
If it is hot, we need cooling – even when eating. In addition to sufficient water supply, you can also cool your body from the inside with the right types of fruit and vegetables.
Not only does the jump to a lake cool down on hot days: you can also cool your body from the inside with certain foods. While circulatory -stimulating substances such as alcohol, caffeine or hearty dishes promote sweating, watermelon, basil and Co. ensure refreshment and burden neither circulation nor digestion. In summer, in addition to cooling clothes and the right drinking behavior, these foods can ensure the desired cooling in the heat.
Cooling body from the inside: help these herbs and spices

Herbs and spices not only spice up many dishes, but also ensure that you stay cool and you are doing well. The following herbs and spices help you through the midsummer:
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Mint is particularly popular in oriental cuisine. In Morocco, for example, peppermint tea is drunk over high heat. No wonder, after all, thanks to the menthol it contains, mint keeps the body nice and cool from the inside. With mint you can not only enrich refreshing drinks, but also, for example, hummus, dips or taboBouleh salad.
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Basil is part of salads, pasta and pizza as a decoration. In addition, basil can also withdraw heat from the body – this should be due to essential oils such as cineol and camphor. For example, you can make pesto, ice or lemonade from basil.
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Sage not only helps against a sore throat, but cools the body from the inside. Sage tea should even prevent excessive welding. You can make delicious sage butter from the medicinal herb or cook gnocchi with sage.
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Due to its cooling effect, cardamom is often used as a compensation for particularly sharp dishes or as a remedy for fever. While cardamom is used as a speculoos in winter, you can use it to prepare the Ayuerved Court of Kitchhari in the summer months or make yourself a delicious chai latte.
- Like cardamom, coriander is also used in Ayurvedic cuisine to cool the body from the inside. With coriander you can refine pesto, dips or a spicy carrot salad.
Fruit and vegetable varieties that cool the body from the inside

In summer, fruit and vegetables should not be missing on the menu. And for good reason, because the following varieties in particular cool us from the inside because of their high water content:
- Watermelons are the epitome of high and late summer. They taste refreshing, deliver a lot of water and are the perfect snack for hot days. Together with mint or basil, you can process watermelon into a delicious melon salad or process it into watermelon pizza or melon ice cream.
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Cucumbers and tomatoes are not difficult in the stomach and contain a lot of water, which makes them the perfect food in summer. From them you can, for example, prepare the Indian Salad Kachumber or Greek salad in summer. Kachumber also contains the cooling coriander. You can prepare cold soups from both fruits. Here you will find the recipe for cold cucumber soup and here for Gazpacho.
- Citrus fruits such as lemon, orange or grapefruit also ensure cooling thanks to their refreshing taste and high water content. However, since citrus fruits do not grow with us and have long transport routes behind, you should not be on your menu too often. Also make sure to use citrus fruits in organic quality. In summer you can cool off with grapefruit juice, fennel orange salad and fruit salad.
If you combine these foods and herbs with each other, the cooling effect increases on your body.
Not to forget in the heat: ice
It is obvious, with ice you can cool yourself very well from the inside. If you would like to enjoy ice cream with less sugar and without color and preservatives, you can also do it yourself. Of course, an ice machine is ideal, but is also a household appliance that is rarely used, consumes resources when manufacturing and need space at your home. Therefore, in this case it could make sense if you share the machine with the family, friend: inside or neighbors.
Here are a few water-based recipes for trying out:
- Granita
- Strawberry sorbet
- Water ice
Read more on utopia.de:
- Heat wave: Which foods should now be in the fridge
- What to do in heat? 10 sustainable tips
- Too warm to sleep? 10 common mistakes that keep you awake in the heat
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