Stay Cool
Right now it’s getting hot (at least in the southern hemisphere) I get it!
But if I see one more person complaining about the heat with a kombucha or ginger tea in hand I might just lose my shit… nah just kidding!! But I thought it might be useful for people to know how we manage to stay so cool in summer. You would be surprised just how easy summer can be when you know what to eat and drink to cool down from the inside out.
We like to follow an Ayurvedic diet, so in Summer if you tend to overheat you might like to follow a pitta pacifying det to cool down a little.
What does that mean?
First thing is first, understanding the heating or cooling nature of food.
Yes, food can be served hot or cold. But regardless of that, it has a post digestive effect, meaning you may ingest something cold but it won’t necessarily cool you down, especially if it has a post digestive heating effect.
Take coffee for example, it’s very heating. Just because you put ice in it and have it cold doesn’t make it cooling. It will heat you up from the inside out very quickly! Or chilli, that’s an obvious one, just because you have it in an icy cocktail doesn’t mean it will cool you down!
Fermented foods and drinks also have a heating nature. That includes kombucha, yoghurt, beer, wine, sauerkraut… you get the point!
So, I’m pretty sure you know where I’m going with this… we want to minimise heating foods and maximise cooling foods!
Super Simple.
SO WHAT KIND OF HEATING FOODS DO WE WANT TO MINIMISE?
Kombucha
Yoghurt
Sour cream
Most red meats
Tumeric
Chilli
Coffee
Black tea
Tomatoes
Ginge
Nuts (except soaked and peeled almonds and coconuts)
WHAT COOLING FOODS CAN WE MAXIMISE?
Wheat
Basmati rice
Celery
Cucumber
Watermelon
Coconut - water, milk, flesh
Coriander
Mint
Peppermint tea
Fennel
Aloe vera
Are you noticing that a lot of the cooling foods are what we naturally have more of in Summer anyway?
It’s a really basic concept, but bringing some awareness to this can change everything! I have been breezing through hot weather ever since I learnt all of this!
I’ve also got an epic cooling drink for you, Michael and I love this on a hot day, it cools us down instantly and sustainably, from the inside out!
Epic Cooling Drink
Ingredients
1 cup coconut water
1 tablespoon fresh aloe vera gel (straight from plant)
½ cucumber
4-6 mint leave depending how minty you like it
Method
Blend all ingredients except mint leaves
Pour into a sexy wine glass, add ice if you like
Serve with mint leaves
Just remember, ice doesn’t make things cooling, it’s nature or post digestive effect does!
Have you got any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll see if I can help!
Big Smiles :)
H
