As we come to the business end of summer, it’s likely that the days will remain long and the mercury remain high for a little while longer. Below are a few tips on how to eat in the heat, to ensure your body works as well as possible through the end of the summer months.
Adjust your water intake
Okay so this isn’t technically ‘eating’, but it will help you combat those stinking hot days. Higher heat and humidity leads to sweat evaporating from our bodies faster, which means we lose more fluids. Increasing the volume and frequency of your water intake helps to replenish your fluid levels throughout the day.
The best foods to eat when it’s hot
Foods with a higher water content are great to eat when it’s hot, to help maintain water levels in the body. Some foods with the highest water content include:
• Strawberry
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Melon
Some other foods that are high in antioxidants have been linked to increased resistance to changes in the skin from UV rays. These include:
• Carrots
• Pomegranates
• Tomatoes
As you can see, the above are great foods to add to salads (or fruit salads), which are pretty nice to eat in the heat anyway!
Some foods to try to avoid
Alcohol – again, not technically a food, but worth limiting just the same. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes you to urinate (usually more fluid than you’ve taken in), which promotes dehydration.
Meat (or foods high in protein) – protein takes lots of energy for your body to break down, which will cause heat in your body as a by-product of the digestion.
So as much as a barbeque and a few drinks with your friends might sound like a GREAT idea on a hot summer night, just beware that it may not leave you feeling fab. Perhaps try to throw in some soda water with lime, and a lot of salads with your grilled meat!
Cold desserts – ice cream, icy poles, and other frozen desserts may actually leave you feeling hotter once the initial chill has worn off. This is because your body overcompensates for the rapid cooling effect of these foods, and actually begins to generate more heat! Opting for a fruit salad or platter as dessert on those hotter days instead may be a better option.
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Jemimah Nicholson
This post was written by Dr Jemimah Nicholson.
You can find out more about Jemimah here or book an appointment with her here.
Alternatively, you can call the clinic on 03 9908 2844.