Although the culture shock between China and that blob-like entity "the West" are not nearly as extreme as they might have been 20 or 30 years ago, certain Chinese customs still, to this day, continue to baffle foreigners when they first arrive here. We wonder, why does China, with all of its developmental might, still continue certain practices that to us seem bizarre, outdated or even backward. Yet, taking a step back, we can see that many of these Chinese idiosyncrasies are actually full of hidden health benefits.

1) "Poppin' a squat"
Last year, I had a new roommate move in to my Chinese dorm room, and then immediately move out when he discovered that, to his dismay, the dorms only had squat toilets (*gasp*). With double-digit economic growth annually, one would think this would be pretty high up on the list of things to fix, right? Yet, Chinese people still often maintain that the squat toilet is the superior. And they might be right. Believe it or not, "research" has suggested that squat toilets are more sanitary than their western variant in public places, as there is no skin-to-porcelain-throne contact occurring (little can be said about the situation on the floor). More importantly, Chinese have long known that the angle at which one does their business while using a squat is much healthier for the body, as it, without getting too graphic, um…streamlines the flow. I once heard that Chinese people over time have developed an extra muscle ligament in their legs from using squat toilets, which in turn makes that position much more comfortable than it is for us western toilet using foreigners. Ponder this next time you make fun of some Chinese guy squatting about on the street corner while waiting for the bus.

2) Drinking hot water
When my family visited China recently, they were quite taken aback whenever they were served lukewarm/scalding hot water or purchased a room-temperature soft drink or beer (especially since it was the middle of summer). Even for many of those aware of China's hot water preference, they likely assume this is simply a necessity to fight the notorious bacteria-tastic nature of the tap water. But more accurately, Chinese prefer drinking warm/hot water for the health benefits (a consensus that experts in the West seem to be gradually backing too). Search the web for "health benefits of drinking hot water" and you're bound to find a slew of commonsensical factoids about hot and cold water that you never thought of before. For example, drinking warm water in the morning 30 minutes prior to eating breakfast clears out the kidneys, prepares the stomach to digest food, and regulates bowel movements. Good to know. Perhaps the most interesting (albeit only relatively scientific) factoid I found though was this: drinking cold water after eating a meal causes the oils of the just-consumed food to solidify in your system, gradually turn into fat which can lead to…cancer! While the Western medical community has yet to completely support this theory, I think it is best to err on the side of caution and stick to warm drinks from now on (excluding lukewarm beer).

3) Turn off the air conditioning
Kicking the addiction to A/C and opening the windows seems to be another trend that the West is slowly adopting (perhaps in light of increasing energy costs and the economic crisis?). But Chinese have long known the hidden dangers of air conditioning and try to use it as little as possible. Their logic is similar to the above point; basically that "cold things = not good for your health". We can consider this from two separate aspects. First, it was proven that regions with warmer climates tend to have less fat, more healthy populations, for the simple reason that people sweat more in hotter climates, and get more exercise because it requires more endurance to do things when it's a blistering 35 C outside. Conversely, people will instinctively pack on a nice thick layer of fat in colder climates to insulate themselves from the frigid outside air. Using this logic, although it might feel totally awesome to come home to a "chilled" apartment after a long day spent outside, it might be making you fatter (if you just came home from the gym, you get a pass here). The second argument against excessively using A/C is that it is terrible for your health.  "Science" has suggested that frequently passing in an out of polar opposite climates messes up your body's immune system and may make you more prone to getting sick. The worst though, is running the A/C at night, especially in China where the A/C unit is commonly located right by the bed. After a few months of waking up every day last summer with a sore throat, it dawned on me that the A/C was the culprit. Now I use a fan, and am sore throat free!

4) Chinese dinner customs
Do you remember how confusing your first Chinese banquet was? Sitting at a giant round table, with a wobbly lazy-Susan in the middle packed with 30-odd dishes, and you didn't recognize any of them. By the time dinner was over, you had sampled everything, were no doubt stuffed and three hours had gone by. Surely there must be a more straightforward, quicker way to eat, right? In the West, although large family-style meals exist (we call them "buffets"), it is more common that each person eats their own burger or pasta dish, and maybe split an appetizer or dessert. But this is China! If you go out to dinner with three other people, it is downright insulting to order any fewer than 6 or 7 dishes for the table. What is that overused saying…"variety is the spice of life". Well in this case, yes it certainly is. Although Chinese food may be covered in oil, the meal itself makes up for this with the sheer amount of foods groups that are covered. A burger and fries, is basically just that: bread, ground beef, some toppings and deep fried potato bits. Now, look at the ingredient list for many Chinese dishes; it more closely resembles one of those old "food pyramid" models. Many Chinese dishes - even the oily ones – are usually full of different meats, fish and veggies, which means you are getting your daily recommended dose of phytonutrients and omega-3 fatty acids and all of that other dietary jargon. Just be sure to use serving chopsticks (公筷子) so you don't spread germs.

5) Weird fashion accessories
Fashion trends in China have often been a topic of hilarious discussion among expat groups. But, while it can be fun to point out particularly hideous ensembles that some Chinese wear out in public, it is important to note that some of these…unique…fashion accessories are more than just "statements of individuality", they are, in fact, both practical and healthy. Take for example the GIANT reflective visor hats that you will see women wearing (often while on a bike or moped). Tacky? Yes. Practical and healthy? Double yes. Wear one of these bad boys and you won't just protect your eyes from sun damage; you also protect your face from all that kicked up dust. The same can be said about the (shiny) arm sleeve things that many women wear. While serving as a fashion statement, these sleeves also have the secondary function of protecting that overexposed area of arm skin from the sun. The same thing goes for using an umbrella during a sunny day. We laugh now, but it won't be so funny when we all get skin cancer in the future! 

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