Wednesday, February 13, 2008

COOLING FOODS

Are you dealing with the heat? Are you looking for ways to stay cool? You have lots of options. Find a cold waterfall and stand under it. Go swimming. Move to a colder climate. Stand in front of a fan. Eat cooling foods.

Have you noticed that perhaps your body naturally desires more vegetables, fruit, and salads when the temperatures go up? That is because these foods have a cooling effect in your body. You have heard the expression, "cool as a cucumber" because cucumbers are a great cooling food.

How do you figure out which other foods have a cooling effect in your body? The following are a few rules of thumb:

  • RAW fruits and vegetables are cooling.
  • Hot spices in significant amounts are eventually cooling because they cause perspiration, which is cooling when it evaporates.
  • Sugar and salt are both cooling and warming. If eaten with cooling foods, they will intensify the effect.

Food that is cold in temperature does not necessarily mean it has a cooling effect in your body, although this may sometimes be the case.
The following is an abbreviated list of cooling foods: Watermelon, Citrus fruits, Summer squashes, Mung beans, Leafy vegetables, Sea vegetables, Brown rice, Sprouts, Sashimi, Lobster, Curry, Dill, Tamari, Parsley, and Hot peppers.
Steaming, Stir-frying, and Pickling are cooking techniques to use if you want a cooling effect.

*This is general information. It is not meant to treat any specific conditions. Each person will have their own Bio-Individual response. Listen to what your body says as you experiment with food.

Some of this information came from "Food and Healing" by Annemarie Colbin

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