My hot food experiment

My energy, digestion, and comfort all improved with this one small shift

This issue is sponsored by WHOOP. WHOOP was pretty new when I started this self-experiment, and I didn’t start using it until 2019. But it would have been fascinating to see how hot food impacted my sleep, HRV, and recovery. That’s the cool thing about WHOOP—it helps you see the impact of ANY health effort or new habit, big or small. Join WHOOP by December 20 (just in time for your resolutions), and get 10% off an annual membership.

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, and my car’s heater would be set to HIGH all winter long. Today, my heat doesn’t goes above 66 during the day, I take a cold shower every single morning, and walks with Henry in 20 degree temps don’t faze me one bit. What changed?

A 30-day self-experiment, of course.

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 suggest 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.”

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other ancient healing practices use food as one of the ways to balance the body to help prevent and treat disease. In TCM, food is either warming or cooling, and eating warming foods in winter (or cooling foods in summer) is one way to stay in balance. In addition, the way you cook the foods makes a difference—foods that are cooked slow and long (like a chili, stew, or soup) are more warming than foods cooked lightly or quickly.

At the time, I ate so many cold foods year-round. Tons of sushi, huge salads for lunch, plus lots of deli meat and chicken salads. I also only drank iced decaf coffees, and drank my water straight from the fridge with lots of ice.

Curious as to whether or not I could stop being “that girl” (the always-cold one), I decided to undertake a month-long hot food experiment.

Hot foods only (kind of)

“Warming” your diet can include cooking veggies instead of eating them raw; drinking hot tea or coffee instead of iced beverages; including warming spices like ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and black pepper; and getting plenty of protein. Here are the general guidelines I followed for my 30-day Hot Food experiment:

• Hot coffee or tea only—no more iced. Water would be at room temp, not cold.

• If I wanted cold food like a salad, I had to serve the protein and/or beverage warm to balance the dish.

• I made more slow-cooked meals for lunches and dinners.

• I’d add some kick where I could in the form of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or ginger.

That month, I did eat sushi, but I had miso soup and hot green tea with it. For salads, I’d serve warm chicken or salmon on top instead of chicken salad. I ate more soups, chilis, and slow-cooked meals than I ever had before. I began sipping on a mug of bone broth mid-afternoon, instead of plain water. And my beloved iced decaf coffees went bye-bye in favor of hot.

I was so committed, I found myself at restaurants ordering a mug of hot water with lemon instead of drinking the ice water they set at the table. Literally, I’d say, “Please bring me a cup of plain hot water.” This was delightful on my empty stomach compared to ice water. (I still maintain this practice today!)

The results

Two weeks in, I NOTICED A DIFFERENCE. I wasn’t freezing all the time. I was more comfortable at home, even at 68 degrees. I didn’t dread getting out of bed in the morning, my car didn’t need to be an inferno, and I didn’t hate being outside in winter anywhere near as much.

By the end of the experiment, I just felt better. I had more energy (maybe because I wasn’t shivering all the time). I was also enjoying smoother digestion—something I didn’t even realize could be improved. (I wish I had been using WHOOP back then, to measure all of this!)

My Hot Food experiment changed how I responded to cold, and still adhere to the principles. Today (mid-December) you’ll find me eating lots of chili, slow-cooker soups and shredded meat, mugs of bone broth, and hot tea. I’m also happily existing at a thermostat temp of 66 degrees—no beanie required.

There are hundreds of years of tradition that say a warming diet can help everything from cold hands and feet to sluggish digestion and bloating to fluid retention and fatigue. But what if you could just be not cold all the time? It may be as simple as adding more warming foods to your diet. Sub out a cold source of protein for something warm. Eating the same veggies hot instead of cold. Add more warming spices to dishes, or look for those warming spices in tea. Or, add a hot element to cold meals in the form of protein, veggies, and/or beverages.

I love passing my self-experiments on, so if you give this one a go, please do report back! Now’s the perfect time to start, when we’re all heading into winter and would love to feel a little warmer on the inside.

XO, MU