What Foods Can Help You Cool Down?

Without even realizing it, many of us change our diets seasonally.  Winter meals usually consist of warm soups and stews and potato filled heavy dishes that make you feel full and cozy.  In the summer we tend to gravitate toward lighter dishes such as salads and fruits to help us cool down.

In addition to air conditioners and fans, pools and sprinklers, we also try to use food as a way to keep us cool during the hot summer months.  How many times have you reached for a cold beer or chosen an iced coffee over hot when the sun is blazing?  Not to mention how the lines at the ice cream truck seem to stretch for blocks on a hot day.

Food can help to cool you down, but it is not always the foods that you think will help.  In an article for Men’s Journal by Tiffany Gagnon and an article for Time Magazine, by Amanda Taselaar and Alexandra Sifferlin, the authors explore which foods you should be filling your plate with for ultimate cooling.  If you find yourself in need of some heat relief, try snacking on a few of these items.

What Foods Can Help You Cool Down?

When it comes to cooling down, one of the main things both articles explain is to find foods that are easy to digest.  When your body needs to use more energy to digest something, your body temperature goes up.  Foods that are filled with water are often easy to digest and they help to keep you hydrated–another key component to surviving hot weather.

Spicy foods help you to cool down in a different way–by causing you to sweat.  Once you start sweating and that water begins to evaporate off of your skin, you will feel much cooler.

1. Cucumbers

2. Leafy Greens

3. Lemons

4. Watermelons

5. Peaches

6. Apples

7. Pineapple

8. Spicy Foods

But, What About…?

On the flip side, the classic summer staples of ice cream and beer can actually raise your body temperature instead of decreasing it.  The carbohydrate and fat content in ice cream means that your body needs to work hard to digest it, which means extra heat.  While alcohol causes your skin to flush and warm you up.

Looking for more ways to stay cool this summer?  Contact us at FLAME Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electrical!