Eating in Season with Aruveyda Principles
Eat Cooling Foods when Weather Gets Warm
It’s interesting to consider how some foods warm us, and some foods cool us down. When it’s really hot outside, it’s a salad we want, and not a bowl of soup. This instinct is based on the principle that raw and cold foods are more cooling than meals that are cooked. In many types of traditional medicine such as Chinese, or Aruveydic, this is explained by the “warming” and “cooling” properties of foods. These ancient medical philosophies believe that our summer diet should be different from our winter diet. This is due to the fact that foods that are in season in the summer are high in water content and easier to digest, which helps to keep our bodies cool.
Summer Calls for Cooling FoodsAccording to traditional culinary wisdom, foods are classified as hot, warm, neutral, cool, or cold. Spices tend to be warming, and fruit tends to be cooling. The great thing about the cooling foods of summer is that they are healthy, high in fiber and low in calories. The following guidelines will help you determine a food’s thermal energy.
- Growth Time: Foods that grow quickly tend to be the most cooling, such as lettuce, squash, celery, radishes, cucumber, tomatoes, and leafy vegetables.
- Color: Blue, green, or purple are typically more cooling than similar foods which are red, orange or yellow.
- Region: Tropical foods tend to be more cooling than temperate-zone foods. Strawberries and cherries are more warming than pineapple or mangos.
- Water Content: Juicy foods tend to be more cooling.
Food Preparation Plays a Role
The way a food is prepared also determines how warming or cooling it is. If a dish is lightly steamed or cooked, it will be more cooling than a meal which is cooked longer or slowly. Herbs and spices also affect the thermal nature. Examples of warming spices include cinnamon, ginger, cloves, basil, rosemary, parsley and cayenne pepper. On the other hand, cooling spices such as fresh ginger, cilantro, and peppermint would enhance the cooling nature of a meal. Kelp and sea vegetables are also considered to be cooling.
In addition to cooling fruits and vegetables, grains are good choices to use in the summer, such as wheat, barley, amaranth and barley. Sprouted grains and legumes like northern beans, kidney, navy and lima beans are also considered to be cooling. Soak legumes for at least 12 hours for optimal digestibility.
Save Warming Animal Foods for Winter
Warming foods include high fat foods, meat and poultry, due to the fact that they take a lot of energy to digest. Land animals with warming properties include beef, chicken, eggs, turkey, duck, and buffalo. However, fish and seafood are cooling to the body and are a great addition to the summer diet. Experiment with your favorite summer foods and pay attention to the effect they have on you. Remember, it’s not a food’s temperature that makes it cooling, but it’s innate qualities. Sour, salty or spicy foods boost heat while sweet, bitter, or astringent foods can cool you down. The right foods can can keep you cool during the hottest of days.
Eating cooling foods this summer
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