Spices are just not for enhancing the flavors of any dish. There’s a lot more to it than you can imagine. They contain bioactive compounds and antioxidants that maintain your inner body temperature when the outer temperature becomes unbearably hot. Spices are so important during summers, let’s know-how!
Summers tend to dehydrate you and drain you out of your energy, leading to irritation, fatigue, sweating, heart strokes, and even rashes. It will also prevent you from falling ill in this scorching heat.
Top 6 cooling Spices for Summer
Cardamom:
Active compounds in cardamom can detoxify unwanted chemicals and toxins from the body. This process helps the body to cool down from within. It helps in digestion as well, fights nausea, and soothes heartburns allowing the body to cool down instantly.
Fennel seeds:
Fennel seeds are a cooling spice that guards you against heat. A glass of fennel water before you set out in the hot sun proves to be beneficial to keep your body cool. Additionally, it also prevents your body from heatstroke.
If you suffer from the problem of indigestion or regular heartburns, this may be a factor in contributing to body heat. This spice is also good for people with hyperacidity.
The stimulation of intestinal juices which in turn helps in breaking down the food we eat. These seeds are good for the gut, but they also help in cooling down the body.
Cumin seeds/ powder:
Cumin has cooling properties just like the above-mentioned spices. It is hydrating and prevents us from getting heat strokes. This is the spice that usually catches our attention while tempering, but it is of a greater value to our surprise. It is a great remedy for treating gastric problems and bloating.
It acts like an antacid making you feel lighter and better even on a hot day. A glass of cumin water every morning or a spoon full of cumin powder in your buttermilk will cool down your system.
Coriander:
This is a popular spice and has been known for its cooling properties since ancient times. It helps to get rid of toxins and excess heat from the body. Coriander detoxifies the body keeping it cool and fresh. This spice soothes the digestive tract and fights inflammation.
Don’t worry if you start sweating! Coriander encourages sweating. As it tends to remove excess heat from the body, it helps in relieving fever; given credit to its diaphoretic properties. Be it fresh coriander or coriander seeds, they are commonly added to flavor Indian dishes.
Fenugreek:
Excessive heat may cause nausea, uneasiness, rashes, boils, and a feeling of discomfort in your body. To combat such discomforting feelings, add fenugreek to your diet in the summers. Not only that, it helps in getting rid of flatulence. Although it has a bitter taste to it, it is super healthy and will keep you fresh during summers.
Ginger:
You must be thinking that ginger is not the right spice for summers because it’s hot by nature. But that is not true. Good ginger tea as the first thing in the morning has a cooling effect through various mechanisms which are mentioned below.
- High environmental temperature increases the chances of oxidative stress problems. Thus, during hot summer days, the body needs a cooling spice like ginger that can fight excessive temperatures and oxidative stress at the same time.
- Essential oils present in ginger bring down the body temperatures. Gingerol is the active constituents in making this happen, and this is mainly responsible for the drop in body temperature.
- Ginger is popularly known for boosting appetites and helps relieve nausea and dizziness during summers.
We have mentioned how spices help in maintaining body temperatures during summers, but now you must be confused as to how you can incorporate them into your daily life. Elders have always bestowed us with knowledge of how important it is to keep consuming water at regular intervals in summer.
But, drinking plain water in summer gets a little boring sometimes, right? So, we are here with a few recipes that will help you to incorporate the above-mentioned cooling spices easily into your diet.
Cooling Recipes
Herbal Water:
Soak 1 tsp fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds in 3-4 liters of water overnight. Strain it and consume it throughout the day at regular intervals and see visible results in just a matter of time.
Herbal Tea:
This recipe works best on empty stomach or as the first thing in the morning that you consume when you wake up.
To make this tea, roughly crush some ginger and add it to boiling water. Take some mint leaves and some basil. Add a spoon of coriander seeds and strain properly.
This can even be made using two combination spices like,
- Ginger and basil
- Mint and coriander
- Fennel and cardamom
These are a few ways in which you can incorporate these spices into your routine. However, you are free to experiment with it the way you like. These spices will reduce body temperatures evidently and keep you fresh all day long. Drink water, keep yourself hydrated, and don’t forget to use these spices for a ‘not-so-hot’ summer.
