What is your favorite way to cool down in the hot summer sun? While jumping into a cool lake is an appealing choice, lakes are not always handy. It is nice to know that you can also cool down with delicious summer food. So Many Cooks in the Kitchen features the most amazing recipes to help you stay comfortable on those sweaty summer days.
There is a LOT of controversy about what foods cool the body, with differences of opinion between Western and Eastern medicine, and in the popular media. However, there is no controversy about what foods people want to eat in the heat of the summer – frosty favorites such as ice-cold beverages, popsicles, and ice cream. While these foods can help us feel cooler, the effect is generally temporary. Here are my top tips for keep cool in the heat:
- Stay hydrated. The most important thing we can do to stay cool is to stay well hydrated. This means drinking plenty of water If water is not appealing to you, infuse it with fruit, cucumber, or herbs. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. You can also get water by eating fruits and vegetables. These foods contain a lot of water, so they contribute beautifully to hydration. They also provide needed electrolytes such as potassium. Some of the most hydrating foods are cucumbers, lettuce, peaches, plums, melons, mango, tomatoes, and cold soups such as gazpacho.
- Eat lighter meals. Overeating makes your body feel hotter. Steer clear of deep-fried foods and fatty meals. Stick to whole plant foods, with a focus on vegetables and fruits. Keep plenty of seasonal fruit on hand, and make it accessible (e.g., cut
up melons and mangos so it is easy to grab from the fridge). Pre-cut veggies and sprinkle them with a little lime juice.
- Eat cold meals. It is good to keep your stove off during heat waves. Cold meals will keep both your house and your body feeling cooler. My favorite summer meal is a full-meal salad. Start with greens, then add vegetables of every color. Top with cooked or sprouted grains and your favorite beans, chickpeas, or flavored tofu, and some pea shoots or sunflower sprouts. Add a side salad such as the Three Melon Salad or the Spicy Mexican Salad below. Top with seeds and a nut or seed-based salad dressing.
- Eat spicy foods. While it may seem counterintuitive, spicy foods can cool us off quite effectively. It is no coincidence that hot countries feature spicy foods in their cuisine… just think of Indian, Mexican, Thai, Indonesian, the Caribbean, Colombian, and Malaysian foods. Hot spicy foods can cool us off through something known in the scientific community as gustatory facial sweating. This is a process by which spices trigger sweating, usually starting in the face first. This is the body’s basic mechanism for cooling itself down. When sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin, the body cools down. To work efficiently, the body needs a steady supply of water.
- Drink something hot. While this seems downright silly, warm drinks can make you sweat – especially if you are already hot. If you want to intensify the effect, add a little cayenne pepper to your beverage. If you start to sweat, you will start to cool!
- Stay hydrated. The most important thing we can do to stay cool is to stay well hydrated. This means drinking plenty of water If water is not appealing to you, infuse it with fruit, cucumber, or herbs. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. You can also get water by eating fruits and vegetables. These foods contain a lot of water, so they contribute beautifully to hydration. They also provide needed electrolytes such as potassium. Some of the most hydrating foods are cucumbers, lettuce, peaches, plums, melons, mango, tomatoes, and cold soups such as gazpacho.
- Eat lighter meals. Overeating makes your body feel hotter. Steer clear of deep-fried foods and fatty meals. Stick to whole plant foods, with a focus on vegetables and fruits. Keep plenty of seasonal fruit on hand, and make it accessible (e.g., cut
up melons and mangos so it is easy to grab from the fridge). Pre-cut veggies and sprinkle them with a little lime juice.
- Eat cold meals. It is good to keep your stove off during heat waves. Cold meals will keep both your house and your body feeling cooler. My favorite summer meal is a full-meal salad. Start with greens, then add vegetables of every color. Top with cooked or sprouted grains and your favorite beans, chickpeas, or flavored tofu, and some pea shoots or sunflower sprouts. Add a side salad such as the Three Melon Salad or the Spicy Mexican Salad below. Top with seeds and a nut or seed-based salad dressing.
- Eat spicy foods. While it may seem counterintuitive, spicy foods can cool us off quite effectively. It is no coincidence that hot countries feature spicy foods in their cuisine… just think of Indian, Mexican, Thai, Indonesian, the Caribbean, Colombian, and Malaysian foods. Hot spicy foods can cool us off through something known in the scientific community as gustatory facial sweating. This is a process by which spices trigger sweating, usually starting in the face first. This is the body’s basic mechanism for cooling itself down. When sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin, the body cools down. To work efficiently, the body needs a steady supply of water.
- Drink something hot. While this seems downright silly, warm drinks can make you sweat – especially if you are already hot. If you want to intensify the effect, add a little cayenne pepper to your beverage. If you start to sweat, you will start to cool!
Three Melon Salad
Melon Dressing:
- 1/2 cup cantaloupe chunks
- 1/4 cup honeydew chunks
- 1/4 cup watermelon chunks
- 1 banana
- 1 medjool date or 2 regular dates, pitted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
Place the cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, banana, date, and lime juice in a blender, and process until smooth.
Salad:
- 3 cups cantaloupe chunks (cut into bite-sized pieces) (about 1/4–1/2 melon depending on size)
- 5 cups seedless watermelon chunks (cut into bite-sized pieces) (about 1/2 of a small melon)
- 2 cups honeydew chunks (cut into bite-sized pieces) (about 1/4 melon depending on size)
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint
Topping:
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
Place the chunks of cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, and mint in a salad bowl and mix. Pour the Melon Dressing on top and toss very gently to distribute the dressing. Sprinkle the pecans on top (if using) and enjoy!
Spicy Mexican Salad
Salad:
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 mango, chopped
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 cups corn, freshly cut off cob or frozen and thawed
- 1 large orange pepper, sliced into 1 inch long, thin pieces
- 1½ cups black beans
- 1 cup (250 ml) cilantro or parsley, finely chopped, packed
- 3 green onions, diced
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced red or green chili or jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mango, avocado, corn, orange pepper, black beans, cilantro, and green onions. In a jar or blender place the lime juice, avocado, tamari, maple syrup, garlic, chili pepper, and cumin (if using). Blend the ingredients until smooth and set aside. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to distribute dressing. Chill until serving.
This article was written for a PCRM Food for Life Instructors group called So Many Cooks in the Kitchen. This group meets online to provide amazing cooking and nutrition demonstrations that are free to share globally. For wonderful whole food, plant-based cooking shows, tune in to their monthly broadcasts. https://somanycooks.com/about/
Brenda Davis, RD is a plant-based pioneer and author/co-author of 13 books on plant-based diets. She is co-Author of Nourish: the definitive plant-based nutrition guide for families, Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive and Express Editions and Kick Diabetes Essentials. www.brendadavisrd.com
