There are many drinks and foods that can reduce summer heat and prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The best drinks for summer:
Mango juice (Aam Panna) is a very popular Indian drink for preventing and treating heat stroke in summer. Aam Panna is made from green and unripe mangoes. It is usually prepared in every Indian house during summer to fight against the summer heat.
Lemonade is a popular lemon-flavored drink in the West. It is typically made from lemons, water and sugar. You can make Lemon juice (Lemonade) from fresh fruit, frozen juice, dry powder, or liquid concentrate. Lemon provides a wide range of healthy body benefits, aiding in decreasing dehydration, cleansing the liver, and promoting better digestion and metabolism. Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C acts as powerful antioxidant against harmful environmental toxins, improves protection of the immune system and reduces the risk of hypertension. Lemon water also has cooling properties and can reduce body temperature and beat summer heat.
Wood apple juice (Bel Ka Sharbat)
Bel (Bael, Aegle marmelos, wood apple) is a tree native to India. Bel fruit is close to lemon, orange, lime and grapefruit, but with woody shell. Bel Ka Sharbat is another very popular Indian summer drink. It has cooling properties and can cool down the body and the stomach, and helps preventing heat exhaustion in summer season.
Sour plum juice (Suan Mei Tang)
Suan Mei Tang (Sour Plum Juice) is made from dried plum (ume, mei, prunus mume – a Chinese plum). Suan Mei Tang is a traditional Chinese summer beverage that has existed for over 1,000 years. It is drank chilled as a remedy to relieve summer heat, and cool off the body. Suan Mei Tang is also has effects to improve digestion, open appetite, cure minor diarrhea (and dysentery), and reduce liver fire.
The best foods for summer:
Watermelon (Water melon) is the best fruit for relieving summer heat, preventing and treating heat related disorders, such as heat-stroke, thirst, fever, anxiety, stress, sore throat, mouth ulcer and hangover. Why watermelon can reduce body temperature is not just because it contains a lot of water, but, according to traditional food and medicine guidelines, it has cooling properties. If you experience heat exhaustion in summer, a watermelon can clear heat, quench your thirst and help you to avoid heat-stroke.
Winter melon is not water melon. It is also named white gourd, ash gourd, or fuzzy melon. Winter melon is a popular summer food in East Asia and South Asia. Winter melon is a cooling food. It reduces heat, cools down the body, therefore it can be used to help relieve heat related disorders. Winter melon is beneficial to relieve summer heat and thirst. Winter melon is also a diuretic food.
Mung Bean (vigna radiata, green gram, lv dou) is a popular food in China and India. According to traditional Chinese medicine, mung bean has strong cooling and detoxifying properties. Mung Bean Congee (lv dou zhou) or Mung Bean Soup is very popular in China and East Asia in summer season for beating summer heat.
Bitter Melon (bitter gourd) is a popular vegetable in some Asian countries. Bitter Melon has cooling properties. It reduces internal heat and inflammation. That is why bitter melon can be used to treat the heat/inflammation related diseases, such as heat-stroke, and is one of the best foods in summer.
Seaweed (kombu, kelp, hai dai) is widely eaten in East Asia – China, Japan and Korea. Seaweed is a cooling food. It can reduce internal heat and relieve summer heat. Seaweed can be used to make a salad or soup.
For more information about natural remedies for summer, go to Natural Remedies Center: http://www.naturalremediescenter.com/treat/summer/
