Eating to Beat the Summer Heat. ~Dr Stephanie Lipnicki, DACM, LAc

When the summer heat has us wishing for cooler weather - there are steps we can take to cool off by eating foods meant for the season. 

One of the first introductions I had to Asian Medicine, back in 1990 in Massage School, was the book Staying Healthy with the Seasons By Elson M Haas. The book explains how certain foods, due to their nature, are healthier to eat at specific times of the year. 

Our access to greater varieties of foods due to commerce across vast regions can have us eating foods that might not be ideal for certain times of the year. For instance, if you are sweating and uncomfortable due to the hottest days of summer and global warming frying your buttocks, maybe eating hot peppers that exhaust your body's fluid might not be the best choice.

You also don't want to perpetually drink icy, freezing drinks to combat the heat either as that is not ideal for digestion and can squelch the normal digestive fire needed for optimal digestion!

How do we strike a balance? Eat cooler foods in the summer and warmer, heartier foods in the winter. Stay hydrated, don't try and chase the fire by having icy drinks all the time. 

Some cooling foods that help you in the summer to stay hydrates include: (this is no way a comprehensive list)

Cucumbers

Watermelon 

Chrysanthemum tea

Spinach

Grapes

Raspberries 

Blackberries 

Lotus Root

Pear

Mint

Peppermint

Black beans

One of my favorite cooling recipes is watermelon cucumber salad:

INGREDIENTS:

    Watermelon Sliced into triangles

    Cucumber (I like to slice it into ribbons and place them atop the watermelon)

    Sliced Red Onion

    Fresh Basil (I like to chiffonade) 

    Olive Oil ( a few TBSP)

    Balsamic Vinegar (white or traditional)

    PLATED:

        Place your watermelon triangles on a plate, place cucumber ribbons and onions atop the 

watermelon, sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.

    And enjoy!

Stay cool! And for more nutritional recommendations for your type (as we say constitution), you can schedule a consult at our clinic and we can see what foods and herbs you need to add to your diet. 

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www.naturalalternativescenterforwellness.com

See you on the treatment table! 

~Dr Stephanie