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This article is part of\u00a0Upstream,<\/a>\u00a0The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n I\u2019m in a very Chinese time in my life. No, you didn\u2019t misread that.<\/p>\n A new trend has emerged on TikTok where Chinese-American girls are sharing the Eastern lifestyle with the rest of us. The videos have taken off, garnering millions of views from non-Chinese users looking to improve their health with the help of generations-old wellness routines.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not cultural appropriation; it\u2019s cultural appreciation.<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow, you\u2019re turning Chinese,\u201d Chinese-American TikToker Sherry, one of the viral creators behind the craze, told her followers in a recent video. \u201cI know it sounds intimidating, but there\u2019s no point fighting it now. You are the chosen one.\u201d<\/p>\n The viral fad has taken off as more and more young women are looking for ways to make America healthy again and turn to natural and homeopathic remedies. It has even converted the macho men of Barstool Sports<\/a>, who are now starting their days with an \u201cancient Chinese\u201d workout featuring \u201clymphatic hops\u201d in the hopes of getting shredded.<\/p>\n Day 2 of the Chinese work out. We\u2019re both insanely sore but we\u2019re here and about to dominate the day pic.twitter.com\/tBtv1aG7wG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) February 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n KB may be too brolic for the Ancient Chinese Workout\u2122\ufe0f\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/r4kcmNyATm<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4TCg5aJSLD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Yak (@BarstoolYak) February 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I tried some of the ancient practices for a week to see if the routine would change my physical and emotional health.<\/p>\n Each day, I started my morning with warm tea before I ate anything. I then went on a short walk to promote digestion after eating my breakfast, which was usually eggs and toast. The key is to keep your digestive system warm and not shock it first thing in the morning with cold food or ice water.<\/p>\n A study released<\/a> last year by San Diego State University found that individuals who consumed cold drinks had \u201cincreased anxiety, more sleep disturbances, and greater feelings of abdominal fullness.\u201d On the other hand, those \u201cwho drank more hot beverages \u2026 reported lower levels of depression, improved sleep quality, and fewer digestive symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cResearchers found food and beverage temperature, long recognized in traditional Asian medicine, has measurable links to anxiety, insomnia and gut discomfort,\u201d the university said in a release at the time.<\/p>\n I wore slippers and never went barefoot, which Sherry explains is meant to prevent illness. Some of the Chinese creators also say it promotes kidney health and fertility by keeping the womb and abdomen warm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re letting cold enter your body and thus you\u2019re weakening your body,\u201d Sherry said in one video. \u201cBut if you\u2019re wearing house slippers, you\u2019re more likely to maintain that warmth and you\u2019re less likely to get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the girls behind the trend suggested drinking broth first thing in the morning. The broth wasn\u2019t for me and felt too heavy to start my day. Instead, I opted for peppermint tea.<\/p>\n If I drank or ate anything cold, I would balance it out with a hot tea to keep my digestive system warm, as directed by the Chinese baddies. I also had a warm apple drink, which I made by boiling apples, ginger, honey, and goji berries, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine to support the kidney and liver detoxification systems. It was really delicious, but didn\u2019t change my life in a week.<\/p>\n The routine has also helped me prioritize self-care. I\u2019ve found myself journaling, praying, reading, and adopting tasks that promote mindfulness.<\/p>\n One of the biggest differences I noticed was that a few days into walking after meals, I craved movement. I am usually a low-impact workout kind of girl and like doing pilates and yoga a couple times a week. But as I adopted more of the \u201cChinese baddie\u201d lifestyle of increasing my movement throughout the day, I started going ham in the gym. For days, I\u2019ve been lifting and even running on the treadmill. The endorphins were addicting, and so were the points on my Oura ring. I found I was walking for longer periods and exceeding 10,000 steps per day.<\/p>\n Another mood boost came from spending more time outside. As a result, I found myself interacting with the outside world more, rather than spending most of my day mindlessly scrolling on my phone. In many of the viral TikTok videos, Chinese-American girls said they intentionally make time to phone a friend or have social time in the morning to promote longevity. When I was out with the dog in the park during my walks, I ran into neighbors whom I\u2019d never before interacted with and quickly fostered new friendships with them.<\/p>\n Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in 2023 declared<\/a> an \u201cepidemic\u201d of \u201cloneliness and isolation\u201d in America.<\/p>\n Loneliness affects somewhere between \u201cone third to well over half of people in industrialized societies,\u201d says<\/a> Steven Crane, a research scholar at Stanford University.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile healthy networks of social connection provide powerful protective health effects, increasing odds of long-term survival by 50%, loneliness itself is associated with many distinct detrimental health impacts on sleep, physical health, and mental health,\u201d Crane says.<\/p>\n Overall, I see no harm in implementing the \u201cChinese baddie\u201d routine in your day, even if it\u2019s just one of your habits. After this week of wellness, I plan to continue walking in the morning after breakfast and keeping my slippers on at home. But I probably will ditch drinking warm water as soon as the Texas heat takes hold.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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