Foods That Cool Without The Calories!

WOW! It is hot! I am currently on Vancouver Island, BC but its looking like this heat wave is extending to Yukon and the rest of Canada.

If you’re like me, you may find you’re not too hungry on hot days. Maybe you and family are looking for something to eat that satisfies yet doesn’t make you feel like a slug.

Here are 5 ways that you can avoid over-consuming calories and still stay cool today:

​Dine on Frozen Favorites - Something ice cold always sounds good on a hot day, but ice cream packs on calories and can be full of gut-irritating ingredients. Instead, freeze your favorite fruits and snack on bite sizes, or mix into smoothies or popsicles (I add kefir for a probiotic boost!). You can even freeze veggies – my kids love to eat frozen peas and let them melt in their mouth!
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Eat Small Meals a Few Times a Day, instead of two or three big meals. After we eat, our body temperature rises as we digest the food, so the larger the meal, the greater this effect. ​

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Say No to Spice!!  I know, I know, people in hot countries eat a lot of spicy foods. Spice raises body temperature and makes you sweat – ultimately cooling you down. That's what they say. However, I’ve yet to meet anyone who seems more chill and comfortable after eating a hot taco!

Eat Your Water. Did you know that 20-30% of your fluid needs should be met through high water foods like fruits and veggies? Eating plenty of these foods can help you stay hydrated and cool throughout the summer. Some produce is as much as 85% water, so shoot for those with highest water content: watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, grapefruit, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.

Eat Yin. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) teaches that some foods have cooling properties (yin), while other foods have heating properties (yang). TCM states that eating the right heating or cooling foods can help balance our energy. Some yummy cooling foods include: banana, clam, crab, grapefruit, lettuce, salt, seaweed, star fruit, water chestnut, watermelon, cucumber, barley, bean curd, chicken egg white, marjoram, oyster, pear, peppermint, radish, strawberry, tangerine, yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, pineapple, turmeric.

So enjoy swimming in rivers or lakes, and crank up the air conditioning if you must, but also try some of these ways to stay cool! ​

WATER KEFIR POPSICLES RECIPE

Water kefir, or tibicos, is a naturally carbonated beverage made with a culture, water and sugar. The culture consumes the sugar and ferments the beverage, leaving you with a slightly sweet, effervescent and probiotic refreshment! You can make it at home or buy in a health food store.

• 1 cup water kefir 
• 1 cup fruit juice
• Handful of frozen brightly coloured berries
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine water kefir and fruit juice.
2. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1/2-inch of headspace. I like to use these: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/kitchen/kitchen-tools/molds/75947-ice-pop-molds
3. Add handle sticks, if using.
4. Freeze for 6-8 hours.