Heaty Remedy

Chinese medicine tends to establish our general health into "heaty" and "cooling" (not exactly sure of the proper TCM terms).  

Heatiness leads to fever, sore throat and the likes.  Cooling leads to weak health where our energy is weaken, probably feels cold in our lungs too. (I'll try find out a little on these another day).

Food and fruits and it's weighing on our health includes cooling and heatiness.  Durian is said to be one of the most heaty fruit while Mangosteen is said to be cooling.  There are many fruits that falls into either of these brackets.

Why do people associate durian as heaty (no I'm not challenging it)?  I'm sure some of us knows or heard friends saying they gotten a sore throat the next day after eating durian the night before.  But is that necessarily heaty effect caused by durian?  

Using some logical balance.  If we consume durian shortly before bed, there will still be some durian flesh lodged in our throat.  The 'fermentation' while we sleep, will cause the throat to feel inflamed the next day.  It is natural.

The 'trick' to try and avoid a sore throat the next day, it is better to consume durians hours before bed and wash it down with water.  If it is taken too near bed time, there isn't enough fluid to wash it all down.  That bit stuck in the throat is what is causing the problem.  Try it!

Even when we drank too much beer (some claimed it is cooling, but I am almost convinced it is not), do you get phelm in the throat the next morning?  I do.  So, to what extend is beer cooling?

Coming to mangosteen.  Is it really cooling?  An extract from another site shared some insight.

THE FACT is there is NO scientific proof that mangosteens can reduce heatiness

THE VERDICT: Honestly, mangosteens had a limited effect in countering “heatiness”. It was just our minds trying to psyche ourselves that they did. We experienced a “heaty” feeling a few hours later.

According to conventional Chinese wisdom, a mangosteen, being a cooling fruit, will reduce the heatiness associated with durians. However, there is no scientific research to support this. The habit of eating durians and mangosteens together probably stems from the fact that the two fruits are harvested at about the same time.

https://says.com/my/lifestyle/eating-cooling-fruits-like-mangosteen-will-cool-you-after-eating-heaty-durians

Now, let's say you are feeling a little heaty.  What can you do about it? Some cuts down on heaty food  (eg fried food) and drink more water or some falls sick and take medicine.  My personal remedy, mini bitter gourd (called Bitter Melon in the West). Not the full grown ones but the baby ones.  Not that full grown ones doesn't work, but I think the mini ones works better.

Bitter gourd is a vegetable so it is unlikely going to be too cooling for health, but it effectively purge heatiness. Only problem is, not that many can accept the taste.  Learn to!  It brings a host of benefits to our health.  (happened to watch on TV, mini bitter gourd juice [as in, using juice extractor] is good for diabetic).

If you have access to mini bitter gourd, all you need is 4-5 pieces of mini bitter gourd, de-seed and do a few slits across.  Boil (approx 2 liters water).  Once it started boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt and leave to cool. Drink like you drink water daily.

Try it. This is my own remedy which I use every time I feel heaty.

To sum it up.  

-  If we approach this from scientific point, a lot are unproven.  So, do we take more to the side of Science or Traditional Believes?

-  Both durians and mangosteens are high in calories.  

    ~ Durians are said to contain 50 calories per seed while 

    ~ each whole mangosteen (approx 100g) contains approx 60 calories.  

    ~ Do take it in moderation.

No wonder my diet never succeed.  DIET = DIE Trying!