WE LOVE a SMOOTHIE. And an iced almond milk latte. And a stacked acai bowl. But there’s one thing all these snacks have in common. Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Nicole Granato, is filling us in about the negative effect cold foods and drinks can have on our systems!
Consider swapping out the frozen stuff for a few room temperature replacements – possible results include a happier belly, more balanced body and a chiller mood. The case for cutting down on cold foods and drinks is a compelling one…
In our smoothie-crazed health world, have we ever stopped to wonder if frozen drinks are really healthy for us? We’re ingesting an ice-cold drink while bundled up in socks and a sweater warming the outside of our bodies but freezing the inside.
Auyervedic medicine explains that every season is associated with a dosha – spring with kapha, summer with pitta and fall and winter with vata. These seasonal fluxuations with doshas are essentially balanced through diet. While pitta is the most dominant in women, each dosha has one main thing in common: none of them recommend ice-cold drinks or food. Chinese medicine also says women should be eating warm to room temperature foods throughout the seasons – anything colder greatly increases the chances of hormonal imbalance, skin irritation, bloating, digestive sensitivity, blood stagnation, hair loss and mood disorders like depression and increased anxiety. So could our iced drinks and smoothies really be hurting us?
The Fix: Nourish yourself with warmed foods like soups, almonds, fresh ginger, vegetables boiled or roasted, bone broth, fruits like dates and figs, warm nut milk or goats milk, turmeric, ghee, pumpkin seeds, whole grains, avocado, sweet potato, room-temperature salads and matcha green tea. Stay away from frozen fruits and berries, cold acai bowls and fruit bowls, iced drinks, cold vegetables and salads and iced coffee. Drink things at room temperature.
3 Reasons to Nix Iced Drinks + Cold Foods
Gut Health
Our digestive systems are extremely sensitive to foods and liquids and, most importantly, the temperature of those foods. Nothing disrupts the digestive system more than a cold beverage, especially on an empty stomach – it sends a big shock throughout the entire body. Women who ingest cold beverages first thing in the morning tend to experience bloating, puffiness in their face and neck, mild forms of acne and digestive sensitivity throughout the day and into the evening. Replace that cold drink in the a.m. with a warm or room-temperature one.
Hormonal Harmony
Pitta governs all heat, metabolism, hormone balance and transformation in the body and mind. Symptoms like irritability, thinning hair, excess stomach acid, loose stool, skin prone to rashes and puffiness in the face and neck may be connected to an imbalanced pitta. Most women tend to suffer from this imbalance in the fall, winter and spring months. Eating a diet based on warm and room temperature foods is key.
Fertility
Warm foods have been suggested as the best foods to eat while trying to conceive. Nourishing our body with food that is easy on the digestive system allows our bodies to absorb the nutrients within the food. When we eat ice cold foods and smoothies our body freezes up, creating a blockage, preventing our tissues from absorbing the nutrients that are being given to us. Warm foods promote a healthy menstrual cycle, ovulation and lower symptoms of PMS as our bodies are able to shed uterine lining and build blood efficiently. It is highly important to eat warm and nourishing foods during this time of the month and stay away from cold foods and drinks!
The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.
