Melissa’s Hot Food Experiment

One small shift helped me stay warmer all winter long

I used to be cold all. the. time. Annoyingly so for me, and everyone around me. The thermostat in my house hovered between 72-74, I’d wear beanies indoors, my car’s heater would be jammed up to HIGH all winter long, and I needed a blanket for movies year-round. Today, my heat never goes above 66 during the day, I take a freezing cold shower every single morning, and walks with Henry in 20 degrees don’t faze me one bit. What changed?

A 30-day self-experiment, of course.

I’m famous for my self-experiments, from the Whole30 to “I’m not drinking right now” to talking to strangers to a whole year of cold showers. The Hot Food experiment was something I embarked upon more than five years ago, and as we roll into a cold, dark winter, it’s worth re-exploring. Let’s dive in, because it was (as all of my self-experiments are) GAME CHANGING.

Sushi in winter?

It was March 2016 (around my birthday), and I’m heading out to dinner with my friend Ryan, who is also my acupuncturist. We’re debating where to go, and I suggested sushi. “Oh no,” he said, “We can’t do cold food right now. How about Thai?” I had no idea what he meant, but I love Thai, so I agreed.

When we got to the restaurant, I asked him what he meant by “cold food.” He replied, “It’s winter. You have to balance the cold weather with warm foods. Maintaining balance in the body is the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine, and one of the ways you do that is with the foods you eat.”