Cooling Foods for Summer

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There is so much about our bodies we were never told same witht the food we eat. Certain foods actually determine the temperature of our body this is practiced in China. They know which foods to eat to bring a balance to the body along with to cool it or to generate more heat it is known as yin and yang.

Cooling foods fall into they yin catagory and help to rid toxins, cool the body, and calm the blood. Here are some symptoms that one is lacking cooling foods.

• Body feels hot
• Sweating
• Thirsty
• Constipation
• Strong scented stools and/or gas
• Burning sensation of the anus
• Anxiety
• Red eyes
• Red face
• Headaches
• Emotional
• Vivid dreams
• Ulcers of the mouth/tongue
• Cold sores
• Red tongue with yellow coating
• Rapid pulse
• Heart burn
• Dark urine

Even if you do not have any of these symptoms eating cooling foods during the summer months can help in dealing with the heat.

Cooling Fruits            Cooling Vegetables                 Grains, Legumes & Seeds

     Apple                                     Alfalfa sprouts                                     Barley
     Banana                                   Asparagus                                            Buckwheat
     Grapefruit                               Bamboo Shoot                                     Millet
     Kiwi                                       Bitter Melon                                        Mung bean
     Lemon                                    Celery                                                  Soy bean
    Orange                                     Chinese Radish (Daikon)                    Wheat bran
    Pear                                          Cucumber                                            Whole wheat
    Star fruit                                   Eggplant
    Strawberry                               Green leafy vegetables
    Watermelon                             Kelp                 
                                                    Lettuce
                                                    Lotus Root
                                                    Mushroom
                                                    Spinach
                                                    Swiss Chard
                                                    Tomato 
                                                    Water Chestnut
                                                    Watercress
                                                    Winter Melon         

Meat, Seafood, & Diary                  Condiments & Beverages          Spices

           Clam                                                            Chrysanthemum tea                  Cardamom
           Chicken Egg                                                Green tea                                   Cilantro
           Crab                                                             Peppermint tea                          Coriander
           Duck Egg                                                     Sesame oil                                Dill
           Rabbit                                                                                                            Fennel
          Seaweed                                               
                             
There are also neutral foods which are not cooling or warming.

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•  Eggs
• Coconut
• White cabbage
• Green beans
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Grapes
• Hard cheese
• Broad beans
• Corn on the cob
• Brown rice

How to easily tell if a food is cooling, it grows in the ground with little sunshine is soft, wet, and cool.

While the teas listed are the most cooling all teas having a cooling effect on the body warm or cold. This would explain why tea is great when we are sick. If you look at this list all of these foods digest quickly. When we eat foods that take longer to digest our bodies uses more energy. The more energy created in the body the more heat is generated. Foods that contain fat, carbohydrates, and proteins all take more energy to digest than the foods listed above. So, while we might think ice cream is a cool and refreshing treat the cooling effect only lasts for a small period of time due to the fat content.

We have so much to learn about our bodies and every time I think I have learned more I find that there is twice as much that I haven't learned. So, stay cool this summer and try to eat foods that will aid in cooling the body.