How to Clear "Summer Heat" & 3 Cooling Recipes

Heat (usually occurring just in the summertime) and “fire toxin” (can occur any time of the year) are 2 of the “Evil Qi” in Chinese medicine.  (fun fact: I recently heard that the translation of "Evil" Qi is more like "annoying" Qi.  😆) 

Heat signs include: 

• feeling hot, sometimes with a fever, but not always
• red tongue with a yellow coating (or red pinprick spots on the tongue)
• sweating and loss of body fluids
• yellow urine
• irritability or restlessness
• fainting
• red rashes 
• excessive or unwanted bleeding

"Evil Fire" is similar, but more intense than heat signs.  It also includes infections.

"Fire toxin" Symptoms:

• loud, forceful cough, possibly with bleeding
• high fever, thirst, and sweating
• red, painful rash or boils; mouth ulcers
• burning ulcer, heartburn
• toothache or infection
• severe anxiety or restlessness; mania
• shingles or burning pain from herpes
• dysentery
• coma or stroke
• sudden and unexpected bleeding of the nose, uterus, bladder, lungs, or intestines
• bright red tongue (crimson) with a yellow, dry, or no coating

To stay in balance, lifestyle and food make the biggest difference.  

Things that generate exess heat include: 

• alcohol
• coffee
• sugar
• processed foods
• STRESS!  

Some foods and herbs reduce excess heat and fire:  

• Fruits – Apples, Cantaloupe, Citrus, Pears, Tomato, Watermelon
• Herbs – Chrysanthemum, Cilantro, Dandelion, Lemon Balm, Peppermint
• Tofu and Tempeh, Beans, Legumes
• Vegetables – Asparagus, Broccoli, Bok Choy, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Lettuce, Mung Beans, Radish, Seaweed, Squash, Sweet Corn (not dried), Zucchini

It’s no coincidence these are mostly summertime foods!  

Here are some of my favorite summertime, cooling recipes:

CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients:  1 cucumber (peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices); 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley, mint, or green onion), olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper

Put cucumber slices, tomato, and herbs into a bowl.  Add in 1 Tablespoon vinegar, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Optional:  add in a few chunks of goat cheese.  🙂 

Enjoy as a side dish!  

SPICY MASHED CHICKPEA BOWL 

1 can chickpeas

1/2 cup mayo

sriracha to taste

1 tsp sesame oil

1 sheet sushi nori, cut into squares

salt to taste

2 cups jasmine rice

2 mini cucumbers, sliced

1 small carrot, julienned

1 mango, sliced

sesame seeds for topping

--

1. cook rice

2. mash chickpeas until mostly smooth. 

3. mix chickpeas with mayo, stitacha, oil, 1/2 sheet of the nori squares, and salt. 

4. top rice with chickpeas mixture, cucumbers, carrots, mango, and other 1/2 sheet of nori squares. sprinkle with sesame seeds and more sriracha to taste.

CURRY FRIED RICE WITH EGG AND THAI PICKLES

rice

summer squash

green beans

cherry tomatoes

thai pickles

curry powder

eggs

---

cook rice.

chop squash into half moons, 1/4" thick. chop green  beans into 1" pieces. chop tomatoes in half. set aside. 

saute pan @ high. + oil and green beans. saute 3-4 minutes. + squash. 2-3 more minutes of sauteeing. season with salt and pepper. 

+ 1 T oil. add rice and tomatoes. sprinkle with curry powder. 

+ skillet @ med. + 2 T oil. crack eggs into skillet. serve rice in bowl, topped with egg and side of pickles.