It’s been 21 years since I last lived in Baltimore. Recently while driving, I didn’t recognize any of the street signs. I braked while trying to understand, causing the driver behind me to brake, honk, then swerve to my right and scream at the top of her lungs.

I had two choices; to join in the conflict I had just created, or to apologize and try to peacefully exit.

I chose the latter, but, despite breathing deeply, I felt rattled.

When I got home, I was so ready for some chocolate! But alas, sugar, caffeine, chocolate, nicotine, alcohol and animal products are “heating” — in the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

While “hot” foods can temporarily lift our moods, make us feel warmer, increase our circulation and give us a boost of energy, they also can make us even more agitated and unable to calm down. “Hot” foods also can stimulate muscles to contract, which includes the heart muscle.

It is tempting to use a symptom as an excuse: I could claim that stress caused me to brake suddenly, get caught up in an altercation and require chocolate to unwind.

But this is faulty logic. Every symptom is affected, if not outright caused, by lifestyle choices, and “hot” foods will only intensify our experience of stress.

During my 11 years as an acupuncturist, stress is the most common complaint I’ve heard, from kids through older adults. Fortunately, we can reduce stress by changing our lifestyle.

If we need patience, calm, focus or clarity, we can add more vegetarian protein: beans, nuts, seeds, perhaps tofu. We can drink more water; stretch, as well as exercise; prioritize rest, not just sleep; take short breaks to recharge; allow space in the mind, for new ideas to form; and ensure we have daily “down time,” without electronics.

Some of us increase “colder” foods by going raw, or eating more dairy products. But according to TCM dietary theory, these foods are considered so “cold” as to stall our digestion and elimination, potentially leading to bloating, fatigue after eating, irregular elimination or mental fatigue.

According to TCM, eating more cooked grains and cooked vegetables can help “cool” us down, yet maintain our bodily processes and energy level.

Should I have offered a bowl full of cooked grains and vegetables to the driver I inadvertently angered? Of course not.

I shouldn’t have braked abruptly either. It can be easier to see our foibles from a distance. We also can shift our expectations. Rather than wish others were less reactive, we can work on ourselves to ensure we are balanced and grounded.

Often, we develop habits that are neither kind nor sustainable, yet we feel surprised or resentful when our bodies or minds become injured. We expect ourselves to perform, produce, grow, develop, recover and repair indefinitely.

Our schedules, fitness plans, sleep hygiene, relationships, our entire daily lives may benefit from a little more space, time, calm and compassion.

When we consider ourselves as precious resources, we may shift our choices and experience fewer symptoms, including stress.

And while I’m nagging, may I add, please drive safely!

Trina Lion is an acupuncturist at Mercy Medical Center and has a private practice in Mount Washington. She has lectured on TCM at institutions ranging from NFL China to International Channel Shanghai (ICS-TV) to Yale University.

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