Insert raspberry here

Yeah. It’s hot. I’m grouchy. When the mercury climbs past 95, my skepticism morphs into annoyance.

So I’m a little peeved at the recommendations coursing across the Intertubes on what to eat to stay cool.

Eating hot peppers may be the dumbest recommendation I’ve seen. Because, they say, the peppers make you sweat (which has a cooling effect on the body).

I’m not having any problem sweating right now. I’m sitting in my air-conditioned studio, schvitzing like a pig, thankyouverymuch.

The Huffington Post warns us to stay away from “Yang” foods (as opposed to those cooling “Yin” foods). In the “Yang” column:

“…cabbage, onions, garlic, parsnip, leeks, cherries and dates. Warming spices include bay leaf, cinnamon and dill.”

Come on! This is in the same post recommending scotch bonnet peppers. But no onions? And really, what’s wrong with cherries? And a little dill on potato salad sounds mighty good.

On the brighter side, there’s lots of info out there on good things to avoid and really good recipe ideas to try.

Tops on the avoid list: fast food and sugary sodas. Doctors told an NBC affiliate in Georgia (where they really ought to know) that these can make your body hotter.

And tops on the cool food list: watermelon.

I’m gonna get one right now.

What are you eating or avoiding to stay cool? Let us know in the “Comments” below.

Here are a few good tips from the www:

Mango lassi

Thai iced tea / Thai iced coffee

Green salads, according to HuffPo:

“Lettuces, cucumbers, celery, spinach and peppers are all over 90% water.”

And if you have a juicer, experiment. A Google search can give you tips on some great-sounding drink recipes like cucumber ginger or coriander mint.

And let us know if you come up with something truly great and refreshing.

Stay cool.

5 Comments on “Insert raspberry here”

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  1. Justin says:

    My family is going through about one refrigerated watermelon a day and, oddly, raspberries from the garden that have been frozen. You can find berries in gardens and everywhere else this time of the year in the N.C.

    Lucky us. Stay cool everyone.

  2. If Clapton is God, Warren Haynes is Jesus says:

    Sage tea. Supposedly helps with sweating. But then again, sweating eventually helps cool the body. Go figure. I’m very intolerant to heat and also suffer from hyperhidrosis, which makes these heat waves intolerable. Ain’t life grand?

  3. verplanck says:

    I’m a big fan of cucumbers in beverages…very refreshing.

    I like to flavor my plain H2O with some lemon and a dash of maple syrup.

    Otherwise, I’ve taken to working out so I can just accept the fact I will be sweating like crazy.

    Still I refuse to add AC to my house. Environmentally principled, stingy, or lazy? Probably a bit of all 3.

  4. PNElba says:

    I like the Huffington Post, but you can pretty much ignore anything they write about science.

  5. Bret4207 says:

    Lots of cool water, lots and lots. We’ve been haying heavy for the past week. I’m drinking well over 2 gallons of water between 9AM and 7PM. My kids won’t drink water so the old man out works them by far.

    Finally put the AC in the bedroom 2 night ago. At least now I can sleep.

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