Are you always hot or always cold? In TCM, this single question reveals more about your health than most Western diagnostic tests.
I am always cold. Cold hands, cold feet, I pile on blankets while others wear t-shirts. My TCM diagnosis: Yang deficiency. Understanding this transformed how I eat, dress, and live.
The Two Extremes: Heat and Cold
Heat and Cold are not just temperatures. They describe the state of your body energy:
Heat patterns: Excess function, inflammation, overactivity
Cold patterns: Deficient function, sluggishness, underactivity
Signs of Heat in the Body
- Feeling hot most of the time
- Red face, especially in afternoon
- Thirst that cannot be quenched
- Constipation or dry stools
- Irritability
- Acne, skin eruptions
- Night sweats
- Dark, scanty urine
Signs of Cold in the Body
- Always feeling cold
- Cold hands and feet
- Pale face
- Fatigue that improves with warmth
- Loose stools
- Weak digestion
- Slow metabolism
- Frequent urination
Types of Heat
Excess Heat: You have too much Yang. Symptoms are strong: fever, thirst, agitation.
Deficiency Heat: Your Yin is depleted and cannot cool. Symptoms are subtle: afternoon flush, night sweats, feeling hot only in evening.
Types of Cold
Excess Cold: External cold invasion. Symptoms include severe chills, body aches, no sweating.
Deficiency Cold: Yang is weak. Symptoms include chronic cold feeling, no fever, exhaustion.
Eating for Your Temperature
For Heat patterns:
- Pears, watermelon, cucumber
- Leafy greens
- Mung beans
- Cooling herbs: chrysanthemum, mint
For Cold patterns:
- Ginger, cinnamon, garlic
- Lamb, chicken
- Root vegetables
- Warm spices: cardamom, turmeric
Quick reference:
- Heat signs: Thirst, red face, irritability
- Cold signs: Cold extremities, fatigue, pale
- Key question: What temperature do you naturally prefer?