Cooling foods: 20+ favorites to cool you from the inside out
4 min
©Francesco Carta
Did you know that it’s possible to cool yourself down with the food you eat? Keep reading to find out what you can eat to stay fresh on hot summer days.
What is a cooling food?
The concept of a ‘cooling food’ originated in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. These ancient sciences are based on the idea that every food has a thermal effect on the body. What you eat can be used to keep you healthy by creating a cooling, neutral, or warming effect on the body.
Cooling foods in Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, there are three energies or doshas present within each person: Pitta or fire and water, Vata or air, and Kapha or earth and water. How these energies express themselves varies from person to person and changes with the seasons.
In the summer, Pitta is the dominant dosha. The best way to balance this energy and to keep your body and health balanced is with foods that have a cooling effect.
Our tip: Even during the colder months, it’s possible that Pitta can continue to dominate. If you think this is the case for you, know that coconut products, green tea, and certain herbs are suitable for equalizing the balance of energies in your body.
Cooling foods in TCM
The principle behind traditional Chinese medicine is that we are governed by the concept of Yin and Yang. Yin represents passivity, calmness and coolness, while Yang represents activity and heat. Just like in Ayurveda, TCM uses food to regulate the balance between these two elements. Eating cooling foods strengthens the Yin energy and stabilizes the Yang energy in the body.
And just as Pitta dominates Ayurveda during the summer months, so does fiery Yang in TCM. During this season, you may find yourself suffering from a lack of concentration and motivation, as well as physical lethargy. Eating refreshing foods may help regulate these feelings.
Cooling Foods and Drinks to Keep in Mind
This list is packed with water-rich foods like fruits and veggies. You’ll also notice a few bitter ingredients which are thought to have a similarly cooling effect. Use the following to put together a delicious and refreshing summer menu.
Refreshing fruits and vegetables
- Artichokes
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Chicory
- Strawberries
- Figs
- Blueberries
- Coconut products (such as flour and flakes)
- Dandelion greens
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
- Chard
- Radishes
- Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- Spinach
- Celery
- Watermelon
- Citrus (like lemons and oranges, but especially lemon juice)
Cooling herbs and spices
- Dill
- Mint
- Chamomile
- Coriander
- Watercress
- Peppermint
- Rose
- Sage
Cooling proteins and carbohydrates
- Buckwheat
- Yogurt
- Chickpeas
- Mung beans
- Tofu
- Jerusalem artichokes
Our tip: Though rice is thought to be a neutral food in Chinese medicine, it can still help keep you cool on hot days because of the harmonizing effects it has on Yin and Yang energies.
Cooling liquids
- Buttermilk
- Green tea
- Coconut water
- Infused water
- Olive oil
- Water
What to avoid eating during summer
Though many fruits and veggies are considered to be cooling foods, not all are fair game. Some will actually heat you up, like fennel, raspberries, cherries, pumpkin, peaches, mango, leeks, red cabbage, and onion. Spicy foods like chili, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon will also turn up the heat in your body.
Animal-based food products tend to take longer for our bodies to digest, and they generate more heat for the same reason. Stick to barbecuing vegetables on especially hot days.
And even though iced coffee and cold beer may feel like they’re cooling you down as you drink them, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, alcohol and coffee won’t quench your thirst and are thought to have strong heating effects within the body.
Eat in rhythm with nature and yourself
When in doubt, stick to eating seasonally to guarantee your body is getting what it needs. During the summer, many refreshing foods also happen to be in season. If you look closely at the fruits and vegetables that are available in tropical areas, you’ll notice that many of them have a cooling effect.
On the other hand, warming foods like pumpkin and red cabbage are in season in fall and winter. Warming spices like ginger, cloves, and cinnamon are also frequently recommended in cozy, cold weather recipes.
Cooling or Warming: The Preparation Determines the Effect
Cooling foods aren’t necessarily cold. In TCM and Ayurveda, the effect an ingredient has on your body is largely determined by how it’s prepared.
For example, a drink that is too hot or too cold will make your body work more to regulate the temperature, which in turn will make you feel hotter. As appealing as an icy beverage might be on a warm day, it’s probably not going to help that much. Drinks that are slightly cool but closer to room temperature are what’s really going to give you the effect you’re looking for. Before you know it, you won’t even need ice in your drink!
Looking for a refreshing drink to quench your thirst after a hard workout? With 20g of protein, a few sips of CocoWhey will keep you cool and help you reach your fitness goals.
While crisp, cool salads are nice to have during a heat wave, they shouldn’t be the only items on your menu. In general, raw food takes longer to digest and can heat up the body as a result.
If you absolutely must have a salad, try to make it one with only cooling ingredients like spinach, cucumber, tomato, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. And try to consume them at lunch time, because that’s when your digestion is strongest according to Ayurveda.
Pan-frying and steaming are two other preparation options that will soothe your inner fire and ease the digestion process.
Juices and Other Cold Drinks: Why “Iced” Isn’t Cool at All
Though warm tea might seem out of place on a sweltering summer day, it can actually help you feel better and cooler. The body absorbs lukewarm liquids much more easily than icy ones. Try simply steeping herbs in boiling water, then mixing it with room temperature water to create a warm, yet refreshing drink.
If you enjoy the refreshing effect of herbs, try our Functional Tea. With options for improving energy levels, mood, and sleep, there’s something for any time of the day.
Refreshing Foods: Our conclusion
- According to Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, foods with a cooling effect keep our energies balanced and are both tasty and beneficial to our health.
- The preparation and temperature of the food also determine its thermal effect.
- Strawberries, cucumbers, fresh mint, peppermint, spinach, tomatoes, watermelon and citrus fruits top the list of foods that cool from within.
Sources for this article
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