Cool down from the inside: what to eat and drink on hot days

On hot days, we lose our appetite and eat less than usual. Moreover, we sweat, and together with sweat, our body loses very important substances necessary for its proper functioning. How to cool down from the inside? What to eat and drink on hot days, and what should be avoided? Here you will find answers to these questions.

7 PHOTOS

1. Melons, oranges, and grapefruits for cooling.

Our daily menu should definitely include fruits, especially those that contain a lot of water and are refreshing. These are melons, oranges, grapefruits, and watermelons. The champion among them is, of course, watermelon, which is 90 percent water. These fruits also contain antioxidants necessary for our health, which neutralize free radicals, which is especially important in summer, when their number increases significantly as a result of prolonged exposure to the sun. A large number of free radicals in the body contributes to the activation of enzymes (enzymes) that destroy the collagen fibers of the skin and thus it loses its elasticity. Remember to also eat "watery" vegetables. They also contain many vitamins and minerals that will help maintain the body's fluid and electrolyte balance on hot days.

2. Eat a salad instead of a heavy meal.

When it gets hot, we should give up heavy and fatty foods - it makes us lethargic and sleepy. For cooking, you can use a grill pan, which does not require the addition of oil. And it is best to replace fried dishes with baked in foil, steamed or boiled. When the air temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius, instead of hot soups, you can cook a cold soup, and make, for example, a summer salad with tomatoes, green cucumber, smoked salmon, or chicken as the main dish. The main rule is that the salad should be easily digestible, so you should refuse to add fatty sour cream and mayonnaise, and replace them with natural yogurt. By adding a little lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil to help your body absorb the vitamins from the vegetables, as well as fresh seasonings, you will have a salad that is not only delicious but also very healthy.

3. Spicy food lowers body temperature.

Spicy dishes perfectly cool our bodies. Eating foods that make us sweat is a natural way to cool down. Capsaicin, which is found in cayenne pepper, stimulates one of the areas of the brain, as a result of which our body temperature drops. Therefore, in many warm countries, such as Mexico, India, and Thailand, cayenne pepper is an essential ingredient in a wide variety of dishes.

4. Drink plenty of water and eat natural yogurt.

On hot days, we should drink an average of half a liter more than usual: about 3.2 liters of water for a woman and 4.2 liters for a man. If everything is in order with your health, drink highly mineralized non-carbonated water, which will replenish the microelements washed out with sweat from your body. We need a large amount of fluid to prevent hyperthermia or overheating of the body. Therefore, if you leave the house, even for a short time, you should always have a bottle of water with you, and drink it at frequent intervals. Nutritionists also advise adding lemon juice to the water, which helps to replenish the water deficit more quickly.

Eat also natural yogurts - they not only cool but also improve the digestion process, which worsens significantly in the heat. That is why in hot Arab countries they drink airan instead of water - a drink based on natural yogurt, which quenches thirst and brings relief. It is absorbed faster than milk, and also promotes better absorption of iron and calcium, trace elements that are necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

5. Don't drink too cold drinks.

Too cold drinks and ice cream will only make you feel better for a moment. In fact, by eating them, you give a signal to your body and it begins to warm the body from the inside. It is not recommended to drink carbonated drinks in the heat - they will cool you down for a while, but the carbon dioxide contained in them, by increasing pressure in the gastrointestinal tract, will cause bloating and a feeling of heaviness.

6. Give up alcohol and energy drinks.

Alcoholic beverages, by dilating blood vessels, worsen the functioning of the cardiovascular system, which can lead to jumps in blood pressure and cause cardiac arrhythmia. In addition, even low-percentage alcohol, such as beer and wine, dehydrates the body and inhibits the action of vasopressin, a hormone that regulates the body's fluid and electrolyte balance.

Energy drinks are high in caffeine, high levels of which can lead to dehydration. They also contain a large amount of sugar, which slows down the process of fluid replenishment.

7. Limit your intake of coffee and strong tea to a minimum.

The caffeine contained in coffee and strong black or red tea disrupts the water and electrolyte balance of the body: the microelements necessary to maintain it are washed out. The deficiency of magnesium and potassium in the body significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Compliance with these simple rules will allow you not only to feel better on hot days but also to maintain your health.