Taiwanese girls and their notions of 'health.'

[EddieG]

Some might get the idea from their doctor. Did you know that many Taiwanese doctors actually tell their patients that a cold can be cured?

I think that's because they get a payment from the Health Insurance every time they prescribe one of those bags of M&Ms.

I know that's why, but it's still very scary that they do and that people believe in it.

[ksidnas]

35 degrees, 99% humidity, and they still refuse ice in their drinks.

More ice for me then.

[Lo Pan]

35 degrees, 99% humidity, and they still refuse ice in their drinks.

What is it with the drink temperature thing? I have had otherwise seemingly intelligent, well educated people tell me,"You shouldnt be drinking anything cold/hot" for any number of bizzarre reasons and this business about women not drinking cold drinks when they have their period... what sort of pseudo-science is that?

[grandfeller]

What is it with the drink temperature thing? I have had otherwise seemingly intelligent, well educated people tell me,"You shouldnt be drinking anything cold/hot" for any number of bizzarre reasons and this business about women not drinking cold drinks when they have their period... what sort of pseudo-science is that?

I reckon it comes from the days when the only safe water for drinking was water you boiled. That wasn't too long ago - when the ahmas in Taiwan today were children.

I have found that when I have a sinus or throat infection, ice-cold drinks and sugary drinks prolong recovery. I see this as an example of how some effective remedies, mixed with some quackery and a lack of real education in the scientific method combine to make a confusing mess of notions of health and medicine in Taiwan.

[GuyInTaiwan]

I reckon it comes from the days when the only safe water for drinking was water you boiled. That wasn't too long ago - when the ahmas in Taiwan today were children.

It probably does. One hundred or two hundred years ago, my ancestors were probably ignorant mouth breathers also. Yet societies move on. Tradition and culture are often just synonyms for laziness, ignorance and backwardness. If old people here are willing to embrace other benefits of the modern world, then they should be willing to discard their superstitious nonsense. After all, superstition didn't increase their life expectancy, amongst other things.

[Whole Lotta Lotta]

Oops! I checked and this was just going to be a post of something I said earlier.

[Chris]

What is it with the drink temperature thing? I have had otherwise seemingly intelligent, well educated people tell me,"You shouldnt be drinking anything cold/hot" for any number of bizzarre reasons and this business about women not drinking cold drinks when they have their period... what sort of pseudo-science is that?

The kind of pseudoscience known as Traditional Chinese Medicine.

But hey, as long as your yin and yang are balanced and your chakras are aligned, you're OK, eh?

[Zla'od]

I have been assured that drinking cold drinks lowers one's body temperature, which is bad. Hot is yang and cold is yin, so it all turns into Chinese medical science somehow.

I still want to know the name of the marketing genius who decided to translate "sticking needles into your flesh" as "acupuncture"!