Have you ever paid attention to the foods that are in season during different parts of the year? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is the belief that the earth provides the perfect foods for the perfect environment. In the winter months, warming foods are more readily grown and available. And, during the summer months, you will find cooling foods. 

The summertime heat can be unbearable at times – and it takes a toll on the body causing elevated body temperatures, the risk of dehydration, fatigue, and more. Let’s take a look at how a cooling diet can beat the summer heat – and leave you feeling refreshed and balanced. 

How Cooling Foods Work

Cooling foods are those foods that are known to help regulate the body’s temperature on the inside when things get too hot on the outside. It is believed that combining diet, acupuncture and herbal medicine can bring balance into one’s life. The balance of yin (cooling) and yang (warming). 

Cooling foods has nothing to do with the actual temperature of the foods, but rather the energy they give off. If you are trying to combat the heat of summer (yang), then you will want to consume cooling (yin) foods. By eating cooling foods will start to decrease the heat within the body. 

What are Cooling Foods

As we approach some of the hottest months of the year, you are probably wondering which foods you can eat to keep yourself cooler and healthier. Though not exhaustive, below are some foods most often referred to as cooling. 

• Apples
• Avocado
• Banana
• Basil
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Coconut
• Cucumber
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Lotus Root
• Papaya
• Pears
• Plums
• Seaweed
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

 

Soybeans, duck, eggplant, mung beans, kidney beans, and fermented foods like sauerkraut are also on this list. 

Some of these foods you have had before, some of them you have not. When you find the cooling foods that you enjoy and want to use to fuel your body, be sure to eat light meals. Eating too much, too fast will not allow the cooling foods to work as efficiently. Rather, eat smaller meals more often to feel your very best. 

Stay Hydrated 

The fiery summer months may keep you heated. Making changes to your diet and incorporating more cooling foods into it can help you feel so much lighter and balanced. It is important to note, though, that hydration and light meals also go hand-in-hand with a diet of cooling foods. 

Eating many of the foods above will work to keep you hydrated, but it is not enough. You must make it a point to drink your water and sip some chrysanthemum tea to remain functioning well as a whole. 

Ready to Find Balance with a Cooling Diet? 

Thumos Health Center provides holistic healing and Eastern medicine for those seeking an alternative to traditional or Western medicine. If you are looking for a whole-body approach to your health issues or would like to learn more about the impact of what we eat has on our body, we would love to hear from you. 

Call (310) 927-2792 or contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you find balance again.