Summer is all about beating the heat. But it’s not all about guzzling water and juices, and lusting after ice cream. Your diet plays a big role—the food you eat can help you stay cool. Tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower and sprouts should make their way to your plate this summer to cool down your body from within, besides providing nutrition. Here are the cooling superfoods that will help to clear heat and toxins from the body and help you chill from the inside:
1. Melon
Fruits and vegetables with high water content are the clear winners for the hot season as their water content will help hydrate your body from within. Besides being very high in water and sweet, melons are loaded with digestive enzymes and can be used as a diuretic. Further good news—it’s great for your skin.
2. Cucumber
They don’t say ‘as cool as a cucumber’ for nothing. Cucumbers are exceptionally hydrating and have cooling properties. Simply snack on slices of cucumber or drink up a green juice concoction of cucumber and lemon.
3. Mint
Mint is naturally cooling, and can be used internally as a fresh herb or tea, or externally as an essential oil. In fact, peppermint can calm muscle spasms. Try iced mint tea and toss mint into your salads for extra cooling effects.
4. Leafy greens
Mommy always knows best. Leafy greens add taste, health and bunch of good things to your plate. Leafy greens, besides adding flavour, are teeming with nutrients that provide a gamut of health benefits—from fighting flab to preventing cancer. From the humble spinach and fenugreek to the rather exotic kale and arugula—leafy greens should be, if they aren’t already, an essential part of your diet. Since greens have a high water content, they’re easy to digest and your body doesn’t have to work as hard, which saves you energy and keeps you cool. Loaded with fibre, vitamins and minerals, leafy greens are the superfoods to beat.
5. Raspberries
Raspberries aren’t the current darling of professional pastry chefs for no good reason. It’s delicious and is one of the strongest berries when it comes to attacking free radicals in the body. These berries are loaded with anti-carcinogenic antioxidant ellagic acid, and helps boost our antioxidants activity and are low in sugar. SO feast on this summer fruit.
6. Radish
Not everyone may like how radishes taste, but hear, hear, they are great for the liver. It aids in digestion and is known to be a great diuretic They contain sulphur that increases the flow of bile, thus helping maintain a healthy liver and gallbladder. So include radish to your meal and toss it in your salads. to balance out the alcohol and heavy meats.
7. Lemon
Order away the fresh lime juices because this citrus fruit has an incredible cooling effect on the body and also promotes detoxification. Lemon is not only good for your skin, but it also has immune-boosting benefits. Scientists have found that drinking lemon and water actually encourages you to drink more water overall. Another citrusy fruits that’s a great refresher is amla. It’s known for its anti-ageing properties, and strengthens the heart and hair.
8. Peaches
This seasonal fruit is not only delicious, but peaches also contain vitamins A and C, which promote healthy skin, and at 35-50 calories a pop, they make the perfect diet-friendly dessert.
9. Zucchini
This vegetable is a great summer squash that in addition to containing vitamin C and important phytonutrients, is also a great source of manganese. Manganese mineral can help protect your body from free radicals (particularly of concern during the summer months when you’re more susceptible to sun damage) and also promotes collagen production and healthy bone tissue growth.
10. Pineapple
Pineapple is the fruit that is the only known source of an enzyme called bromelain, which is credited for reducing inflammation in the body. More points on the cooling chart.