello ,
I have problem with raising Phlegm into my troath , the feeling is like having a “hair” into my throat, and everytime i drink nothing happen im still dry in the throat and the body produces a lot of Phlegm.
in the last five days i have been eating 90% of fruit ( 6 banana and different tropical fruit + cooked meal for dinner), and especially the last day when the problem came out i ate a nearly rotten papaya from the fridge (so very cold) and i think that is the big mistake…
plus i live in a very humid place.
my Phlegm is not yellow or green is no color.
So i would like to know how can i restore the balance , wich food i should eat and why, to remove this problem?
thanks a lot :)
Nove
Ping Ming Health
Dear Nove, Chinese medicine views that a damp environment can impair the function of the Spleen, which leads to the accumulation of dampness and phlegm in the body. To clear the phlegm from your body, you’ll need to look after your Spleen and digestion well. You should avoid very sweet, sour and damp natured foods such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, dairy, oily and fried foods which can generate more phlegm. Try to eat more neutral and dry natured foods as the basis of your diet. In very humid environments, people tend to eat more spicy foods such as chilli, pepper and ginger as these can help the body to expel and clear the dampness (but be careful not to over-eat very spicy foods). You can also read our articles on Chilli, Chinese White Radish and Red Azuki Beans. As you experienced, you must also avoid eating chilled (cold temperature) foods which are bad for digestion.
Leslee
Can diet help my recurring corneal erosion heal? I am getting accupuncture & taking chinese herbs.
Apparently the problem is related to my liver.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Leslee, we believe that diet is one of the most important aspects of healing the body and improving health. No form or amount of medicine can replace a healthy diet that is suitable for your body. Black sesame seeds, carrots and goji berries are excellent foods that benefit the eyes you could introduce into your diet. You can also ask your Chinese medicine practitioner for more specific diet therapy advice.
Jennifer
Hi, I know from my study of TCM that the cooking method also affects the TCM “temperature” of a food, deep oil-frying adding the most “heat,” steaming the least, etc. I’m writing to find out where drying/dehydrating at low temperatures falls on that scale. I have a chronic deficiency condition of the spleen and have been instructed to avoid raw, cold foods. I like to prepare some foods by dehydrating them at 120 degrees F for 12-24 hours. Does this add heat and remove the harmful cold from foods?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Jennifer, thanks for your question. Dehydrating foods in your oven does make them warmer in nature. One thing to be aware of is that dehydrated foods are considered “drying” according to Chinese medicine. If your body lacks Yin (moisture) for example: dry skin, feeling thirsty or you have heat in your stomach (easily hungry, bad breath), then consuming foods that are drying in nature is not suitable. If you body has Dampness (feeling heavy, sluggish, tired or bloated with sticky stools), then consuming some dry and warm natured foods can help to dry the Dampness and improve your Spleen function.
atarah
I wondered if Pistachio nuts are heating or cooling or neutral…
thank you…..
Ping Ming Health
Pistachio nuts are warm in nature according to Chinese medicine.
Neha
Hi!
I went to see a Chinese Herbalist, and he mentioned that I have spleen and liver issues. In addition , I should avoid raw foods. That was it, and I was seen out. I think he mentioned to avoid cold foods? Does this mean I can still eat the food on your warn/neutral list?
thanks!
Ping Wang
Dear Neha, if you have been advised to avoid raw foods, then this also includes the cold natured foods according to Chinese medicine diet therapy. Neutral foods are suitable for everyone, and how much warm foods you should eat depends on the balance of how much heat or cold you have in your body.
Laura
Hi I am 41 years old and have been having night sweats that make me feel very cold at night. In the past acupuncture and TCM have stopped the sweats. I have been experiencing these sweats on and off since I am 31. During the day I am often feeling cold and have chills and cold hands. I was wondering if I could eat cooling foods to stop the night sweats? Or would I try warming foods since during the day I often feel chilly? Currently my diet contains more warming foods than cooling foods. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you
Ping Ming Health
Dear Laura, thank you for your question. From the description of your symptoms it appears your body has a weakness of both Yin and Yang. During the day (and at night) you feel cold easily because your body lacks Yang energy (warmth), and during the night your sweating is due to a relative deficiency of Yin compared to Yang which causes night sweating. This is a complicated pattern to correct using diet alone so we would advise you to seek treatment from an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner. You may also need to take Chinese herbal medicine to help strengthen and rebalance your underlying Kidney Yin and Yang function. We would suggest you eat neutral to warm foods, not too hot or spicy foods and avoid cold foods. You could also eat more Kidney and essence tonifying foods such as prawns, scallops, goji berries, walnuts, lamb or beef bone soup. We hope this information may be of help to you.
Geoff Davies
Hi, where is steamed rice on the hot/cold continuum?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Geoff, thanks for your question. Steamed white rice is considered a neutral food that’s easy to digest. It has certainly stood the test of time as a staple food of many traditional Asian diets!
Katie
I have just been to see a Chinese Herbalist today and he said that I have a very low liver and kidney pulse and had started early menopause symptoms. I am to eat cold foods. Which foods in this category would you strongly recommend? Thanks Katie
Ping Ming Health
Dear Katie, thanks for your question. Please read our article Five ways to overcome the symptoms of menopause for great tips and diet advice.
Mirian
Will eating cooling foods and avoiding warming foods help with my menopausal night sweats and daytime flashes? Or is this an entirely different condition for such foods to help?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Mirian, please read our article Five ways to overcome the symptoms of menopause for more specific advice on menopause.
Nia
What a wonderful article! Everything was presented in a truly informative, clear and precise manner! Thank you!
jeevan
hello i have problem of bleeding from nose when i feel hot and so dry my nose so what types of food can i eat??
Ping Ming Health
Dear jeevan, thanks for your question. We suggest eating more cooling and moistening foods such as cucumber, banana, celery, lettuce, spinach and mung beans. Also pay attention to your bowel movements, if you are easily constipated this can cause further dryness in your nose (this is because the Lung and Large Intestine channels are paired in Chinese medicine theory).
HM
I just started seeing a TCM doctor for my fertility issue. I’m drinking herbal tea prepared by the doctor but boiled by me at home. I am instructed not to consume any cold foods while drinking the tea. I’m assuming that’s the “cooling foods” referred to above? I also have IBS, am lactose intolerant and can’t digest i.e. whole wheat, oatmeal. I have 2 questions: 1) With all my food restrictions and this new one re: cold foods what do you suggest I eat that is nutritious and satisfying? 2) is there something you can recommend for a fertility diet that conforms to all these restrictions? Many thanks.
Ping Ming Health
Thanks for your question, soups and rice congees would be two great choices for you. You could add some red dates, lotus seeds, goji berries, chicken, spring onion, ginger and other warming foods as well to these recipes.
Lynsey
Hi, I have a problem of getting very hot at night,
I sleep with window open even in winter and have feet out of bed.
From your list I am eating mainly cool and neutral foods already
But is there something else I can try?
Love your site
Regards Lynsey
Ping Ming Health
Dear Lynsey, if changing your diet has not helped to relieve your symptoms there may be an underlying imbalance with your Yin and Yang. We suggest visiting an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner for acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment to assist with this. Best regards, Ping Wang.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Lily, thank you for your question. Please see my article What diet is suitable after labour for more information, the same advice applies for strengthening your body after a miscarriage. Generally, we suggest you should have at least 3 regular, normal menstrual cycles before trying again. However, we would recommend that you visit an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner who can give you more specific advice for your body.
Ava
hi there,
what happens if you cook some of the foods considered warming but eat them cold. I have hypothyroidism and have been told to eat warming foods. I make soup out of the warm food list but generally eat them cold. Does that defeat the purpose? thanks
Ping Ming Health
Dear Ava, hypothyroidism is regarded as Yang deficiency according to Chinese medicine, which is why you have been recommended warm-natured foods. You should also eat these foods at a warm temperature (best) or room temperature. Cold or frozen foods and drinks are not suitable for your body at this time because they will reduce the Yang Qi (energy) of your body.
Ava
thanks so much for replying. I will keep on trying to increase my warm foods. I appreciate it. And any other words of wisdom for Hashimoto’s would be appreciated.
ELTer
Dear Ping Ming,
My boyfriend drinks a lot of water each day (around 120 ounces), yet he still feels thirsty and dehydrated. What foods might be contributing to his feeling dehydrated? Most recently he has been trying to add a little celtic sea salt to the water he drinks because he heard from others that that might help his body absorb the water. Because of this, he does *not* add salt to his foods when he cooks, and he eats mostly freshly home-cooked meals. He very rarely eats food out (at restaurants), and rarely eats foods with preservatives. He doesn’t do a lot of strenuous work either. At his job, he is on his feet for 10 hours at a time (with 1 hour break in the middle), for three days a week.
He eats a lot of eggs; are they dehydrating?
I LOVE your website and appreciate all your advice!
Sincerely,
ELTer
Jennifer
ELTer, I saw your message and just had to reply. I had this same problem really bad. Dying of thirst all night long, would wake up to guzzle water (almost a half gallon by morning), only to wake up so dehydrated that my eyelids were sticking to my eyes!
I was on a healthy (or so I thought) low salt diet. I didn’t think that was an issue, because I did get more than the minimum RDA for salt (240mg). But by chance I discovered that salt helped and dramatically increasing my salt intake solved my problem after almost three years of dehydration hell!
I tried the salt after reading a scientific article about vasopressin, a hormone that regulates thirst and fluid absorption in the body. Salt deficiency was mentioned as a contributor to vassopressin dysfunction, as was overconsumption of diuretics. Green tea is a diuretic, and I was drinking a lot of it at the time, again thinking I was being healthy!
You know what they say– everything in moderation. I hope this helps your boyfriend!
ELTer
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for your message! How did you consume salt to fight off the vassopresin dysfunction? Did it seem to matter whether you were getting salt by mixing it into water, or just adding it to foods, or…?
I will be sure to tell my boyfriend so that he can look into this!
Appreciatively,
ELTer
Jennifer
It didn’t seem to matter how I had it. I just made sure I got a lot more–went from about 300mg daily to maybe 2g? Dramatic improvement within days, then steady improvement and fixed the problem completely in about 4 months. My MD was clueless about this, BTW. He told me I had “polydipsia” and that the only known cause was intentional over-drinking of water. He accused me of drinking the water on purpose to lose weight and tried to put me on an antidepressant! Doctors can be useless sometimes. I had to find that study myself!
Harshit Dang
I am 16 years old and i have some white hair. I think its because of the warmness or coolness of my stomach! Please advise me on the food i should eat to stop and prevent these white hairs from coming!
Ping Ming Health
Dear Harshit, 16 years old is quite young to be getting white hairs. If your parents also got white hairs when they were young then this may be genetic. At your age, we suggest reducing stress in your daily life, getting plenty of rest (especially not sleeping late at night), exercising or playing sports often and outdoors in the sun, eating a varied and balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables (don’t overeat sugary foods, junk foods and fast foods). Your body is still growing and needs plenty of nutrition, your white hairs are unlikely to be because of any particular food you are eating. It is most likely to be from too much stress, not enough sleep or eating a poor quality diet.
sunny
I have been seeing an amazing TOM doctor. I have osteoarthritis and severe back and joint problems. Recently, I have been nauseous with moderate to severe, sometimes migraine, headaches. I had cupping and acupuncture treatment today. And was prescribed herbs. My doctor wants me to avoid all cold food and drinks for the next week. He suggests room temperature or cooked foods only. I am a bit confused as I have been eating mung beans and he said they were not good for me at this time. I eliminated gluten and alcohol from my diet about 5-6 months ago. Also he stated that my liver pulse was week today. My question is: should I focus on cooling foods this week? And, are there any books you can recommend to help me better understand TOM food and health relationships? I just found this site and I plan to visit it often. Thank you for your time
Ping Ming Health
Dear Sunny, thanks for visiting our website. We suggest it’s best to follow the advice of your doctor and avoid cold foods and drinks. It’s true that mung beans are a cooling food so you could avoid eating them for the time being. One book we can suggest to start with is “The Tao of Healthy Eating” by Bob Flaws. He offers an easy to understand introduction to traditional Chinese medicine diet therapy. If you are after something more “meaty”, then we can recommend “Healing With Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford.
Amy
If one is using essential oils and is using Lemon for example….it the oil also going to be cooling….or just the lemon itself?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Amy, great question. We have more experience of the benefits of lemon when it’s eaten. However, there may be some similar benefits if you use the essential oil. We would encourage you to try, come back and let us know!
Erin
I have migraine and tension headaches 10-12 days a month. The migraines are the worst around my menstrual cycle. No preventative drugs have worked. Acupuncture has helped a little bit. However, during menstruation I still get a 4 or 5 day headache that takes me out of work. My vision is blurred. I have dizzy spells sometimes. I am irritable and emotional. But mostly, my head just hurts! Any advice on which foods I should eat?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Erin, thanks for your question. It sounds like you haven’t quite solved the underlying cause of your headache which is related to your menstrual cycle. We have lots of experience with your condition and we would suggest a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatment from an experienced practitioner to help you solve the underlying internal organ imbalances. Sorry we can’t give you any specific food recommendations in your case without taking a full history and diagnosis. The right direction we can suggest is to also look at your period and emotional symptoms because we think they may have the same underlying cause as your headaches.
Paul
My son has some Tics disorder. Now he is making some throat clearance sound every time. Before this he used to jerk his head. It’s not continuous every time. Sometimes it will disappear for couple of months. He started this almost three years before and he is 11 years old now. Can you please tell me, is it treatable ? Or please give me some advise about the treatment, then I can discuss with the TCM doctor. Or can you suggest any doctor in Brisbane.
Ping Ming Health
Thanks for your question Paul. In our experience Chinese medicine can assist with tics symptoms. It is very commonly seen in the paediatrics department of TCM hospitals in China. We would suggest your Chinese medicine practitioner to investigate the Liver, Kidney and Spleen organs. It is also helpful to ensure your son’s diet is balanced and free of excess sugar and chemicals.
Be'Linda
I’m 56 years of age going through menapouse and do not want to take medications my symptoms are so terrace it’s almost unbearable. Can you suggest a diet and or herbs to help me calm down and cool down?
Ping Ming Health
Thanks for your question Belinda. Please read our article on menopause for more ideas about diet and lifestyle suggestions. We can highly recommend that you visit an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner for help with your menopause symptoms.
Alice
I had shingles in early Feb on my left arm. Now healed but my skin is very
sensitive and feeling itchy and my arm is weak.
What food should I eat or avoid for speedy recovery?
Ping Ming Health
Hi Alice, please avoid chilli, spicy foods and shellfish. You could increase your intake of foods and fruits with vitamin C and also have some bone broth which contains many micro-nutrients beneficial for your blood, skin and nervous system. Don’t forget acupuncture is also great to promote skin healing by bringing more blood and circulation to the local area.
Atukana
Seeing the symptoms of cold/hot body I see I’m mostly ‘hot’ (erspiration, thirst, constipation, pungent odourous wind and stools, emotional, head aches, vivid dreams, anxiety) but also ‘cold’ components (bloating after eating, lack of energy, sore joints, oedema and fluid retention). Especially my stomach(region) is very cold, also to the touch. My ‘cravings’ are mostly to the literally warm foods (warm soup for instance).
What would be recommended?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Atukana, it is possible to experience both hot and cold symptoms at the same time. This is a more complicated pattern which requires a careful diagnosis and treatment plan by an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner. However, acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment in our experience is very effective for the symptoms you have described and we hope you can find someone qualified to help you.
Grace
Hi, I often feel hot and perspire easily. Walking half a km distance will perspire as though i have run a few km. I do exercise one to three times a week. My face will be quite red after i exercise, this should be normal? I am quite a energetic type of person.
But I am afraid of cold as well, if I am still not moving, like sleeping or siting in a air-con room, I easily feel cold, my hands will be cold then.
I am not too sure i am more yin or yang? what kind of food will help, is there a way to help to cool my body especially reduce perspiration. I have tried to cut down drinking cold drinks.
i have quite sensitive lungs, i will have bad cough if the area is dusty or too smoky, if it get worst i may have chest pain, I need to leave the place. Is there a way to help improve.
thank you so much of your time. have a great day.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Grace, thanks for writing to us. Without knowing the full picture, it sounds like your body is constitutionally Yang deficient, making your body sensitive to cold. The excessive sweating you experience when you exercise may be due to an underlying weakness of your lungs, especially since you mention that your lungs are sensitive to dust and smoke. Chinese medicine treatment can help to strengthen your lung function which in our experience can improve the symptoms you experience.
Casey
Hi,
My health began to suffer when Summer arrived last year. Since then, i had a face that comes and go and my body started to get so hot, I would tire more easily and being out in the sun, I started getting acne. In humdity and higher temperature, i started getting worse. Now the acne has affected skin around my lip and neck. Anything I can do to relieve this discomfort? I feel when winter hits, my body gets cold with the lower temperatures too and my skin starts drying out too quickly
Casey
Ping Ming Health
Dear Casey, thanks for sharing your concerns. It sounds like you could benefit from a traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis. An experienced practitioner will be able to help you make sense of your symptoms, find out if there is an underlying organ imbalance, and offer you the right treatment plan and advice.
Alex
I suffer from acid reflux and also from irritable bowel. This is challenging because meat and some fatty food give me reflux but carbohydrates normally give me inflammation and gas, so its really hard for me too get proteins from grains. What type of diet would you suggest? Any chinese herbals that might help? I practice qi-gong and that helps a bit. Hope you can answer. Warm regards.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Alex, from the Chinese medicine point of view, both acid reflux and irritable bowel can be caused by particular internal organ imbalances. We suggest visiting an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner who can help you to make sense of your symptoms and find out the underlying cause. They should also be able to give you more specific diet suggestions to suit your body type.
Lauren
Hi there,
I have been suffering with nausea and constipation for three months now and have been to see a doctor but there is nothing medically wrong with me. I tend to have a warm disposition and feel hungry all the time even after eating. I also bloat a lot and have a lot of wind. I was wondering if you could tell me what you thought?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Lauren, it does sound like you could benefit from a Chinese medicine consultation. Your symptoms are real even though they may not be severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of a medical disease. We suggest not to wait and consult an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner to find out and treat the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Paul
Thank for your reply. Can you please suggest a practitioner in Brisbane, who have experience in the treatment of Tic disorder. i tried a lot, but couldn’t find. Appeecited your help.
Cheryl
I’m a little confused on the proper to time to do things. For example, should a person do a cardio workout when the heart is “high” (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) or should that be a resting period for the heart?
How about doing something stressful….during the kidney period or no?
Thank you in advance!
Angie
Hi Ping,
I recently seeing an acupunturist for my heat flush. She says I have stress and circulation symptoms. She gave me herbal medicines plus acupunture. My question is while I’m taking herbal meds, can I also consume probiotic? Do you know if this interfere with the herbal meds? Thank you for your help.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Angie, it’s fine to take probiotics with your Chinese herbal medicines.
Scott Lau
Hi, My 6 year old daughter has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumour. what food would you recommend for her to eat. thanks Scott
Ping Ming Health
Dear Scott, there are no specific foods that are known to help with an aggressive brain tumour. Please follow the advice of your daughter’s oncologist. We send our best wishes to your family during this difficult time.
Li
Hi
Love your website. I just visited my TCM doc and he said that I need to take warm food for my high blood pressure. I am confused as I read in some website that high blood pressure is a result of too much warm food? But I had been told the opposite? Confused…
Ping Ming Health
Dear Li, thanks for your great question. This is why Chinese medicine diagnosis is so important. Some people have high blood pressure due to coldness (coldness constricts the blood vessels and therefore increases blood pressure) which is why warming foods are advised. We suggest following the advice of your Chinese medicine practitioner who is looking after you.
YT
Hi,
How about regulating menstrual period? I have cold hands and feet. Do i have to take warming food? Does cooling food cause irregular periods?
Ping Ming Health
Dear YT, please read our article: What is an abnormal period and what should you do around this time?
Alicia
We are 17 years married and tried to conceive. I am 42 years old. My husband had years ago acupuncture to improve his sperm quality. I menstruate regularly after 27 days, I don’t know, if I ovulate. But what I know for sure is that I am really disappointed, because we didn’t manage it.
What can I do to stay fertile, to improve my fertility?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Alicia, please read our article Conceive quickly: four important issues to check prior to pregnancy. At your age, it is very important to find out quickly if there are any health issues preventing you from conceiving. Please don’t wait to seek help from a fertility doctor in your area, the longer you wait the harder it will be to fall pregnant.
Suzie
Hi I ate a few pieces of pineapple last night and had a stomach ache then diarrhoea before bed time. Once I woke up in the morning I did another 5 diarrhoeas. I feel very lethargic now. Can someone tell me what’s going on inside? Tia.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Suzie, pineapples are cooling but shouldn’t give you such severe symptoms. It sounds like you might have eaten a bad pineapple and experienced some food poisoning. We hope you are feeling better now.
Tony Serneels
Dear Ping Wang,
I’m suffering from blood stagnation and have very low energy. I also don’t feel quite well in my body due to dampness and the lack of energy. I want to get rid of my purple circles around my eyes and get a healthy skin color.
What should i eat?
Sincerely,
Tony
Ping Ming Health
Dear Tony, to start with you’ll need to eat more warming foods to get rid of the dampness and improve blood circulation. You could have foods such as cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cherries, mandarins. Do your best to avoid raw, cold foods and drinks. Regular Chinese medicine treatment could help you to feel better sooner.
val
hello i wanted to ask will this help with weight loss, i have always had weight loss problems since my early pre-teen years and in my mid-teens i notice i started to loss a lot of hair ( still am loosing a lot of hair and had tried many different methods) and still have trouble with acne and oil face and hair. i just would like to hear any suggestions or thoughts on this.
Ping Ming Health
Dear Val, we don’t have much information to give you any specific advice, however, it does sound like you might have an underlying Spleen and Dampness issue that would benefit from visiting an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner for a more detailed consultation.
Olga
Just have a consultation with nutritionist, my saliva and urine are very alkaline, apparently it’s bad for me. I have often urine infections, because of alkaline urine. Nutritionist told me add acidic food into my diet, more meat. But now I feel I have too much heat, I have cold sore.
What would you suggest?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Olga, in Chinese medicine urinary tract infections are often due to damp-heat accumulation in the Bladder. Generally, it’s best to avoid hot foods especially if your body has many heat symptoms. Please visit a Chinese medicine practitioner if you have trouble balancing your body.
Pavan
Hello,
If i am suffering from common cold, which kind of foods(Solids and Beverages) (Warming/Cooling) should i eat and which ones should i stay away from?
Also, in which category does YOGURT fits?
Ping Ming Health
Hi Pavan, in Chinese medicine diagnosis the common cold may be due to wind-cold or wind-heat. It’s difficult to recommend foods without knowing your exact symptoms, which can also change during the course of a cold. In general though you should avoid hot/spicy foods and try to eat more neutral and easy to digest foods during a cold. Chinese rice congee is a very popular food for colds in China. A little bit of lemon and honey is also suitable for most colds. Yoghurt is considered a cooling food.
Kiah
I have eczema and have ever since i was born, i had a consultation 3 days ago and was prescibed long dan xie gan wan for too much heat in my liver, he told me to avoid red meat.
I have found out according to TCM, i am eating way too much yang foods. But i was wondering if i should cut out all yang foods, and just have yin and balanced foods until my next consultation (next week) or am i able to have a little bit of yang foods without it causing irritation?
Ping Ming Health
Dear Kiah, thanks for your question. Usually we suggest during the first few weeks of your treatment to reduce as much as possible those foods that will make your symptoms worse. This is to cooperate with your treatment plan and help your body get back to balance as quickly as possible. As your symptoms improve, you may reintroduce some of the Yang-natured foods that you like, but keep a close eye on your symptoms and also let your practitioner know. Once your body is balanced you should be able to enjoy more Yang foods again (in moderation).
jennifer
Ping, I enjoy reading. I was told by doc today i need to cool down stomach. no spicy, citrus, lamb, chicken, also from stress and liver i have few issues. whats best for liver and stress level is high. thank you
Ping Ming Health
Dear Jennifer, please read our articles: Do you know how to look after your liver? and What foods are good for the liver?