Cooling foods can clear heat and toxins, “cooling and calming the blood and nourishing yin.” If the body is overly yang or hot, the following symptoms may occur: perspiration, thirst, constipation, pungent odorous wind and stools, burning of the anus area after a bowel movement, anxiety, red eyes, red face, emotions, headaches, vivid dreams, ulcers in the mouth or tongue, cold sores around the mouth, red tongue with a thick yellow coating on the tongue, rapid pulse, heartburn, and dark or yellow urine. To deal with these symptoms, especially in the summer months, try to include the following foods in your diet and see if the symptoms are healed.
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1. Dark Leafy Greens
Professor and food scientist at Washington State University, Barry Swanson, states that dark leafy greens are composed of 80 – 95 percent water, which makes them very easy to digest. They go through the digestive system quickly, giving a cooling sensation in the body. Here are thirty-five recipes for you to try today.
2. Peppers
Spicy peppers and spicy foods in general can make you sweat, which triggers cooling mechanisms (evaporative cooling) within the body. Professor Swanson says, “It doesn’t cool you to the core, but it cools the skin.” Try this RAWsome soup to include in your summer routine.
3. Berries
Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries are all very alkaline, yin fruits. They generate cold energy in the body according to traditional Chinese Medicine. Check out these strawberryrecipes.
4. Sea Vegetables
Kombu, nori, wakame, arame, and sea palm are all superb sea vegetables to include in your daily summer fare. They are high in calcium, iron, phosphorous, and trace minerals and vitamins. They are also extremely yin and have a cool energetic quality. These nori rolls will make it painless to include these fantastic sea vegetables in your diet.
5. Bananas
Bananas are sweet in taste and cold in nature. They can clear intestinal “heat,” adding moisture and eliminating toxins. Dispelling these toxins can lessen the effects of fungal or bacterial-infected skin diseases. If you eat a meal and then feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or start vomiting, you can have a banana to help release the toxins. Quit dreaming of this raw banana strawberry sorbet, and make it pronto!
6. Avocado
Avocados are the fruits that are highest in monounsaturated fatty acids content at 20 percent, nourishing the yin in the blood. About80 percent of its caloric content is easily digested, especially among other fats. Avocados also boast a potassium content that is three times that of a banana. Look out for this amazing salad that features a couple of the foods on this very list!
7. Coconut
Tender coconut water and coconut meat are not only delicious and full of health benefits, but they also have a wealth of cooling properties. They are readily available, especially in southern India, and both should be a staple of anyone’s summer diet. If you want to change up your coconut eating, then check out this amazingly simple and cooling recipe for coconut yogurt.
8. Melons
Cool melons quench even the most intense thirst and are abundant throughout the summer months. A simple slice offers a superb, refreshing experience. Melons are low in calories and high in water content (95 percent), making them extremely cooling fruit. Feed them to yourself or your kids for a healthy, cooling summer treat — see this recipe for details!
9. Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce reduces heat signs with its slightly bitter flavor. This plant nourishes the liver while tonifying the blood, helping to purge toxins from your system. Lettuce is so deliciously crisp and satisfying in a great big salad like this one!
10. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are cooling because of their nutritional profile. Crimini mushrooms particularly provide an excellent source of 15 different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Eating them raw, a tenant of cooling foods, maximizes these benefits and the overall retention of their nutrients. Consider whipping up this recipe with some amazing marinated mushrooms!
Try and experiment with these ten, cooling foods, and see what different ways you can diversify your summer diet today!
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