Eat these foods to help you get through the hot summer!

Introduction: As the weather gets hotter, besides turning on the air conditioner and staying indoors, what other "summer weapons" do you have? In this issue, I'm recommending three types of vegetables that you should eat more of in the summer.

The first category is gourds such as winter melon, cucumber, bitter melon, and loofah. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, most gourds can clear heat and promote urination, help expel toxins, and are excellent foods for cooling down and preventing heatstroke. Modern nutritional research shows that most gourds contain over 90% water and are rich in various minerals and vitamins, effectively replenishing the large amounts of water and nutrients lost during the summer.

The second category is vegetables with "antibacterial" properties, such as garlic and onions. High summer temperatures lead to rapid growth and spread of germs, causing a higher incidence of intestinal diseases. Eating more "antibacterial" vegetables like chives, scallions, and green garlic at this time can help prevent illness.

The third category is cooling vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplant, celery, and lettuce. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eating cooling vegetables in the summer helps promote the production of body fluids to quench thirst, relieve restlessness and summer heat, clear heat and detoxify, and aid in detoxification and bowel movements.

Boiled Lettuce

Have some cold dishes in the summer

Cold lotus root slices. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica," lotus root is known as the "spiritual root." Eating crispy, sweet lotus root slices on a hot day not only whets the appetite and is refreshing but also has the effect of clearing heat and moistening dryness. When blanched, the nature of the lotus root changes from cooling to warming, giving it the effect of nourishing the stomach and strengthening the spleen. Ginger juice lotus root slices are a great choice.

Cold shredded potatoes. Potatoes are not only rich in potassium but also in essential minerals like calcium and zinc, as well as nutrients like vitamin C. You sweat a lot in the summer, so eating potatoes can help replenish nutrients. Additionally, potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which promotes gastrointestinal motility and accelerates cholesterol metabolism in the intestines, aiding bowel movements and lowering cholesterol. Compared to stir-frying, blanched potatoes served cold are crisp and delicious, such as vinegar-flavored shredded potatoes.

Cold cucumber salad. Cucumber is the best food for hydration in the summer, with the highest water content of all foods. It contains cucurbitacin, which has certain anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, cucumber is cooling in nature and has the effects of reducing heat, promoting urination, and detoxifying. Cucumber is very suitable for cold dishes, such as cucumber with wood ear mushrooms or garlic cucumber salad.

Jellyfish head with cucumber

Cold bitter melon salad. The momordicin and insulin-like substances in bitter melon have a good effect on lowering blood sugar, making it an ideal food for diabetics. Momordicin and bitter principles can also stimulate the appetite, strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, and have effects such as improving eyesight, aiding digestion, cooling and detoxifying, and promoting urination. A plate of cold bitter melon on a scorching summer day is a great choice.

Cold asparagus salad. Asparagus has a fresh taste with a slight bitterness that can stimulate the secretion of digestive juices and increase the appetite. It contains many inorganic salts and vitamins, and its high potassium content is beneficial for controlling high blood pressure. It also affects a person's basic metabolism and even mood regulation. When the weather is hot, a plate of refreshing vinegar-flavored asparagus salad can help relieve tension, reduce stress, and boost the appetite.

Cold celery salad. Celery has benefits for the throat, improves eyesight and energy, nourishes blood and strengthens the spleen, and stops coughing and promotes urination. Eating celery regularly can boost immunity, especially in the summer when people often experience sore throats, mouth ulcers, and irritability. Eating cold celery can help alleviate these symptoms.

Cold shredded asparagus