How to Stay Cool in Hot Times with Herbs and Food

A bumble bee enjoying anise hyssop, member of the mint family.

With things really heating up our there we thought it would be a good idea to share some ideas for how to stay cool with plants. Below is a list of herbs, fruits and veggies that are all known in one way or another to be "cooling." By adding these into your diet, making them into a tea or other beverage, or cooking them into with your food you may feel a bit more refreshed and at ease.

Check out the lists below and see if anything jumps calls out to you to bring into your life these hot summer days. Some of these ideas come from ayurvedic classifications, with references noted in parentheses and at the bottom.

HerbsFresh for cooking/eating:

• Ginger (1)
• Basil (1)
• Dill (1)
• Parsley (1)
• Cilantro (1)

Bitters
Take as a tincture before a meal, or mixed into a refreshing beverage. Can combine with aromatic hers for better flavor, or check out Urban Moonshine's bitters blends.

• Dandelion
• Burdock
• Artichoke
• Yellow dock
• Orange peel

Mint teas

• Peppermint
• Spearmint
• Applemint
• Lemon balm
• Anise hyssop

Refresh body and spirit with cooling nervines, as cool infusions or tinctures

• Chamomile
• Skullcap
• Motherwort
• Linden
• Rose
• Blue vervain

Local foods to cool down
Fruits to eat:

• Sweet fruit (1)
• Apples (sweet) (1, 2)
• Applesauce (1)
• Berries (sweet) (1)
• Cherries (sweet) (1)
• Grapes (red and purple) (1,2)
• Melons - honeydew, watermelon (1,2)
• Pears (1,2)
• Raspberries (2)
• Strawberries (1, 2)
• Watermelon (1)

Vegetables to eat

• In general, sweet and bitter veggies (1)
• Beets (cooked) (1, 2)
• Beet greens (2)
• Broccoli (1, 2)
• Brussel sprouts (1)
• Cabbage (1, 2)
• Carrots (cooked, or raw in moderation) (1)
• Cauliflower (1, 2)
• Celery (1, 2)
• Cilantro (1, 2)
• Cucumber (1, 2)
• Dandelion greens (1)
• Fennel (1)
• Green beans (1, 2)
• Kale (1, 2)
• Leafy greens (1)
• Lettuce (1, 2)
• Mushrooms (1)
• Parsley (1)
• Parsnip (2)
• Peas (1, 2)
• Potatoes (sweet and white) (1, 2)
• Radishes (cooked) (1)
• Rutabaga (2)
• Spinach (raw) (2)
• Sprouts (2)
• Squash (winter) (1)
• Squash (summer) (1, 2)
• Zuchini (1, 2)

References

1. Ayurvedic food guidelines from Ayurvedic Institute
2. Cooling vs. Heating Foods from Banyan Botanicals