Cooling Foods For A Cool Summer
When it gets hot, our bodies are designed to try and cool us down. Indeed, one of our best weapons against heat during summer is our diet. Adding cooling foods to your meals will help you regulate your body temperature and hydrate yourself throughout the day to keep your energy levels up. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best cooling foods to include in your diet for a cool and refreshing summer.
1. Watermelon: The Ultimate Summer Cooler
Watermelon takes the first place when it comes to foods that cool you. It is a juicy fruit and as said 90% water so it works well in keeping you hydrated on days with more heat. Watermelon: Loaded with vitamins A and C, watermelons release toxins from the body that can cause harm to your skin.
2. Cucumber: A Hydrating Powerhouse
Another cool food star is Cucumber. Cucumbers are known to work wonders because of their high water content. Great to toss into salads, cucumber water (skip the spa), or munch on like chips. The high silica in cucumber also helps to keep your skin smooth and hydrated.
3. Mint: Refreshing and Rejuvenating
Mint is a versatile herb that adds a burst of coolness to any dish. Is one of the most cooling foods you can consume in summer, whether it’s added to a salad or smoothie for lunchtime refreshment, or brewed up hot as an energizing pick-me-up. The beverage not only refreshes, but it also has a cooling effect on your body that can help you digest while easing headaches.
4. Yogurt: Creamy and Cooling
Most lean summer eating out in my family included a large amount of yogurt. Fermented foods are naturally cooling and provide good probiotics that help balance the heat in your body. Yogurt is a tasty cooling food and can be used as a base for dips, added to smoothies, or eaten plain.
5. Coconut Water: Nature’s Sports Drink
It comes as no surprise that coconut water is known to have similar effects on the human body as a sports drink. One of the tastiest and most hydrating cooling foods, especially after a workout on the hot days will restore some of your lost fluids. Making you ready for more energy!
6. Leafy Greens: Nutrient-dense and Cooling
For the summers, load up on those green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and lettuce as they are wonderful cooling foods. Being rich in water, vitamins, and minerals it aids in keeping you cool from inside. Use them in salads, smoothies, and as a side dish to beat the heat while eating healthy.
7. Citrus Fruits: Zesty and Refreshing
With a high content of Vitamin C, the cooling effects from citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, or grapefruits help overcome heat stroke and repair your skin. Throw them in your water, salads or just eat ‘em plain. Summer sunshine-zest for the win!
8. Berries: Sweet and Cooling
Strawberries, blueberries, and rasp-those lovely little cooling berries. Full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber they are an awesome summer indulgence. These can be eaten fresh, put in smoothies, or used as a topping to yogurt and salads.
9. Aloe Vera: Healing and Hydrating
One of the most common uses that aloe vera is known for, and rightfully so, is to treat sunburns due to its cooling effects. Yet it is also one of the most energetically cooling foods you can consume. Help your summer get super digestive happy by adding a shot of Aloe Vera juice to the mix, and treat yourself with this gut-soothing refresher.
10. Radishes: Crisp and Cool
Radishes are one of those foods that everyone seems to forget when it comes time to think about the cooling nature of food. Not only useful for balancing out your body temperature, but these crunchy and peppery veggies are super high in water. Chop them up into your salads or if you are feeling particularly naughty and want something just a bit crunchy, well they make the most amazing but surprisingly addictive snack.
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