5 Foods to Help You Cool Off

Depending on your location, the heat and humidity of summer can have you craving icy-cold eats and drinks, such as the quintessential cold and creamy desserts or refreshing lemonades. But the truth is that some of the foods you’d expect to cool you down may actually do the opposite! 

In a piece for TIME magazine online, food scientist Barry Swanson of Washington State University states that some foods actually “heat up the body a little while digesting.” Foods that may generate this body heat include those high in fats like ice-cream, which generally moves slowly through the body and takes longer for us to digest. Literally, not cool. 

Here are 5 eats to stay healthy and cool during these sunny summer days! 

1. Watermelon

A refreshing fruit with, you guessed it, a high water content! This fruit is nutrient dense, naturally low in calories, and hydrating to boot. You can’t lose here. Freeze pieces of watermelon to throw in a smoothie or chop in a food processor for naturally flavored and healthy shaved “ice”! Or keep it simple and enjoy those smile-shaped wedges. 

2. Cucumber

Also a high water content food, cucumbers are a cooling vegetable that can be enjoyed sliced, chopped into a salad, or even to flavor your water! 

3. Leafy Greens

All greens are high in water and easy for the body to digest. They deliver various micronutrients, and are easy to add to meals like a salad or as a crunchy sandwich or wrap topper. 

4. Mint

Not only a cool and refreshing herb, but mint is also calming. Chop and toss into salads, or use in a cucumber water infusion. Mint is also tasty in desserts, so try pairing it with those high-fat ice-creams or custards to balance the taste out. 

5. Peppers

The one food that makes you sweat, but in turn, cools you off! This one seems a little counterintuitive, I know, but the sweat brought on by peppers actually brings your skin’s temperature down. Sprinkle some peppers in lightly for a little extra flavor and to bring savory balance out of those sweet summer fruits and treats. 

You may choose to enjoy these cooling foods on their own, but if you’re really looking to shake off that heat, try them all together! Here’s a great recipe for a cucumber mint salad atop leafy greens, naturally sweetened with fresh watermelon. This makes ~4 servings for a side-salad portion. 

Cucumber Mint Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups watermelon, cubed 
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped 
• 1-2 tbsp, fresh mint leaves (to taste!) 
• 3 cups leafy greens (mix greens or go with your favorite) 

Directions:

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, and serve atop greens of choice. You can enjoy this plain, as the watermelon adds a little juice and the mint adds plenty of flavor. But if you just can’t imagine a salad without a dressing, keep it simple with a squeeze of lemon or a classic vinaigrette of choice. 

And of course, the best way to make sure you’re giving your body the juice it needs to keep you cool, stay hydrated! Mix those cucumber-mint water infusions, enjoy a light lemonade, and always have a bottle of water on-hand, no matter the temperature!

Heather Caplan is a registered dietitian and running coach based out of the San Jose, CA area. She’s usually training for a marathon, traveling, teaching or practicing yoga – or all of the above! You can find her life anecdotes or work with her over at HeatherCaplan.com.

Main Photo Credit: rukxstockphoto/Shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: Bolarkina Marina/Shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: showcake/Shutterstock.com; Fourth Photo Credit: Lightspring/Shutterstock.com; Fifth Photo Credit: Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock.com; Sixth Photo Credit: MediaGroup_BestForYou/Shutterstock.com; and Final Photo Credit: apolonia/Shutterstock.com.