The heat in many places is getting extremely unbearable. A part of the reason, of course, is us cutting all the trees to make way for the roads, metros, and buildings to accommodate our ever-increasing population. And now, sadly, things have gone beyond our control, as we can see in the puzzling climatic conditions all over the world.
Last week, I was in Goa and it was HOT! I could feel my body heat up with the high level of humidity there. My friend and I went for a walk up a hill every single evening only to drink a glass of sugarcane juice. We avoided the beach except for one day and decided that there was no decent way to cool ourselves, besides profusely sweating. We were also bathing in cool water but then continued perspiring after a while. Besides that, we could only sit in an air-conditioned room all day, but then again, isn’t that also contributing to the increased temperatures?
To reduce the heat, we could probably do our bit by planting more trees, using our feet more than our cars and praying for rain while God forgives us for destroying his beautiful green world. But how do we protect our body from these already existant heat waves? Yes, besides drinking lots of healthy liquids like water, lemonade, coconut water, sugarcane juice and buttermilk, we can also consume cooling foods every day.
Our body generally heats up during extremely hot and humid weather conditions, and physical exertion during these climatic conditions heats our body even further. During this time, it is important to take steps to normalize our body temperature to avoid heat exhaustion, heat cramps, hyperthermia, heat strokes, etc. Therefore, along with healthy liquids, cooling foods are also important to include in our daily diet as they help reduce body heat naturally during the blazing summers.
Curd or dahi should be an integral part of our daily diet. Curd is rich in probiotics and protein content. Curd also has high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that make it a body coolant.
A watermelon is one of the juiciest fruits with the highest water content. It is made up of approximately 92% water and is also rich in antioxidants that help keep the body hydrated, thereby regulating body temperature after consumption.
The banana plant is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. A banana is a nutritional powerhouse that has cooling properties that can clear toxins from our body and also cool intestinal ‘heat’, making it one of the best cooling foods for the body. It is also a filling snack and a healthier alternative to dehydrated snacks, especially when we’re on the go.
An avocado is rich in mono-saturated healthy fats that can help cool the body down. Unlike other fatty foods that might dehydrate the body, avocados are hydrating and the fats help the body to better absorb other vitamins.
This fruit is filled with antioxidants and is rich in Vitamin C and therefore has a cooling effect on the body. Regular consumption of pomegranates also helps reduce cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
A tomato is made up of 94% water. In case you’re trying to up your hydration game, having a salad that has a raw tomato in it is the best way. There are many ways of including them in your cooked meals, too.
Besides vitamins and minerals, grapes are a superfood that contains antioxidants and Vitamin C, which help cool the body down. Consuming grapes also helps increase the moisture content in the skin.
Citrus fruits are also a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, both of which protect us against the hot weather. Some of the popular citrus fruits are oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc.
Tropical fruits like papaya, pineapple, guava and mangoes contain high anti-inflammatory properties that have a cooling effect on the body. An ice apple or tadgola is a lesser-known tropical fruit of the Palmyra palm tree. An ice apple possesses natural cooling properties, making it an ideal choice to combat dehydration during the hot summers.
Celery is a vegetable that has a long, fibrous stalk that tapers into leaves. With almost 95% water content and essential nutrients like zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, regular consumption of celery keeps us hydrated, thereby regulating body temperature at all times.
Mint leaves or pudina are commonly consumed herbs that are refreshing and cooling to the body due to their 80% water content. They work even better when we include them in our fruit juices, lemonades, iced teas, and other summer drinks.
Other green leafy vegetables like Chinese cabbage, spinach, iceberg lettuce, amaranth, kale, etc. are also high in nutrients, calcium and water content. They can be had in smoothies, salads or on the side during a meal. Some of the green leafy vegetables are best eaten raw.
A cucumber has almost 96% water, which helps keep the body hydrated. This vegetable is also loaded with fibre, which can help with constipation – one of the most common side effects of increased body temperatures during hot seasons.
An onion is a superfood that is rich in quercetin, a compound that works as a natural anti-allergen that can protect the body from various diseases during summer. The organic sulphur compounds in onions also reduce the level of cholesterol in our body, which helps in breaking down blood clots, thus preventing heat strokes. Both the compounds mentioned above have a cooling effect on the body.
Cayenne pepper is a hot chilli in the capsicum family. When we eat spicy peppers, the tongue receptors detect heat, which in turn causes our body to turn on cooling mechanisms, like sweating. So, while spices feel warm or hot in our mouths, they wind up sending the body into cooldown mode.
We use many of the above-mentioned in our meals, especially salads. It helps us stay healthy and cool in the scorching heat. To keep our water intake high and body temperature normal, we need to consume healthy foods that are high in water and easy on the digestive system. Therefore, these body-cooling foods, which are primarily water-based and contain ample amounts of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, are a must to add to our diet during the burning summers.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Growing with Nemit.
Image courtesy: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/kaiskynet
35 Comments
Climate change is real and so scary to witness! This is a good list. Healthy summer salads with these ingredints really help cool us down.
So informative post…I truly agree with your suggestion. In this scorching heat,one must try drink a lot and eat foods that cool ones body. It is better to intake lots of healthy drinks like Chacch, lemon water, Glucose and many more.
This is so informative, especially after the heatwave. Although, I didn’t know onions are on the list too.
Very apt post for this 53-degree centigrade. I do drink a lot of water, sugarcane juice, buttermilk, and yes, a lot of fruits. Fluids and food surely create an impact on our bodies. Such an amazing write-up. Thanks for sharing. I would love to read more.
This is a helpful post. I didn’t about a few of these ingredients like onions, peppers and even tomato and banana! I usually end up going to a handful of foods and drinks to cool down, and this list is helpful as it gives me more options.
I’m glad, dear!
Given that the temps have crossed 50 degrees in Delhi, this post is imperative! I am sharing this with all my patients! My job done easy 🤩 PS We loveeee watermelon 🍉🍉
We love watermelons, too, Mandira! So glad to be of help!
This was a much needed post with the rising temperatures. Thanks for sharing.
Didn’t expect cayenne pepper on the list but it seems logical. Quite the reason why Andhra food is so spicy. Curd and cucumbers along with melons are what I turn to from the list.
This is very informative. I know the summer fruits had cooling properties but I didn’t know that onions and peppers. Always learning something new when I join Blogaberry Dazzle.
That’s great, Madhu! Glad to spread the knowledge.
Hey Cindy many of the mentions in the above list are known to me for keeping us cool in the summer months, but I had no clue that pomegranate, grapes and tomatoes are also responsible for keeping us cool. but I have a confusion as then why we have it in winters as that time we need to keep us warm. Kindly put some light on this.
Perhaps they are rich in antioxidants, too, therefore eaten all around the year. Like berries grow in the cold season but they don’t necessarily keep us warm, do they?
Other than celery most of the other foods are regularly consumed at our place. It’s essential to eat right for naturally cooling the body down. I also insist of unsweetened lemon juice when thirsty.
Such an extremely helpful post especially in this brutal summer. I have saved the different ingredients to meal prep with them because I think the best way to survive this insane heat wave is to do as much as possible to stay cool inside & outside
True, Meetali!
Thanks for the informative post, Cindy! I had no idea cayenne pepper could help cool the body down. With my upcoming trip to India in June, I’ve been worried about the heat waves there. Hopefully, the weather changes before my visit ☺️
Yes, it’s crazy hot! But, stay hydrated!
A much-needed piece. I didn’t know pomegranate and grapes too were having a cooling effect.
They are a super selection of foods lined up to reduce environmental degradation and the deterioration of personal well-being. I love all of them and include them in my diet whenever possible.
That’s great, Prasanna!
Just looking at the names of the food items made by body cooler… hahaha! Nice post Cindy. Btw, I didn’t know celery was good for the hot weather. I somehow associated it with heat and thought it was a cold weather food cuz we mix it mostly with meat and use it in soups too.
With rising temperatures, it has become necessary to keep our bodies cool. The vegetables and fruits we eat, either heat up or cool down our metabolism. Your tips are quite beneficial.
Thats a comprehensive list of healthy foods to beat the heat.Summer has equally good seasonal foods to stay cool. But now that we get all fruits and vegetables throughput the year, people tend to buy them. Eating seasonal fruits and veggies do keep us healthy. The melons especially are perfect. I have tragacanth gum or Gond katira every day and ice apples. It cools my gut.
I shall google them both and check, Harjeet!
Great, informative post! A useful in these troublingly hot days! I love onions and chillies, and do am so glad they are both included in the “cooling food” list!
Watermelon is my favorite! It feels so hydrating every time I eat it.
Watermelon is my absolute favorite summer treat. It’s so juicy and refreshing, and it really helps me stay cool in this heat. Even cucumbers, perfect for snacking or adding to salads. Surprised reading about Onions. It’s pretty interesting.
I love sugarcane juice and we get it so readily near my place. We have this almost daily. I am planning to add Cayenne Pepper to my diet and have increased the use of onions. Need more fruits this summer.
All the best, Ambica!
Proud to say that Curd is indeed an integral part of my daily diet. Not a day goes by when its not consumed in our household. The same goes for onions and cayenne pepper, though those aren’t daily fixtures, but we do consume them at least four days a week.
good for you, Manali! My kids eat curd like people eat icecream… straight from the 1 lt container! Hahaha!
Butter milk makes our gut healthy and also helps our body to cool down which is the best part of having buttermilk and the vegetables and fruits you mentioned. Interesting read cindy.
Thank you for sharing this valuable list of foods that can help us keep cool, aid digestion, help keep skin diseases at bay, and offer many other valuable health benefits if we consume them regularly. Interesting and worth researching is the connection between Sulphur compounds and Cholesterol and blood clotting.
The long list means we can have a lot of variety in the food menu and also take into consideration the cost.