1. Don't get too cold. What?! I know - sounds counterintuitive. But when we chill our bodies by sitting in overly air conditioned malls, movie theaters and offices, our metabolisms fire up to compensate and heat us up. End result? When you venture out of the ice box of air conditioning, you're flat on your back from the heat. Keep air conditioning to moderate levels (your power bill will thank you too), and if you have to sit in it, keep a cardi or scarf on to keep the chill off your bare skin.
2. Don't chug a slushee! Even though a gallon of crushed ice may sound like just what the doctor ordered when it's 100F outside, your body won't thank you! Just like the air conditioning, giving the inside of your body the Big Chill will cause it to stoke up the home fires to compensate. In the end you'll be hotter when the momentary chill wears off. You're better to sip cool or room temperature beverages. Here's my favourite cooler:
2 liters of filtered water (about 8 or 9 cups)handful of mint leaves
Place the leaves in a drinking jug and pour the water over them. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently bruise the leaves, releasing their minty flavour into the water. If you tend to stomach upset in the hot weather, add a few slices of fresh ginger. You can do this anyway as it gives a lovely taste.
More cooling recipes can be found in The Tao of Nutrition, a book by Maoshing Ni and Cathy McNease. I took a course with Cathy this weekend and was very inspired to continue using the balancing and harmonizing principles of Traditional Chinese Nutrition in my life and in my practice. I'll be giving a talk next month on TCM and digestion - stay tuned for the date.
Over the next few weeks you'll see more posts from two new authors at LifeMedicine. We'll have more to teach, more to talk about and more fun! Be well, and come and see me for a cool down!
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