Leslie Maahs

HIST 410

 

 

‘Heating and Cooling’

 

Origin of System: Evidence can be found of use of this system by Galen, who claims that he got it from Hippocrates (classical antiquity) and from Western Europe it came to China right before the Han Dynasty, around the time of Christ.

            -The system fit well with Chinese belief in yang (hot, dry, bright) and yin (cool, moist, dark) and the fivefold principles (5 scents, 5 tastes, 5 grains, 5 meats, etc)

System being used today: was basic to teachings of European medicine until recently. Europeans brought it to the New World- Am Indians and Mestize. Belief system spread through Spain, Mexico, Philippines, India, SE Asia and Malaysia. System often condemned as inconsistent and persistent.

Humoural Medicine Principles:

            -body contains ‘humours’, ‘qualities’: hot, cold, wet, and dry humours.

            -humours must be kept in balance for good health.

            -each person has a different setpoint and may be affected differently by foods.

            -external things, ex: sun or water, are heating, cooling, wetting or drying.


Food is categorized as: heating, cooling, balanced/neutral and in some places drying and moistening. (Foods have a certain qi). Categorized based on color, where they are grown, degree of spiciness and number of calories. Foods are can also be made hot or cool on the basis of how they are prepared.

New Foods: Newly introduced foods are usually placed in a category based on color, where it grows and by trial and observation of effects on people.

            Hot/Heating (ri): Baking, deep-frying, sun-drying(slightly heating), stir-frying(less heating).

            -Bright colors; red, orange (not always, ex: carrots and some oranges)

-Alcohol (not beer), fats and oils, strong spices, white sugar, most meats, chocolate, coffee, curry powder, ginger, pepper, chiles, red beans.

-Heating foods will cause indigestioin or other ‘hot’ symptoms in the digestive system.

-High calorie foods are eaten in the winter for warmth.

            Cool/Cooling (ping/peng): Boiling, simmering.

            -Cool colors; green, blue, white and gray.

-Green plants (eaten raw or that grow in wet places), rabbit, squashes, gourds, cabbages, sour foods

-Beer- considered the ‘Westerners’ cooling-tea. It is cold, because it is not strong enough to provoke a hangover (hot condition) and because it is served cold.

            -low calorie foods are eaten in the summer for cooling effects.

            Level/Neutral/Balanced (zhong): Steaming.

-Grains, starchy foods (bread) depending on how they are cooked.

            Wet (shi):

            Dry/Rough/Course (cou): Chocolate, coffee, curry powder, dry foods will make the mouth dry or raw.

            Poisonous (du): puffer fish liver, toadstools, raw, bitter manioc

            Pure/Cool (qingliang): purify the system.

            -Cold chrysanthemum tea                    

 

Symptoms:

            Excess heat: rash, flushing, fever, overstimulation, constipation, inflammation, some diarrhea, burning sensations, sunstroke, sore or raspy throat, sores or soreness in general, dry harsh cough and viral diseases.

            Excess cold: weakness, most diarrhoeas, excessive flows of fluids, cold body temp, tiredness, pallor, moist light coughs, any symptoms that could be considered wet, damp or pallid. TB is a ‘cold’ disease. Women are more prone to coldness – yin, men to heat- yang.

Treatment: treatment by diet is standard. An imbalance in the system is corrected by eating foods that may counteract the imbalance. The key is that you are correcting the problem by strengthening the body to fight the problem, not fighting the symptoms (supplements).

            Overly Cool: eat heating foods; meats, especially chicken, ginger, jujubes, red beans, star anise and spices. Chile and strong liquor are too violently heating.

            Overly Hot:  eat cooling foods, most often soups of green beans, watercress, carrot, green radish.

-Neutral foods may be added to buffer the heating or cooling items.

Conclusions: The system can sometimes be very contradictory, but has remained strong in the minds of people around the world. Every person has a different internal balance and they may react differently to foods than others. Whenever a cure is ineffective it can be blamed on the internal make up of the person or how the cure was prepared. All in all the key is simplicity with stress on building up strength through good nutrition and keeping a good balance. Look at the overall health instead of a quick fix.

 

Bibliography

 

Anderson, E. N. The Food of China. Yale University Press. New Haven and London. c1988.

Anderson, Eugene N. ‘Heating’ and ‘Cooling’ Foods in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Social Science Information 19: 237-268.

Buell, PaulD., Eugene N. Anderson, appendix by Charles Perry, A Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine of the Mongol Era As Seen In Hu Szu-Hui’s Yin-Shan Che. London, New York: Kegan Paul International, 2000.