Memorial Day is just around the corner, and that means keeping your cool during hot and humid afternoon pool parties. While I don’t believe in sticking to one dietary theory all the time, I do find that seasonal eating can help us feel our best. Because our bodies are always looking for balance, your system has to work extra hard to maintain its internal temperature during extremely hot Florida days.
With that in mind, cooling foods are the perfect way to keep your body balanced when you’re out in the heat. To help you enjoy the parties and save time in the kitchen, here’s a quick and easy recipe, plus a list of my top 10 cooling foods.
Jicama Salad
This summer skip the potato salad and try jicama instead. This root vegetable is very hydrating and has 1/3 the calories and double the fiber of the potato! If you’re note sold, note the other great benefits of this salad: avocado helps lower your blood pressure, cabbage supports your liver (that may be overworking if you are celebrating with cocktails) and red pepper helps boost your system with antioxidants.
Salad Ingredients:
1 cup of organic corn (frozen and thawed is fine)
1 jicama root, peeled and julienned
1 head of purple cabbage, sliced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
½ cup lime or lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
Throw dressing ingredients together in a blender. Mix together with the jicama, pepper cabbage, corn and avocado. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
TOP 10 COOLING FOODS
SAVORY
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Jicama
Celery
SWEET
Watermelon
Honeydew
Grapes
Oranges
Mangoes
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About Alina Z.
Alina Z., aka “The Green Goddess,” is a certified holistic health coach, detox specialist and raw-food chef (she conducts occasional classes at Whole Foods in Boca). Prior to moving to Florida, Alina hosted her own TV show in Maryland—“Entertaining A to Z”—for people who didn’t have time to cook but wanted to eat healthy. Catch one of her web episodes at eHow.com, visit Alina’s website at alinaz.com, or follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/CoutureFood) or Twitter (@CoutureFood). The Green Goddess blog runs every other Wednesday at bocamag.com.
