According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, 3 foods are your prime choices in summer

The element associated with summer is, not surprisingly, fire according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. When the fire element is in balance, your heart is strong and healthy, your mind is calm and your sleep is sound. Otherwise, you may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of joy (mania).


Because summer is the hottest season, to balance the heat, you need a diet that is cooling. Here are some suggestions below.


1. Green Tea


Drink some green tea. If you're making ice tea, try green tea. It's a lot healthier than many other types and yet it still tastes great. Research has found green tea to be anti-carcinogenic and it can help lower cholesterol.


2. Strawberries


Eat more strawberries. These fruits are cool in nature, and this makes them the perfect food in summer. In traditional Chinese Medicine, they are good for dry cough and sore throat. Strawberries lubricate the lungs, promote production of body fluids, and for those regrettable evenings, detoxify alcohol intoxication. It's best to eat strawberries (and most fruits) at room temperature. Like other foods that are rich in vitamin C, strawberries enhance the absorption of iron from foods. As you know, having enough iron is important for nourishing your blood, so strawberries are beneficial to your health.


3. Watermelon


Have some watermelon. This fruit was held in such regard that it was even placed in the tombs of many Egyptian kings! Watermelon is considered to have many benefits in traditional Chinese Medicine. The fruit and the seeds are used for headache, nausea, irritability, low appetite, sluggish digestion and sore throat. Watermelon is also an excellent source of vitamin C and lycopene which has been found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. Plus because of its thick skin, the exposure to those nasty pesticides is much lower than that of many other fruits and vegetables.


Of course, except the mentioned foods above, there are still some other examples of cooling foods, such as sprouts, corn, cucumber, spinach, mint and so on. You can choose what you like according to your own favorite. However, do not have too many spicy foods, alcohol, or caffeine as all of these foods heat you up rather than cool you down.