The Healthy Summer Foods You May Want to Try Now

On a hot day in Bali, there is often someone at your hotel who will hand you a warm mug of ginger tea to cool you down. It works like eating hot peppers, which cause you to sweat and keep cool. I’m not a fan of peppery things. Back in the States, I took notes when I was attending food conferences with wonderful teachers from around the globe, handing down their secrets to those of us searching for traditional dietary wisdom. Some of it really seemed too good to be true. I had to try it out to be convinced.

What I found was that there are many cooling foods that really do act like inner air conditioning, without the sweat. I’ve lived in both New York and Los Angeles apartments that had no AC, so I’ve used these foods to keep my sanity during those inevitable heat waves. Science is now catching up to what some people figured out about how food can affect our temperatures, centuries before refrigeration.

Here are a few you can use for a summer cool-down:

Cabbage

This humble vegetable isn’t just versatile in meals. You might be surprised that you can peel off a full leaf and plop it on your head for some instant cabbage-cap cooling. A little trick we did at one summer class I attended was comparing cabbage leaves to cooling gel pads. The leaves performed just as well and are far better for the earth when you’re done using them.

I also learned how cabbage can reduce inflammation, which is why I use a blended mix of tofu and cabbage with a little flour to form a plaster for sore joints and even breaks or sprains. It’s much easier to leave on than ice.

Tofu

Tofu is one of the most versatile inventions ever created. It can be turned into almost anything, like an omelet, pasta or cheese. One of my super cooling salads combines tofu, cucumber and mint into a cabbage slaw (just add your favorite dressing) because it’s refreshing on a 90°F day and I don’t need to sit in front of a fan to stay comfortable. Soy products like tofu may even help reduce hot flashes.

Tofu is considered a cold food in traditional Chinese medicine. It clears heat and toxins. Eating it uncooked and straight out of the package with seasonings gives the most cooling sensation. But it is usually cooked to lessen the effect since digestion requires warmth. Balance is the key.

Cucumber

This is one of the highest-water-content foods. These green logs are basically 95% water and contain phosphorus and magnesium to help maintain water in our bodies, which help us stay cool as water is absorbed more slowly and effectively than when we just drink it straight.

The skin of cucumbers might taste a little bitter, but it can reduce inflammation, which causes heat in the system. This crunchy green can definitely help you keep your cool.

Asparagus