03/02/2026
In TCM, digestion needs warmth in order to work properly.
We can think of the stomach as a cooking pot. In order for the food in the pot to cook properly (digest) it requires heat (digestive fire).
If your cooking pot is nicely bubbling away, cooking up (digesting) all the lovely food inside and then you add something cold to that pot, what happens? The temperature of the pot drops and the heat (digestive fire) has to work harder in order to bring the cooking pot back up to heat again in order to continue cooking (digesting) the food.
If the cooking pot does not have enough heat, the food inside will take longer to cook, or may not even cook at all. The cooking process (digestive process) slows right down.
This is what happens to our stomach when we put cold food and drink into it, particularly in the morning, as this is when our digestive system is energetically at it's strongest.
Because of this, the Chinese eat cooked breakfasts like eggs, soups, congee or noodles and hot tea.
Foods which are very popular here in the UK such as smoothies, yoghurt, cereal with cold milk etc only serve to shock the digestive system, which, over time, can lead to bloating, brain fog, loose stools, low energy (particularly after eating) stubborn weight gain and a feeling of heaviness and lethargy.
If this sounds like you, try to support your cooking pot and digestive fire with warm, cooked food for a week, and see how you feel 😋☯️
