When it comes to summers it is all about staying hydrated with foods or drinks as blazing heat comes with a higher risk of dehydration and serious health implications. Without enough amounts of water, heat in the environment exhausts all energy out of our body and make us feel low and burned out.
But not only eating healthy is vital but it is also essential to be aware of certain foods which might hamper your mission to stay hydrated as the heat season approaches.
Weather is a key factor in determining how our body functions. How it copes with a blazing hot environment depends on what type of food we consume. Certain foods can help us keep our body cool and hydrated while others can make the body temperature rise. In addition to this, what we eat and drink also impacts our energy levels.
Stay away from these foods to make your summer and health cooler:
Excess salt: A diet with high levels of salt leads to various health issues, including bloating, high blood pressure, and heart disease. More importantly, taking salt more than needed can severely damage the kidneys. Reducing salt intake in the food will make you feel energised all day. Often over consumption of salt is to blame for most cases of dehydration that occurs in hot weather. Salt contains sodium which is a major component of our diet but when exceeded can be damaging to health as it leads to dehydration.
Caffeine drinks: Hot caffeine beverages cause your body temperature to go up. Consuming coffee and tea multiple times in a day cannot be considered a smart choice if you are thinking of your health. If you want your body to cool down and stay hydrated in blazing heat, avoid or reduce the hot beverages like tea or coffee.
Spicy Food: Not going for spicy food in the summers has always been the elders’ advice. Spicy food inflames your gut. Spicy foods contain elements which adversely affect the pitta dosha that cause body heat, which in turn, results in excessive sweating, boils on the skin, dehydration.
Fried and junk food: Fried food items are not very great for health but they are not helpful in keeping the body cooler either. On the contrary, the high content of oil salt can cause you to dehydrate. These types of food can take a toll on your gut health.
Pickles: Pickles contain high amounts of sodium which is the leading factor behind dehydration. It can cause an upset stomach or indigestion, if you have too much pickle juice. Since diets high in sodium lead to ulcers, swelling, and bloating, they are best to keep a hands distance away.
We need to be mindful of what we eat and drink heat, especially during blazing summers. Maintaining a healthy diet and staying hydrated during summers are crucial.
Foods and beverages such as watermelon, cucumber, coconut water, and fresh juices are enormously beneficial in keeping our bodies cool and energized.
