As the heat drags along, so will the humidity that comes with it. Cities are reaching temperatures over 33ºC, and the temperature our body senses is over 40ºC. Our bodies aren’t meant to stand the heat and feels dull during the hot summer season. We often start to feel a loss in appetite during august when summer is starting to end, so why not beat the heat with good old vegetables and fruits?
Vegetables:
- Goya (bitter cucumber) ・ゴーヤ
This bitter veggie is packed in vitamin C, two times of that of a cabbage! The bitterness of the goya can help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels while fixing your appetite.
Recommended recipe: Goya chample
- Cucumber・きゅうり
90% of its main component is water, however it also contains an abundant supply of vitamin A, B, and C group, as well as minerals and dietary fiber. It is also rich in potassium which assists in diuretic action, and can help in eliminating any swelling. It also has the effect of removing excess heat from the body, making you feel much more refreshed.
Recommended recipe: Tsukemono, or in chinese style cold noodles (中華麺)
- Green pepper・ピーマン
Green peppers are rich in vitamin C and B carotene. The vitamin C in green peppers are very resistant to heat, and the B carotene is a great match with oil, so making it into stir fry will make it easier for your body to retain these substances.
Recommended recipe: Add them to sour stir-fried vegetables and pork (酢豚)
- Okra・オクラ
The stickiness of the okra comes from the various substances of dietary fiber and can help straighten out problems in the intestines, and lower cholesterol. Okra also has vitamin C and B1 as well as ironso it’s a good idea to eat some during the summer.
Recommended recipe: With some tofu and ponzu sauce
- Edamame・えだまめ
Edamame is known to help lower with lowering blood pressure and has assists diuretic action. This helps keep the water levels in your body in control and reduces any swelling in the body.
Recommended recipe: cook it with some rice in a rice cooker
Fruits:
- Tomato・トマト (yes I included it into the fruits list)
The citric and malic acid in the tomatoes’ sourness helps to make more stomach acid and helps to regain your appetite. Licopin which is present in the red color of the tomato is known to have an antioxidant effect and helps your skin from producing melanin.
Recommended recipe: eating it the way it is
- Kiwi・キウイ
If your body heat is trapped and needs a way to be released, kiwi’s are the best type of fruit to do so. When you eat kiwi fruit on a hot day, the temperature your body feels (体感温度・たいかんおんど) much cooler and helps to turn the heat in your body into urine. The vitamins in the fruit helps with recovery from fatigue.
Recommended recipe: Add chopped kiwi to greek yogurt with granola
- Watermelon・すいか
Watermelons are one of the best fruits to try and stop heat strokes. It quenches your thirst, cools down whatever heat is trapped in your body and helps to your metabolism. Adding a pinch of salt on watermelon before you eat will further the cooling effect (as well as makes it sweeter) so do try it at home!
Recommended recipe: As it is, or make into a watermelon-yogurt sherbert
- Mango・マンゴー
The loss in appetite that you feel when summer rolls around can be made better through eating mango. When it feels too hot you can’t eat, or you feel like you’re going to throw up, eat mangoes. Mangoes help support the stomach and brings your appetite back. It tastes great as a dessert, so eating it as a parfait with whipped cream and ice cream is a good option.
Recommended recipe: Mango parfait, or ripe apple mango as it is
- Sour plum / Ume・うめ
Ume contains lots of citric and malic acid which helps with replenishing the water in your body after you sweat a lot. The sourness of the plum can actually help to stop sweating. If it is too sour for you, get honey soaked ume!
Recommended recipe: Eat ume with rice or add ume to soda water to make ume soda
Use this list to help plan your next meal!
Vegetables:
- Goya (bitter cucumber) ・ゴーヤ
This bitter veggie is packed in vitamin C, two times of that of a cabbage! The bitterness of the goya can help lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels while fixing your appetite.
Recommended recipe: Goya chample
- Cucumber・きゅうり
90% of its main component is water, however it also contains an abundant supply of vitamin A, B, and C group, as well as minerals and dietary fiber. It is also rich in potassium which assists in diuretic action, and can help in eliminating any swelling. It also has the effect of removing excess heat from the body, making you feel much more refreshed.
Recommended recipe: Tsukemono, or in chinese style cold noodles (中華麺)
- Green pepper・ピーマン
Green peppers are rich in vitamin C and B carotene. The vitamin C in green peppers are very resistant to heat, and the B carotene is a great match with oil, so making it into stir fry will make it easier for your body to retain these substances.
Recommended recipe: Add them to sour stir-fried vegetables and pork (酢豚)
- Okra・オクラ
The stickiness of the okra comes from the various substances of dietary fiber and can help straighten out problems in the intestines, and lower cholesterol. Okra also has vitamin C and B1 as well as ironso it’s a good idea to eat some during the summer.
Recommended recipe: With some tofu and ponzu sauce
- Edamame・えだまめ
Edamame is known to help lower with lowering blood pressure and has assists diuretic action. This helps keep the water levels in your body in control and reduces any swelling in the body.
Recommended recipe: cook it with some rice in a rice cooker
Fruits:
- Tomato・トマト (yes I included it into the fruits list)
The citric and malic acid in the tomatoes’ sourness helps to make more stomach acid and helps to regain your appetite. Licopin which is present in the red color of the tomato is known to have an antioxidant effect and helps your skin from producing melanin.
Recommended recipe: eating it the way it is
- Kiwi・キウイ
If your body heat is trapped and needs a way to be released, kiwi’s are the best type of fruit to do so. When you eat kiwi fruit on a hot day, the temperature your body feels (体感温度・たいかんおんど) much cooler and helps to turn the heat in your body into urine. The vitamins in the fruit helps with recovery from fatigue.
Recommended recipe: Add chopped kiwi to greek yogurt with granola
- Watermelon・すいか
Watermelons are one of the best fruits to try and stop heat strokes. It quenches your thirst, cools down whatever heat is trapped in your body and helps to your metabolism. Adding a pinch of salt on watermelon before you eat will further the cooling effect (as well as makes it sweeter) so do try it at home!
Recommended recipe: As it is, or make into a watermelon-yogurt sherbert
- Mango・マンゴー
The loss in appetite that you feel when summer rolls around can be made better through eating mango. When it feels too hot you can’t eat, or you feel like you’re going to throw up, eat mangoes. Mangoes help support the stomach and brings your appetite back. It tastes great as a dessert, so eating it as a parfait with whipped cream and ice cream is a good option.
Recommended recipe: Mango parfait, or ripe apple mango as it is
- Sour plum / Ume・うめ
Ume contains lots of citric and malic acid which helps with replenishing the water in your body after you sweat a lot. The sourness of the plum can actually help to stop sweating. If it is too sour for you, get honey soaked ume!
Recommended recipe: Eat ume with rice or add ume to soda water to make ume soda
Use this list to help plan your next meal!
