Many strategies can help us when it is hot, such as staying next to the air conditioning all day, not going outside in the afternoon, putting on loose white clothes, having a fan with us everywhere, or spending the whole day in the pool the sea. But what about the food? Even though it’s summer, we’re still hungry and need to eat like other times of the year. And so the dilemmas begin: What to cook? What to eat to avoid feeling even hotter? Will a salad satisfy the hunger?
The secret to eating well and lowering body temperature during this period is maintaining a low-calorie diet that includes fresh foods. When it is scorching hot, we do not feel like eating large or hot meals. But even in summer, we need to eat well and feed on foods that lower the body temperature. It is indeed a matter of habits and choosing foods rich in nutrients that help achieve the goal. It is vital to avoid high-calorie foods because they make us gain weight and make us feel hot.
To avoid this, we recommend the following foods:
1) Fresh Salads
There are so many options. You can combine the vegetables you like best, such as lettuce, tomato, celery, carrot, beet, onion, and cabbage. You can also add cooked vegetables that are cold, and dressings like olive oil, lemon, and aromatic herbs are essential.
If a “light” salad does not satisfy your appetite, you can add ingredients such as rice, hard-boiled egg, olives, or canned tuna.
2) Whole Fruits
Another good way to cope with summer and high temperatures is to eat whole fruits. For example, take an apple, a pear, or a peach to the office. If you have time, make a fruit salad, but don’t add sugar.
You can add pieces of fruits to yogurt or a handful of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. We recommend eating fruits with high water content, such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Both are refreshing, provide lots of fiber and minerals, hydrate, are delicious, and contain almost no calories.
3) Light Sandwiches
Whole wheat bread (if it contains seeds, even better) should not be missing from your kitchen. Summer is the ideal time to prepare a quick and light snack. Also, please take the opportunity to eat more vegetables by adding them to sandwiches. You can also innovate with what you have in the fridge.
4) Fruit Juices
They will be your great allies during summer. Buy a variety of fruits and keep your blender or juicer in handy. Moreover, juices can be drunk at any time of the day; they refresh you at the moment and also nourish you.
They can be served at breakfast alongside a slice of toast and cheese or a pot of low-fat yogurt. An orange or apple juice will lower your body temperature and prevent you from eating other foods that have no nutritional value during the day.
5) Fish
To lower your body temperature in summer, don’t forget fresh fish. It contains fewer calories than meat, and depending on the method of preparation; it can refresh you. Pair it with a salad or sautéed vegetables.
Best of all, during the warm months, it is easier to get salmon, sole, or hake that contains fatty acids such as omega 3 (healthy fats). Seafood is also an excellent solution to enjoy a delicious, healthy, and refreshing lunch.
6) Dairy
In the morning, a rich strawberry yogurt is much more refreshing than a cup of coffee with milk and, of course, healthier. Dairy products, better if they are low-fat, can be perfect allies to lower body temperature when it is hot.
As you can see, there are many foods that lower body temperature in summer. Choose the foods you like best and fight the heat more effectively!