Food to Keep You Cool – Cathy Cochrane, NNCP

Just when we think that it might never come, the heat of summer is upon us. Judging by the
forecast it’s going to be a stinker. Before you run to the dep for a slushie, or throw frozen fruit
in your blender, think again.
While frozen food and drinks might feel good in the moment, that cold can also dowse the
heat of digestive “fire” in your stomach. Besides, the body’s response to extreme cold is to
warm you up. A slushie might feel good in the moment, but will only make you feel warmer in
the long run… requiring another frozen treat.
Other summer staples – barbecued meats and fun cocktails – are also very warming. Think
about it, a food cooked over a fire will retain that heat. Alcohol is also very “hot”. Any
menopausal woman will tell you that a BBQ’d steak and glass of wine is the perfect recipe
for a hot flash – our circulation reacts the same way, regardless of our age and gender.
Let’s consider some of the gentler ways that food can help keep you cool:

1. Staying cool involves staying hydrated. We sweat so that the warmth in our blood
   can dissipate. The evaporation on the skin drops our surface temperature. For that to
   work well, we need to have more fluid than usual. On an average day, we need ½ oz
   of fluid (water and other beverages) for every pound of body weight. On a hot day
   when you sweat a lot, that will need to be increased, possibly doubled if you are
   highly active in the heat.
   Keep track by noticing your urine – if you pee a lot and it’s quite clear, back off on
   the quantity or add minerals (see #2). If you sweat a lot and rarely pee, and/or if it’s
   dark, then you need to hydrate more.
2. Another aspect of hydration is maintaining electrolytes (an appropriate proportion of
   minerals in our body fluids, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
   Herbs and watery fruit do that naturally through the season.

• Make a cooling and nourishing cold tea from the “weeds” in your yard: infuse a
  strong brew of stinging nettles and peppermint (I use 1-2 tbsp of dried herb in 1 L
  of boiled water); drink through the day (I add ice cubes to cool it down, or dilute with
  plain water). Add a squeeze of lemon juice to improve mineral absorption. [If
  pregnant or trying to conceive, go easy on the nettles.] Other options are chamomile,
  lemon balm, and asparagus ends.
• Watermelon is just as it says: full of water. It also contains the same mineral
  proportion as blood (and breast milk!). Blend it to make a slushie-like drink without
  the ice, added sugar and food-colouring.
• Well-ripened pineapple, mango, papaya, plums and peaches are a delicious,
  juicy (water + minerals), sweet treat on a hot summer’s day!

1. Change up your munchy snacks. Rather than salt- and fat-rich chips or nuts (which
   will also intensify internal heat), crunch on celery stalks, cucumber slices, snap
   peas and peppers. Yogourt-based dips are a cooler add-on than humous or sour-
   cream dips. Bonus: the more you chew, the more water and minerals you derive from
   them!
2. When you DO barbecue, make sure that the meal includes light, cooling side
   dishes. Again, think watery and fresh – lots of leafy greens in abundance at this
   time of year, and other raw produce; add fruit to salads; go for summer squashes.
   Save the potato salad and corn until late-August as summer turns to fall.
   Finally, the last way to help you stay cool through summer is to let the vibrant energy of the
   season fulfill you; eat only to your hunger and appetite. Overindulging (lots of calories) will
   only add more heat.
   Enjoy the shade of a tree, the peace in a garden, a soothing dip in our beautiful Canadian
   waterways, and the company of friends under the stars.

Happy Solstice!