Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "In spring, we drink flower tea. It means putting flowers into tea. For example, the roses you just bought can make flower tea. Rose tea helps with mood and blood flow. It is very good for women. Calendula has minerals like phosphorus and vitamin C."
She took a sip of her tea. "People like me, who are not yet adults, usually drink flower tea all year round. But because you are guests, I am drinking green tea today as a special treat."
"For adults, green tea is best in summer. It helps stop aging, fights diseases, and keeps you awake. But in autumn, the air gets dry. Green tea is not good then. Oolong tea is better."
"In autumn, people in our country like to eat lots of meat to gain weight for winter. But too much meat is bad for the body. Oolong tea helps lose weight. It also helps prevent tumors and aging. It even improves hearing, especially for men."
"In winter, we drink black tea. It helps digestion and makes you hungry. It helps remove water from the body and strengthens the heart. Black tea has compounds that fight bad things in the body. This lowers the chance of heart attacks."
"Your people really know how to enjoy life," Cole sighed. She had heard that Chinese people were very particular about food, but she hadn’t believed it. Now, hearing Zhu Yanyi’s words, she felt it was true. It was indeed a country famous for its careful eating habits.
Zhu Yanyi nodded with a smile. "I admit that. We Chinese people really know how to enjoy life. That is why our food is so diverse. Because of this, we pay more attention to how food affects our bodies, to achieve health benefits."
"Food for health?" Cole and his friends had never heard of this concept.
"Of course," Zhu Yanyi said lightly. "Let’s not talk about complex things. Just think about your daily life. When you are thirsty, do you drink water?"
"Of course," Jimmy answered.
Zhu Yanyi took another sip of tea. "Thirst is a signal that your body lacks something. We just know we are thirsty. It actually means your body lacks water and needs to replenish it. If a person has no water, they will die in seven days. So, water is also a kind of medicine. Look, when we boil herbs, we must use water. Water is essential."
George had never heard such a theory. She looked at the tea in her hand, then at Zhu Yanyi. "Is this what Traditional Chinese Medicine is about?"
"Not just this. But the principles are connected," Zhu Yanyi smiled. "Getting sick is like being thirsty. When you are sick, it means part of your body’s resistance is gone. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses herbs to wake up that resistance. At the same time, it helps kill the germs invading your body. This way, the body becomes healthy again."
"But I see that Traditional Chinese Medicine does not work immediately," George said. He truly believed Western medicine was superior. "Unlike Western medicine, if someone is sick, we find the germ. For mild cases, medicine suppresses it. For serious cases, surgery solves it. Once the surgery is done, the body is healed."