There are two ways to look at cold—temperature and essence. The first, temperature, is the measure of how hot or cold something is. The second way to look at cold is through its essence. Foods can be categorized by their warm or cold essence. For example, dandelion and watermelon have a cold essence. Eating these foods is a way to cool the body down. But even if you cook the watermelon or dandelion, its essence will remain cold.

Ginger has a warm essence. It is used in many dishes to add depth and a bit of warmth to a meal. However, you can also make ginger ice cream. While the ice cream’s temperature is cold, its essence is still warm. This makes ginger ice cream a great summer treat. The temperature makes you cool down but you’re still giving your body the warm essence it craves. On the other hand, if you make an iced drink with dandelion, the temperature and essence will both be cold.

Ninety percent of illness and disease, such as arthritis, cancer and metabolic illness, are associated with cold. Most of body’s organ functions prefer warm—temperature and essence—over cold. If you constantly bring cold things into the body you will limit the body’s function. Be aware of both the temperature and essence of the foods you eat.