Hi, my name is Jiang Meimei. I am a middle school student in Beijing. I often have an egg, an apple and some bread for breakfast. For lunch, I have some rice, chicken and vegetables. When I am busy (忙的), I only have a hamburger for lunch. And for dinner, I often have tomatoes and salad.

My friend Linda likes unhealthy food. She often has some hamburgers and French fries. She likes dessert very much. And she eats ice cream every day.

My brother Henry is only 6 years old. He likes eating meat very much. He always has meat for lunch and dinner. He doesn’t like vegetables or fruit. So he is fat. My mom doesn’t want him to have so much meat. She wants him to be healthy.

It’s Sunday. Henry and my mom go to the zoo to see animals in the morning. They see tigers and bears. Henry likes them very much. Then it’s time for lunch. The keepers (饲养员) bring some meat for the tigers and bears.

“Mum, do tigers and bears have meat every day?” Henry asks.

“Yes, they do” my mom says. “It’s time to have lunch. Let’s eat out. What you want for lunch?”

“Meat.”

“Oh, Henry. You’re fat. Eating too much meat is not good for you.”

“No, Mom. Tigers and bears eat meat every day, and they are very strong. I want to be strong, too.”

“Are you cold?”

This is a question I’ve heard many times since（自……以来）I came to China. I often wear a light jacket and T-shirt in winter, when most other people are wearing heavy clothing.

I know people are confused（困惑的）when I wear so little clothing during winter. But when my Chinese friends say no to eat or drink cold things, even during the summer, that’s when the tables turn and I become confused. They believe that cold food and drinks might harm their health. Where does this belief come from? My friends said their parents taught them that cold food and drinks are bad for your stomach. One friend even told me that cold drinks, such as ice water, can cause stomach to have a terrible illness.

But after doing some research of my own, I wasn’t sure if this was true. But an article I read on Snopes, a myth-busting（辟谣）website, says the food that you eat will quickly match your own temperature. So, it doesn’t matter if you eat something hot or cold. The temperature of the food or drinks will match your own temperature any way. But on the other hand, when I get sick, my Chinese friends often tell me drink some hot water and have a good rest. And I have to say, following this advice often does make me feel better.