expressions - English equivalent of "garam" (warming) food?

I want to know how we say in English when we want to say that almonds or other dry fruits are "hot" for our body. I am an Indian, and in India, we use the word garam which literally means hot in English. I want to know how native speakers of English say this in English.

Garam foods are not necessarily hot to touch, but produce heat in the body. In excess they may be harmful or indigestible. For instance, a consumer might get pimples from eating too much of 'garam food' -for example- dry fruit.

The effects of almonds is opposite that of lemonade, which is thandaa in nature i.e. 'cold' in English when it's literally translated from Hindi. I googled it but found nothing, so I hope that I'll get my answer here.

Answer

Western cuisine does not have a direct equivalent to garam, as there is no philosophical division of foods as there is in Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine.

When the concept is translated, garam is generally translated as warming, and the opposite as cooling. If you are trying to preserve the original context and refer to Eastern concepts of warming and cooling foods, you will need to explain this, as there is simply no Western equivalent. I doubt any Westerner would guess that dill and wild rice are traditionally considered warming while cilantro and chicken eggs are considered cooling.

It is particularly important because all cuisines do understand that certain foods or flavors will be warming or cooling, but in English these terms are used much more restrictively, to refer to their literal effect on our palate or body temperature (or our perception of them). I don't think anyone would dispute that chili powder mixed into hot chocolate is warming, but no Westerner would automatically associate overconsumption with indigestion or unhealthy skin because it is warming.

In general usage, most foods would be considered neutral, and those classified as warming or cooling may differ considerably from Indian or Chinese tradition. Nuts and lemonade are neither, except when they are literally hot or cold (e.g. freshly roasted nuts or ice-chilled lemonade).

(Note also that lemonade means different things in different places. In Britain it is a fizzy drink, like a light Sprite or 7-Up without the lime. In North America it is uncarbonated and similar to what Britons would call a lemon squash, and a lemon squash can be served hot or cold).