Summer cool tips are needed during the scorcher months. Our bodies are screaming for cool and hydration. And our minds are looking for adventure and outdoor exploration where excessive heat and humidity causes havoc on our bodies.
I think and feel for the Tour de France cyclists 🚴 who rode in all weather conditions over mountains ⛰️ and uphill Montmartre Paris narrow neighborhood cobblestones that look like these whole wheat peach cobbler cobblestones.
Can you imagine what that would be like? I can’t …and to feel the impact less, below are 12 cooling tips to help soothe the mind and body… plus highlights of past blog post articles with good healthy summer reminders.
For starters, you can enjoy your summer by leaning into Ayurvedic ways like a cool and refreshing bowl that can help drive away heated Pitta season moods. You can easily save money and make your own chocolate ice cream …and not be disappointed that the soft serve machine is broken at the drive thru. 😊
And when you’re packing and getting ready for your hot day, these are 12 good summer cool reminder tips:
1. Keep aloe vera near you. Aloe helps with burns, heat rashes, and to instantly cool your skin. That’s like giving a spa water bath to your body when it’s thirsty for cool relief. Many moisturizers have aloe barbadensis leaf juice ingredients, but I like to go straight to the 100% ingredient source.
2. Bring a water spray bottle that comes in handy. You can hang it to a beach bag or something in case you run out of car cupholders, and so you don’t have to go rummaging for it like a regular water bottle.
3. Start your day with a smoothie, that has chilled ingredients like nut-based milk, bananas, coconut, and berries. Try frozen smoothies. Let them cool you down as they defrost. 🧊
…Up for it? Try a sweet smoothie challenge.
The point is to lower sugar intake and increase fiber and nutrients. For sweetener, try adding maple syrup, honey, or fruits instead of white table sugar. Did you happen to see my blueberry cobbler recipe that has no added sugar?
4. Take cool showers or end on a cool setting for 10-30 seconds. This is can keep you chillin’ down to the bone. 🚿 You can feel cool inside and warm to the touch on the skin. To lock in skin moisture and help stay hydrated cool, moisturize right after showering when the skin is still moist.
Movin’ on, now we can talk about the fun stuff… food! (I think fun, anyway!).
5. Use cooling spices like cumin. Adding a Pitta spice like cumin is going to help your body stay cool. You can add to a hummus dip or a beet cauliflower soup that can be served cold (or served warm if you’re feeling fall Vata cold in the summer… that can happen). Mint herb is another great cooling add… that goes well in a pea bowl.
6. Eat foods that hang between a fruit and a veggie like beets, avocados, and medley color tomatoes. Many are vibrant in summer colors as well as nutrients! And you can always freeze produce and add them to smoothies.
If you’re on staycation or grocery shopping, you can also challenge yourself to these cool smoothie and healthy beverages.
7. Cut up summer tropical fruits like a mango, guava, dragon fruit, passion fruit, coconut, and pineapples that are eat-from-the-rainbow 🌈healthy. For more happy vibes, you can make a tropical fruit salad or tropical fruits pie.
8. Add refreshing whole fruits to your list like peaches and plums that are usually summer abundant. Handing them out to others in the car is always fun and well received. And you can make and take healthy peach juice and drink ideas 🍑
9. Add and eat hydrating juicy fruits like watermelon, kiwi, pears, grapes, and oranges that can go in a salad and make great food garnishes too.
10. Bring out cool veggies that win you plant-based points. Like raw carrots, lettuce, and celery that are easy to transport. You can make a memorable Italian bean salad or no-bitter radish salad.
11. Bring along a cooling towel or T-shirt. A day or two before, roll up a towel and leave in the freezer or fridge, and then bring along with you so you can wrap around your neck or put on and quickly cool you down.
12. Use an aluminum water bottle that keeps water and beverages cold longer. Sometimes all day.
Another cool item from the fridge I like to bring out, are high antioxidant-rich fruits like sweet-scented pineapple chunks or tart lemons. Not for eating, but I can run one down my face for a hydrate cooling moment and get a Vitamin C fruit facial.
It’s a topical tropical 🍍😎🍍
And when you’re out and about, think of healthy drinks such as coconut water. Some have electrolytes. Check the label also for low sugar content.
Instead of water or milk, you can add coconut water to smoothies like a watermelon smoothie, tropical smoothie with dragon and passion fruit, and mango green smoothie. 🥥💧
A smoothie is a way to squeeze in more antioxidant foods that help the skin and protect the body from chronic damage that shows up as aging. Unlike juicing, you keep the food fiber that’s also good for weight loss.
You can also get food shopping inspiration from this eat-from-the-rainbow 200 anti-inflammatory grocery food list.
Hope you enjoyed these summer cool tips.
Have an excessively cool week! 🍉 …and if you’re driving or sitting down a lot, reminder to do a ‘lil seated yoga to help unwind and build up flexibility!