"Heat Advisory: Guidelines for suitable and unsuitable food choices during heatwaves"
As Germany experiences a heatwave, staying hydrated and cool becomes crucial for maintaining good health. Here's a list of recommended foods that can help manage high temperatures effectively, providing essential fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients.
Firstly, water-rich fruits and vegetables are a must. Watermelon, with over 90% water content, is an excellent choice due to its antioxidant properties, particularly lycopene, which supports heart health and protects skin from UV damage. Cucumbers, with 95-97% water content, are refreshing, low in calories, and rich in potassium, vitamins A and K.
Coconut water, a natural electrolyte-rich drink, is another ideal option. It contains potassium, magnesium, and sodium, which help replenish minerals lost through sweating and rehydrate the body. Mint leaves, with their natural cooling effect, aid digestion and can be added to water, chutneys, or yogurt-based dishes like raita to enhance hydration and cooling.
Probiotic dairy foods, such as yogurt (curd) and buttermilk, help regulate body temperature, support gut health, and keep you feeling full. Leafy greens and tomatoes, high in water and antioxidants, provide hydration, help detoxify the body, and protect cells from heat-related oxidative stress.
Other hydrating fruits like peaches and strawberries are rich in water, potassium, vitamins, and antioxidants, helping maintain fluid balance and protect vascular health during hot weather.
In hot weather, our appetite for heavy food often decreases naturally. However, completely avoiding carbohydrates can harm us. Carbohydrates can still be consumed to help maintain stable blood sugar levels and aid concentration. In the morning, oatmeal, whole grain bread, or nuts are good choices.
It's also important to note that consuming enough salt is important in hot weather to replace minerals and salts lost through sweat.
On the other hand, it's advisable to reduce coffee and alcohol intake in hot weather. Coffee, although not much, can still dehydrate you, and non-caffeine drinkers may feel the effects of caffeine more strongly and should be cautious. Alcohol dehydrates strongly and should be largely avoided in hot weather due to the risk of rapid drops in blood pressure, tiredness, and potentially unconsciousness when combined with heat.
Grilling fatty food in hot weather is not recommended due to the body's increased effort to digest it. If grilling food during a heatwave, choosing vegetables is better for the environment, climate, animals, and your body.
Contrary to common belief, spicy food can be consumed in hot weather. The compounds in spicy food, such as capsaicin, can actually cool the body.
In conclusion, focusing on water-rich fruits and vegetables, probiotic dairy, and natural electrolyte sources helps maintain hydration, balance electrolytes, reduce internal heat, and support digestion — all essential for handling high temperatures effectively. Avoiding heavy, oily, and spicy foods also aids in preventing heat-induced discomfort and fatigue.
- Incorporating coconut water, rich in natural electrolytes, along with water-rich fruits like peaches and strawberries, can help maintain fluid balance and provide essential nutrients during a heatwave.
- Science and health-and-wellness experts advise consuming probiotic dairy foods, such as yogurt and buttermilk, to support gut health, regulate body temperature, and aid hydration in hot weather.
- When grilling during a heatwave, prioritizing vegetables over fatty foods is beneficial for the environment, climate, animals, and personal health, as fatty foods increase the body's effort to digest, potentially causing discomfort and fatigue.
