10 Foods to Beat Summer Heat and Relieve Internal Heat.

Introduction: The summer weather is scorching, and the high temperatures are unbearable for many. On top of that, many people don't drink enough water daily, and their diet is often neglected. This combination can lead to internal heat (huo) in the summer, and in severe cases, it can cause physical discomfort. Therefore, it is crucial to pay close attention to managing internal heat during the summer. So, what should you eat to combat internal heat in the summer? Below, we recommend 10 types of foods that clear heat, so you can stay cool and worry-free all summer.

1. Water Bamboo

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, water bamboo is considered sweet and cold, with a slippery and beneficial nature. It can promote urination to reduce water retention, aiding in the treatment of conditions like limb swelling and difficult urination. It can also relieve summer heat, clear烦热 (fanre - vexation and heat), and quench thirst. It is particularly suitable for consumption in the summer, as it can clear heat, relieve constipation, alleviate vexation, and sober up from alcohol. It can also help detoxify from alcohol and treat unconsciousness from intoxication. Moreover, water bamboo is rich in nutrients, mainly containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin E, trace amounts of carotene, and minerals. The organic nitrogen in tender water bamboo exists in the form of amino acids and provides sulfur, making it delicious, highly nutritious, and easily absorbed by the body. However, it should be noted that because water bamboo contains a relatively high amount of oxalic acid, its calcium is not easily absorbed by the body.

Braised Water Bamboo

2. Vinegar

Vinegar is indispensable in cooking, and adding it to summer dishes is especially beneficial. In the summer, bacteria multiply rapidly, and intestinal infectious diseases increase. At this time, vinegar has a strong killing effect on various pathogens. Furthermore, the muggy summer weather can ruin one's appetite, and eating some cool, sour dishes can stimulate the appetite. Using vinegar for seasoning is one simple method, such as making a lower-calorie oil and vinegar salad dressing than Thousand Island dressing, using vinegar, minced garlic, and chili to make cold seafood salads, or pickling cucumbers, lotus root, or bitter gourd with vinegar to serve as appetizers before summer meals.

Not only that, but vinegar can also protect and beautify nails. Add half a teaspoon of vinegar to warm water, soak your fingernails or toenails in it, and then trim them. At this time, the cuticle is easier to trim, and dirt from under the nails is also easy to remove, leaving your fingernails and toenails bright and shiny.

Sweet and Sour Japanese Tofu

3. Tomato

Tomatoes have the functions of promoting saliva production to quench thirst, strengthening the stomach to aid digestion, clearing summer heat, and nourishing the kidneys to promote urination. They can be used to treat conditions such as thirst from heat-damage to body fluids, loss of appetite, and internal summer heat. Although available year-round, tomatoes are most abundant, sweetest, and most nutritious in the summer. They can also clear heat and detoxify, and pacify the liver to reduce internal fire. Additionally, tomatoes have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting urination and bowel movements, and aiding digestion. The malic and citric acids in tomatoes can help the gastric juice digest fatty substances. After eating greasy food, eating tomatoes not only aids digestion but can also prevent indigestion. Moreover, tomatoes also have a diuretic effect, making them beneficial for people with kidney problems. On hot days, you can also boil tomato slices into a tea to drink, which has the effect of clearing heat and preventing heatstroke. The fiber content can increase water in the stool and convert it into a substance that makes it easier to pass, thus promoting bowel movements.

Cheese Baked Tomato

4. Duck

Duck is a premium dish on the dining table and an excellent food for nourishment. The nutritional value of duck is similar to that of chicken. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, since ducks mainly eat aquatic foods, their meat is considered sweet and cold in nature, entering the lung, stomach, and kidney meridians. It has the effects of nourishing the body, nourishing the stomach, tonifying the kidneys, eliminating bone steaming from heat, reducing edema, stopping dysentery from heat, and relieving cough and reducing phlegm. People with internal heat are suitable for eating duck meat, and it is even more beneficial for those who are weak in constitution, have poor appetite, have a fever, have dry stools, or suffer from edema.

Moreover, duck meat contains more B vitamins and vitamin E than other meats, which can effectively resist beriberi, neuritis, and various inflammations, and also has anti-aging effects. Duck meat contains a relatively high amount of niacin, which is a component of two important coenzymes in the human body and has a protective effect on patients with heart diseases such as myocardial infarction.

Five-Fruit Duck

5. Lettuce

Lettuce is rich in nutrients and has the effects of clearing heat, regulating qi, and resolving phlegm. Lettuce has a fresh taste with a slight bitterness, which can stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes and increase appetite. Its milky sap can enhance the secretion of gastric juice, digestive glands, and bile, thereby promoting the function of various digestive organs. It is especially beneficial for patients with weakened digestive function, reduced acidity in the digestive tract, and constipation. Not only that, but lettuce also contains various vitamins and minerals and has the effect of regulating the function of the nervous system. The organic compounds it contains are rich in iron that is easily absorbed by the body, which is very beneficial for patients with iron-deficiency anemia. The hot water extract of lettuce has a high inhibitory rate against certain cancer cells, so it can also be used for cancer prevention and treatment.

Scented Oil Lettuce