Keeping cool in the heat of summer

Cyprus is still sizzling in the 2nd half of August. Many of you may be on holiday or have just come back, and for those of us who live on the island, the summer can seem endless at times. We put ourselves into a lower gear, spend lots of time at the beach or in a pool and stay out of the sun during the hottest hours of the day.

Eating cooling foods such as salads, watermelon or cold soups also help the body cope with the heat, as does herbal ice tea. You have to try it to really appreciate just how much a herbal tea cools you down, but once you do, you're likely to prefer this healthy drink over anything fizzy or sugary!

This summer I made a new ultra-cooling and constitution-moistening blend of herbs and flowers which effectively cools the body, is relaxing, light, digestive and very tasty! It consists of mulberry leaf, hibiscus flower, jasmine, passionflower, lemon balm, fennel and lemon verbena. I named the blend Summer Breeze. The unique combination of these herbs makes this an oasis for the body and mind in the midst of heat and heat stress.

To make ice tea all you need is a little preparation ahead. For a litre of tea use a modest tablespoon of herbs, put these in a teapot or tea press (a cafetiere used only for this purpose is the handiest), add a pinch of stevia leaves or a little honey and leave your tea to infuse until it has cooled down enough to be placed into the fridge. Chill for a few hours and serve with ice cubes.

Ice tea will keep in the fridge for 48 hours maximum.

Stay cool!