With these 12 body cooling foods, you can help yourself have more fun in the sun this summer—and less time feeling overheated and dehydrated.
Dehydration and overheating can be a serious bummer in the summer. You don’t want to get to the point where you feel light-headed, dizzy, or weak because you are getting too hot.
While staying indoors and having access to a cool space is going to be essential, you can also keep yourself safe from overheating this summer with delicious hydrating foods.
Whether you are dehydrated or just can’t take the heat, there are fruits and veggies that can be consumed to help lower your body temperature and keep you cool. Many of these foods that we have listed below can be eaten easily when you’re on the go, so you don’t have to worry about preparing an entire dish in order to give you a boost of hydration.
When you’re feeling meh, the last thing that you are going to want to do is make a meal. No need to worry—Thistle’s got you covered 😍
1. Water
Water is the most obvious and easiest way to stay hydrated and beat the heat this summer.
Even though you might know how important water is, are you actually consuming enough? Especially in the summer, your body is using up more energy to perform tasks because the heat makes daily life a tad more difficult. Having a water bottle near you at all times can prevent any icky feelings in relation to the heat.
Depending on your personal circumstances (gender, activity levels, eating habits, and the like), you should try to consume between 11 and 15 cups of water a day to keep yourself from feeling dehydrated. If you aren’t drinking enough water and it’s extra hot out, you will feel the effects of dehydration much sooner than you would on a cooler day.
This includes headaches, irritability, a decrease in muscle endurance, and an increase in your respiratory rate. Your body will thank you for drinking enough water each day.
2. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are one of the most hydrating foods out there because they are made up of 95% water—and we’ve already discussed how important consuming water is. Not only do they contain water, but cucumbers are packed with nutrients that keep your body feeling fine.
Cucumbers contain vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, iron, folate, B6, and other vitamins and minerals. All of these help to give you energy to help beat the heat. Foods that are high in water content also help you stay hydrated while packing in the nutrients.
Cucumbers also make for a quick and versatile snack. You can eat them plain or sprinkled with a little bit of salt. They can pair well nicely with a simple cheese and cracker combo, or try them in a variety of salads and vegetable bowls.
3. Watermelon
Another easy snack to eat when you’re feeling the heat is watermelon—it’s a summertime favorite for a reason 🍉
You really can’t go wrong with watermelon, especially if you are buying it pre-diced. This is a snack that many of us love because it’s easy to munch while on the go. It’s a sweet treat that feels like a dessert and is always refreshing.
Watermelon is about 90% water and contains antioxidants that can benefit your body. When you’re too warm, you need to replenish yourself with nutrients to maintain your energy just as much as you do with water.
4. Avocado
Avocados are a yummy food to have when you are looking to cool down. Avocados contain mono-saturated fatty acids, which can help to remove excess heat and toxins from your blood. You can make a quick avocado toast or add avocado to a salad when you’re craving a cool and relaxed meal.
Avocados are also easily digested which means that your body doesn’t have to burn more energy after you eat them. This will help to keep you cool long after finishing your food.
5. Coconuts
Coconut water is a great solution for cooling down the body when it gets too hot. This water is filled with electrolytes which help to replenish the body and help you to feel more lively. When you become dehydrated you can lose your energy much easier, and electrolytes help to replace that lost energy.
6. Bananas
If you’re looking for a way to cool yourself down from the inside out, eat a banana. Bananas contribute to the shrinking of your tissues, which actually allows for more water absorption.
So, not only do bananas provide you with energy and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, but they work to help your body retain water for longer. This gives them a naturally cool effect, especially when you eat them frequently.
7. Celery
Celery is a whopping 95% water content, which might surprise you. Seriously, it beats out both cucumber and watermelon. This means that celery is an extremely hydrating snack to enjoy throughout the summer. With some homemade dipping sauce, bleu cheese, or even peanut butter, celery makes for a delicious cool-down food.
8. Onions
Believe it or not, onions have cooling properties that can help protect you from sunstroke. Red onions contain an anti-allergen called quercetin, making either type of onion variety a valuable choice when you’re out enjoying the sun.
You can eat an onion raw as if it were an apple if you wanted to, but chopping them up and putting them in a salad is a great way to disperse their flavor.
9. Citrus Fruits
Lemon, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and so many more. These are just a few fruits that are considered to be a part of the citrus family. These fruits contain antioxidants and vitamin C: The antioxidants can help to provide a cooling effect on the body and vitamin C replenishes lost energy.
Lemons and limes are a great way to add a little flavor to your water. If you aren’t a fan of plain water, adding a squeeze of lemon or lime can make it tastier. Drop in a few slices, and the water will take on the flavors quite nicely.
You can enjoy oranges by the slices, freshly squeezed, or in water as well. Grapefruit can be an addition to different salads and fruit bowls. However you choose to eat these fruits, they can help to keep you cool through the heat 🌞
10. Leafy Green Veggies
One of the best meals you can make for yourself on a hot day is a salad. Not only can you include many of the ingredients we’ve already listed as additions to your salad, but a bed of leafy greens will also do your body wonders.
Leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and cabbage are all very high in water content, especially when eaten raw (when you cook many leafy greens, they tend to lose some of their water content).
You can combine a variety of your favorite greens for a salad base, and include hydrating foods into your personal recipe. Think cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and some slices of avocado.
11. Mint
If you are noticing that your body is getting toasty, another way to help cool down with food is by adding mint to your drinks and meals. Mint is known to be a cooling herb because of the organic compound menthol. Menthol triggers protein sensory receptors in the mouth that react the same way as if you were eating ice cream.
It helps to cool your body down fairly quickly. You could chew on a mint leaf to help cool you down, but mixing lime and mint together in iced water is one of the best ways to go. This combines many different cooling properties that will bring your body temperature down and your hydration levels up.
12. Pineapple
Pineapples are also high in water content, making them a refreshing and easy food to eat when trying to cool down. You can add pineapple to your salads, eat it on its own, or put it into a smoothie. However you decide to do it, it will be a bright and colorful addition to your daily meals.
Pineapples contain the enzyme bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties. This property can also help bring a cooling effect over your body.
Cool Down with Thistle
If you want to learn how to incorporate all of the above ingredients in your daily life, consider signing up with Thistle. We provide hand-crafted meals and freshly squeezed juices directly delivered to your door.
This summer, don’t worry about having cooling ingredients in your fridge. Instead, just stock up with Thistle, and have the best summer ever.
Sources:
Types of Fat | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
With these 12 body cooling foods, you can help yourself have more fun in the sun this summer—and less time feeling overheated and dehydrated.
Dehydration and overheating can be a serious bummer in the summer. You don’t want to get to the point where you feel light-headed, dizzy, or weak because you are getting too hot.
While staying indoors and having access to a cool space is going to be essential, you can also keep yourself safe from overheating this summer with delicious hydrating foods.
Whether you are dehydrated or just can’t take the heat, there are fruits and veggies that can be consumed to help lower your body temperature and keep you cool. Many of these foods that we have listed below can be eaten easily when you’re on the go, so you don’t have to worry about preparing an entire dish in order to give you a boost of hydration.
When you’re feeling meh, the last thing that you are going to want to do is make a meal. No need to worry—Thistle’s got you covered 😍
1. Water
Water is the most obvious and easiest way to stay hydrated and beat the heat this summer.
Even though you might know how important water is, are you actually consuming enough? Especially in the summer, your body is using up more energy to perform tasks because the heat makes daily life a tad more difficult. Having a water bottle near you at all times can prevent any icky feelings in relation to the heat.
Depending on your personal circumstances (gender, activity levels, eating habits, and the like), you should try to consume between 11 and 15 cups of water a day to keep yourself from feeling dehydrated. If you aren’t drinking enough water and it’s extra hot out, you will feel the effects of dehydration much sooner than you would on a cooler day.
This includes headaches, irritability, a decrease in muscle endurance, and an increase in your respiratory rate. Your body will thank you for drinking enough water each day.
2. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are one of the most hydrating foods out there because they are made up of 95% water—and we’ve already discussed how important consuming water is. Not only do they contain water, but cucumbers are packed with nutrients that keep your body feeling fine.
Cucumbers contain vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, iron, folate, B6, and other vitamins and minerals. All of these help to give you energy to help beat the heat. Foods that are high in water content also help you stay hydrated while packing in the nutrients.
Cucumbers also make for a quick and versatile snack. You can eat them plain or sprinkled with a little bit of salt. They can pair well nicely with a simple cheese and cracker combo, or try them in a variety of salads and vegetable bowls.
3. Watermelon
Another easy snack to eat when you’re feeling the heat is watermelon—it’s a summertime favorite for a reason 🍉
You really can’t go wrong with watermelon, especially if you are buying it pre-diced. This is a snack that many of us love because it’s easy to munch while on the go. It’s a sweet treat that feels like a dessert and is always refreshing.
Watermelon is about 90% water and contains antioxidants that can benefit your body. When you’re too warm, you need to replenish yourself with nutrients to maintain your energy just as much as you do with water.
4. Avocado
Avocados are a yummy food to have when you are looking to cool down. Avocados contain mono-saturated fatty acids, which can help to remove excess heat and toxins from your blood. You can make a quick avocado toast or add avocado to a salad when you’re craving a cool and relaxed meal.
Avocados are also easily digested which means that your body doesn’t have to burn more energy after you eat them. This will help to keep you cool long after finishing your food.
5. Coconuts
Coconut water is a great solution for cooling down the body when it gets too hot. This water is filled with electrolytes which help to replenish the body and help you to feel more lively. When you become dehydrated you can lose your energy much easier, and electrolytes help to replace that lost energy.
6. Bananas
If you’re looking for a way to cool yourself down from the inside out, eat a banana. Bananas contribute to the shrinking of your tissues, which actually allows for more water absorption.
So, not only do bananas provide you with energy and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, but they work to help your body retain water for longer. This gives them a naturally cool effect, especially when you eat them frequently.
7. Celery
Celery is a whopping 95% water content, which might surprise you. Seriously, it beats out both cucumber and watermelon. This means that celery is an extremely hydrating snack to enjoy throughout the summer. With some homemade dipping sauce, bleu cheese, or even peanut butter, celery makes for a delicious cool-down food.
8. Onions
Believe it or not, onions have cooling properties that can help protect you from sunstroke. Red onions contain an anti-allergen called quercetin, making either type of onion variety a valuable choice when you’re out enjoying the sun.
You can eat an onion raw as if it were an apple if you wanted to, but chopping them up and putting them in a salad is a great way to disperse their flavor.
9. Citrus Fruits
Lemon, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and so many more. These are just a few fruits that are considered to be a part of the citrus family. These fruits contain antioxidants and vitamin C: The antioxidants can help to provide a cooling effect on the body and vitamin C replenishes lost energy.
Lemons and limes are a great way to add a little flavor to your water. If you aren’t a fan of plain water, adding a squeeze of lemon or lime can make it tastier. Drop in a few slices, and the water will take on the flavors quite nicely.
You can enjoy oranges by the slices, freshly squeezed, or in water as well. Grapefruit can be an addition to different salads and fruit bowls. However you choose to eat these fruits, they can help to keep you cool through the heat 🌞
10. Leafy Green Veggies
One of the best meals you can make for yourself on a hot day is a salad. Not only can you include many of the ingredients we’ve already listed as additions to your salad, but a bed of leafy greens will also do your body wonders.
Leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and cabbage are all very high in water content, especially when eaten raw (when you cook many leafy greens, they tend to lose some of their water content).
You can combine a variety of your favorite greens for a salad base, and include hydrating foods into your personal recipe. Think cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, feta cheese, and some slices of avocado.
11. Mint
If you are noticing that your body is getting toasty, another way to help cool down with food is by adding mint to your drinks and meals. Mint is known to be a cooling herb because of the organic compound menthol. Menthol triggers protein sensory receptors in the mouth that react the same way as if you were eating ice cream.
It helps to cool your body down fairly quickly. You could chew on a mint leaf to help cool you down, but mixing lime and mint together in iced water is one of the best ways to go. This combines many different cooling properties that will bring your body temperature down and your hydration levels up.
12. Pineapple
Pineapples are also high in water content, making them a refreshing and easy food to eat when trying to cool down. You can add pineapple to your salads, eat it on its own, or put it into a smoothie. However you decide to do it, it will be a bright and colorful addition to your daily meals.
Pineapples contain the enzyme bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties. This property can also help bring a cooling effect over your body.
Cool Down with Thistle
If you want to learn how to incorporate all of the above ingredients in your daily life, consider signing up with Thistle. We provide hand-crafted meals and freshly squeezed juices directly delivered to your door.
This summer, don’t worry about having cooling ingredients in your fridge. Instead, just stock up with Thistle, and have the best summer ever.
Sources:
Types of Fat | The Nutrition Source | Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
