Summertime eating and cooling foods

Summertime Eating

In the summertime when it is hot and sunny out, many of us will gravitate towards an iced drink and ice cream. But these cold drinks and food can actually wreak havoc on our health! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, in the summer months, we’re meant to harmonize with the heat by eating foods that are cool in nature rather than cold in temperature. This will help re-balance our bodies so we keep cool while ensuring our digestive system isn’t being shocked by the extreme temperature changes from the ice, cold foods we consume. By eating extreme cold foods, our stomach has to work even harder to warm up the food so it can be properly digested and nutrients can be absorbed.

Cooling foods

Here are some cooling whole foods that you can include into your diet during the summer months to help lower the internal temperature of your body while giving yourself the nutrients you need.

1. Different kinds of melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, wintermelon, etc.)
2. Peaches
3. Pineapples
4. Cucumbers
5. Avocados
6. Broccoli
7. Asparagus
8. Spinach
9. Mint
10. Cilantro

Chicken and veggie rice wraps

Ingredients for the wraps:

3-4 rice papers (medium sized)

1 chicken breast or 2 chicken thighs (cut into strips and pan-fried until cooked)

½ red pepper (julienned)

½ cucumber (julienned)

½ carrot (julienned)

½ avocado (sliced)

Handful of cilantro

1 sprig of green onion (chopped)

Thai basil (optional)

Sesame sauce:

1 tablespoon sesame paste

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ tablespoon soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

A splash of cold water

½ tsp sriracha sauce (optional)

How to wrap:

1. Soak a rice paper in hot water until it is completely soft. This will only take a few seconds depending on the type of rice paper.
2. Gently pat the excess water from the rice paper with a towel or paper towel, lay it flat on a plate lined with a towel or paper towel to prevent it from sticking to the plate.
3. Lay all the ingredients down the middle of the wrap. You can choose how much or little you’d prefer to add in. The more ingredients you have, the thicker the finished wrap will be.
4. Lift the side of the rice paper closets to you and gently pull it over the fillings. Hold the wrap firmly so the ingredients stay put. Fold the sides in and continue to roll to the seam while still holding the ingredients firmly with your hands.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for all subsequent wraps!
6. Dip wrap into sesame sauce and enjoy!

How to make the sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is mixed together.
2. Add more water for a more watery consistency.