In the hot summer, you need some cool tips to help you along the way. So why not sit down and read the article below while having a cup of green tea? Shade and water are not your only allies in the fight against the summer heat. Much like wearing certain clothes during the summer, eating certain food can do much to help cool your body.
　　
　　Cooling Foods:
　　Walk through the streets of a Chinese city in the summertime, and you‘ll find plenty of people eating mung bean or lotus porridge in place of plain rice. Many will be accompanying their meal with a plum-syrup drink or chrysanthemum tea. Head on over to the local market, and you‘ll notice bags of cucumbers, pumpkins, and the varieties of melon in the hands of the shoppers.
　　
　　What do all these foods share? They‘re all considered "cold" foods according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM has long believed that all foods possess an essential nature that can be categorized as "hot", "cold", or "neutral". When a person shows symptoms of too much heat energy – for example a red face, coated tongue, constipation – they are prescribed a "cold" food. The following are two easy to prepare dishes, featuring some of the "coldest" foods in TCM.
　　
　　Kelp Strands: Wash kelp, then cut into thin strands. Boil in a pot of water for half an hour. Drain and let cool. Mix with garlic, sesame oil, and vinegar to taste. An added benefit: kelp is rich in iodine, which reduces the risk of developing goiters and rickets.
　　
　　Radish Slices: Wash, skin, and then cut radish into thin slices. Mix raw radish with salt and sesame oil; let sit for half an hour to absorb the flavors. Added benefits: rich in fibrin, radishes improve digestive function and help maintain a strong immune system. White radish or green radish can be found at any market.
　　
　　Benefits of Fruit:
　　In hot summer weather, when the body is especially susceptible to dehydration due to increased sweating, foods with a high water content can play an important role in helping you to stay hydrated. And nothing fits the bill like fruits. Packed with water, they are also a great source of the many vitamins needed by our bodies. The following are various fruits and their beneficial properties for you to try out this summer.
　　
　　Apples: Improve digestive and kidney function. Reduce risk of hypertension.
　　Kiwifruits: Stimulate the appetite and relieve constipation. Good source of vitamin C.
　　Pineapples and Mangoes: Improve digestive function. Relieve sore throat.
　　Papayas: Help hydrate the skin and relieve itching skin.
　　Watermelons: Reduce high blood pressure.
　　Bananas: Improve blood circulation; improve liver & kidney function.
　　Grapes: Help regulate heart rhythms, supplement blood, and improve liver & kidney function.
　　Lemons: Improve respiratory function. Good source of vitamin C.
　　Oranges: Reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, cold, and rheumatism.
　　Pears: Dispel toxins. Help maintain normal functioning of the circulatory system.
　　Coconuts: Reduce risk of heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. Cough suppressant.
　　
　　Cautionary Tips:
　　In your efforts to use food to stay cool, please keep in mind a few cautionary tips that will serve to keep you in good health.
　　A. Avoid eating frozen watermelon as it causes indigestion.
　　B. Don‘t wash fruits before storing them in the refrigerator, as they will rot more quickly.
　　C. Don‘t overdo it on the milk. Rich in both calcium and protein, beyond 3 glasses a day, the protein reaches a threshold and begins to impede your body‘s ability to absorb the accompanying calcium. So after 3 glasses, stick with water or juice to keep hydrated.