Links

Several of you asked for more about hot and cold foods. Here are some links I found that echo what I have heard here from locals. Please note, I'm not saying these are true, just that they are the same things I have heard while here. Obviously everyone should decide for themselves whether they believe in the theory of hot and cold foods.

As an overview, here is what I've heard:

Cold food: fruits and veggies that ripen in the spring/summer, plus duck.
Hot food: most meats, cabbage, ginger, and hot spices such as curry and hot peppers (lajiao)
Neutral foods: rice and baked/steamed white fish, breads

Here are some links:
http://www.kas.ku.edu/archived-site/chinese_food/food_intro.html
http://www.dhyansanjivani.org/chinese_food.asp
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa101899.htm
http://www.hypnopuncture.co.uk/cold_food_blog.htm
http://crazyowlsperch.com/hotcoldfoods.shtml
http://rgheft.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/energetics-of-food/

And here is a book available through Google reader that has information:
Manual of Dietetic Practice

And a BBC story about obesity in China. It is becoming more common in large cities with people who have the money to eat "western" style.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3737162.stm