Salad Is Poison for 'These People'! | Foods Bad for Gastritis

Hello, this is Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic.

"When you feel bloated and uncomfortable, instead of greasy food, you should prepare a light and fresh salad."

Many people think this way and choose salads as part of their efforts for health. Indeed, salads are synonymous with healthy food rich in vitamins and minerals.

However, if you have eaten a big salad for your health, only to experience uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, a cold feeling in your stomach, or gas, that may not be a mere coincidence.

Today, we will clearly explain, through scientific principles and traditional Korean medicine wisdom, why salads, the "symbol of health," can be burdensome to certain individuals.

Why Can the "Symbol of Health" Be a Burden?

1. Energy Burden

The High Digestive Cost of Uncooked Food

Have you heard that "cooking" was a decisive factor in the development of the human brain? Professor Richard Wrangham of Harvard University argues in his book Catching Firethat when humans began using fire to cook food, they could save enormous energy required for digestion, and that saved energy was used for brain development.

In other words, cooking is a kind of "external digestion" process that pre-does part of the digestive work our bodies would otherwise have to perform.

Now consider the opposite: eating raw vegetables means that all of this digestive process must be handled solely by our digestive organs. In particular, to break down tough fiber, the stomach and intestines work much harder and consume much more energy. For those who already have weak digestive function and low energy, this "high digestive energy cost" becomes a major cause of further exhausting an already fatigued digestive system.

2. Traditional Korean Medicine Burden

The "Cold" Nature of Raw Vegetables and "Soyeumin"

In traditional Korean medicine, every food is believed to have its own inherent nature. Most raw vegetables have a "cold nature" that cools the body's heat. For those of the "Soyeumin (少陰人)" constitution, whose digestive systems are inherently cold and weak, and whose bodily energy tends to sink downward, the effects of this cold nature can be even more pronounced.

In traditional Korean medicine, digestive function is likened to the "digestive fire" (the yang energy of the spleen and stomach). When those with the Soyeumin constitution, who already have weak and small digestive fire, consume large quantities of raw vegetables with a cold nature, it is like pouring cold water on a weak flame, causing digestive function to drop sharply, making the stomach feel cold, and potentially triggering diarrhea.

3 Golden Principles for Comfortable Vegetable Intake

However, you cannot completely avoid vegetables. By simply changing the method, vegetables can become a real "tonic" for your weakened body.

Principle 1: Add Warmth (Cook It)

When vegetables are prepared warm through steaming, soups, porridge, or stir-frying, the fiber becomes softer, saving digestive energy, and nutrient absorption rates actually increase. In particular, a "warm puree" made by thoroughly cooking fruits like apples or pears, or vegetables like sweet pumpkin or carrots, without sugar, is the ultimate tonic that places almost no burden on the stomach.

Principle 2: Add Time (Slowly, and Well-Chewed)

Chewing food for a long time and thoroughly is the "first digestive process" performed by our mouths. The more thoroughly you chew, the less work your stomach and intestines have to do. Eating salad in a hurry is the worst choice.

Principle 3: Add Warmth (With a Warm Tea)

If you must eat salad, try having a cup of warm ginger tea, cinnamon tea, or peppermint tea afterward. A cup of warm tea adds warmth to your digestive organs and can help neutralize the cold energy.

The Journey to Finding Health That Suits You

There are no absolutely good foods or bad foods in the world. What matters most is not to blindly trust the "health food" label, but to listen to the small signals your body sends.

From today, instead of indiscriminate salads, try a "personalized health approach" that matches your constitution and current physical condition.

Why not look into it? That wise journey will make our day much more comfortable and energetic.

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