Don’t freeze your chi! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, doctors recommend against drinking cold water with meals as it “chills the digestive fires.” Drinking a green smoothie filled with frozen fruit may have the same effect and can cause stomach pain, bloating, and other digestive issues. Your ability to stay warm and energized may freeze up if your smoothies are too cooling energetically or if the ingredients themselves are frozen. This little-known truth about cold smoothies is leaving a lot of health seekers feeling like failures, when in reality, they could feel a lot better in and about their bodies with a few simple tweaks. In my Cravings Cleanse + Mindset Makeover program, I provide clean eating inspiration and healing to help people heal their bodies and their mindset about food with functional nutrition and positive psychology. If you have a hard time staying warm in the colder winter months, or are working to heal your digestion and want to take your smoothies to the next level, take these steps to protect your energy, chi, and digestion: Thaw your frozen berries overnight in the refrigerator or even leave them out for an hour on the counter to take the chill off while you do your morning run or yoga. If you forgot to thaw your frozen berries overnight, scoop them into a plastic baggie and run under warm water before adding them to your blender. While opinions differ slightly, the following foods are the most warming ingredients that commonly show up in smoothie recipes: Puree all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Puree all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Cover photo: iStock Join her and husband Bob Gower in using their All-In Method.