Eating to stay Cool!

Eating to stay COOL!

It’s going to be hot. Sheridan was going over the foods that she has been eating to stay cool.  These foods are great for relieving summer heat and we wanted to share. Some are obvious because they’re so abundant right now: watermelon, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, coconut, but a couple others aren’t as intuitive.  For example, eating 2 slices of fresh ginger, or making a decoction* by simmering for 20 minutes and drinking the tea, makes it easier for your body to vent heat.

*Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material to dissolve the chemicals of the material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. … Decoction can be used to make herbal teas, leaf teas, coffees, tinctures and similar solutions.

Mung beans are another food used to cool. Here’s a recipe that you can make tomorrow (since you’ll have to soak the mung beans first). Again, all the spices help vent the heat from your body.

Kitchari Recipe

• 1 cup of dry green mung beans
• 1 cup Indian Basmati Rice (good Indian rice makes a difference!)
• 4-6 cups water (more water will make it soupier)
• 6-7 cups assorted vegetables (I used kale, celery, carrots, zucchini and green beans) cilantro to garnish
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 + tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink sea salt (or regular sea salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 stick of Kombu (seaweed)

Puttin’ it Together

Prep Ahead: Wash the mung beans and soak them in water overnight for four to eight hours (this helps with digestion).

• In a large skillet or wok, melt the coconut oil until it’s in liquid form.
• Add seeds to the ghee and saute until you hear the seeds pop.
• Quickly add the spices, ginger, rice and beans to the mix.
• Coat the rice and beans with the spices and seeds (important to do all these steps fairly quickly so you don’t burn the spices).
• Slowly add in the water.
• Add the vegetables and lightly stir all the ingredients.
• Bring water to a boil. Then, lower heat, cover and  cook for another 45 to 60 minutes.
• Stir in the salt at the very end. This recipes makes 4-6 servings. Melt a little more coconut oil over the top and garnish with cilantro.

This recipes makes 4-6 servings. Melt a little more coconut oil over the top and garnish with cilantro.