Ayurvedic medicine is a common traditional medicine used in southeast Asia (originating in India) that does have many good pieces of advice. Many of the formulas used within Ayurvedic medicine do benefit the body, although the specific listed reasons may not be supported by modern medicine. Many formulas advise using a lot of herbs and spices (which are loaded with stuff that is good for your body) or combining certain ingredients within food or drink that are actually very healthy combos.
One common thing that does come up within southeastern culture is the concern for how a certain food may increase you "body heat". Some go as far as to say that eating certain foods will increase your body heat so much that it will cause a sickness or some other other ailment. As a scientist and health professional, accrediting so many things to "body heat" can be a bit troubling.
In VFC, we try to to tell you anything with researching it first and making sure we have an unbiased research-based answer for you. Now, when it comes to body heat, that does not make sense to me. Your body's temperature is one of the most tightly regulated things in your body. That's one even fractions of a degree in your body temperature will make you feel "off" or sick. Now, I do recognize that certain foods are more acidic in nature (such as fried foods, sweets, comfort foods, heavily processed foods) and cause inflammation within the body. Inflammation doesn't mean more "heat", but your joints could potentially feel a little on fire because the food you are eating is causing your body to run like a car that is long overdue for a service. That inflammatory response can actually affect your immune system negatively, leaving you tired, sluggish, and eventually even sick.
Now, there really are some foods that will slightly increase your body heat, but it is not unhealthy. Foods high in fiber and protein take more work to digest, which is a good thing! These foods can actually make you feel a little warmer as they move through your digestion, but this is not an unhealthy thing within a balanced diet. So, if you occasionally feel a little warmer after eating some meat or after you ate that high-fiber meal, don't worry too much about how it is affecting your body. Feel fuller longer, let the food you eat burn some extra calories for you without even stepping foot into the gym, and don't believe every single thing that traditional medicine used to tell you.
