Tips for eating in summer – Which diet is suitable for the warm season?
In This Article
When the temperature starts to rise, it’s important to keep your body cool and healthy by eating the right foods in the summer. Especially if you eat unhealthy diet, this can lead to imbalances in the heat such as insomnia, high blood pressure, inflammation, constipation and bleeding problems. Sure, you could blow up the air conditioner and take a cold shower, but staying cool should start from the inside out. With these tips for eating in summer, you can keep your body temperature low when it gets too hot outside.
Eating in summer – the season for diet change
In summer we usually try to enjoy the warm and longer days as much as possible. We sleep less but have more time for rest. In this very pleasant season, when we eat less, it is especially important to think about dietary changes. Cleanse your body and give it more energy and power for the next cooler seasons. The summer season is therefore a time of diet change. Most of our body functions are optimized when we consume foods of surrounding nature, in accordance with the seasons and weather conditions. Summer is the season when nature offers us a wealth of fresh fruit and vegetables loaded with solar energy. These products contain many important and necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
During summer natural products can hydrate our body with 80-90% structured water. Thus, we supply our body with the necessary fuel in the form of glucose. In addition, we can easily absorb such foods without stressing the digestive system. At the same time, we quickly recharge the vital energy.
Balanced diet as a summer detox
Summer is the best time to re-charge and balance. High temperatures, a lot of sun and energy, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables enable and encourage us to consume more raw food. This detoxifies, cleanses the body and keeps the acidity levels low. So summer is the best season for alkalizing the body acidified by eating heavy and sour foods in winter.
Consume fresh fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches, melons, figs, grapes and especially vegetables. These can be cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, carrots, beetroot and others. This will help you to strengthen your weakened immune system which will increase your body’s vitality and strength. The intake of raw fruits and vegetables as summer food should preferably account for 70-80% of food intake per day. Thus, you achieve a balance in the body that is lost during the cold season.
Eating in summer – Seaweed and seafood
The salty taste of seaweed brings the freshness of the deep ocean directly to your plate. The benefits of kelp are quite many. They give you an important supply of natural iodine and potassium that is otherwise lacking in the typical western diet. Fish and shellfish in particular contain many proteins and nutrients without polluting the body. Chinese medicine is also using seafood and algae. We can easily see that most fish and shellfish can keep us healthy and cool. This means that the result of eating fish, even after cooking, counteracts the heat that remains in your system. Thus you can bring yourself back into balance on a hot summer’s day.
Herbs can cool the body
Stinging nettles, lemongrass, chickweed, banana leaf, sorrel, dandelion, coriander, hibiscus, red clover, lemon balm, raspberry leaf and peppermint – these are just a few of the herbs that are known to bring the response to the heat of your body to a cooler state. With some of them you can complement your salads perfectly. Others, such as nettles, lemongrass, hibiscus, red clover, lemon balm, raspberry leaf and peppermint, are suitable for making delicious cold infusions or teas. Stinging nettles and lemon grass not only make delicious infusions, but are also ideal for cooking summer dishes. In fact, all of these herbs can be a creative and refreshing addition to many of your favorite summer time recipes.
It may seem bizarre, but some countries in the hottest climates are famous for their spicy food in the summer, as well as the consumption of hot tea. This is because spicy dishes and hot tea bring your body to its heat threshold, opening its pores and cooling it naturally through perspiration. You may want to avoid them during midsummer weddings if you are dressed smartly. However, at the next barbecue, you’ll feel great as you sip a hot peppermint tea with your friends.
Drink plenty of water and liquids
This well-known fact is obvious. In hot summer weather, our body tends to dry, as water literally evaporates from us. Keep your body hydrated even more than usual with plenty of water and liquids. If you find clear water too boring, you can add a few slices of cucumber, a few berries, a splash of lemon or a few sprigs of lemon balm. Eat less animal products and avoid alcohol, coffee, processed sugar, lemonade, flour and cigarettes. When the weather is hot, your body should not have to work too hard to process what you put into it.
Take a break by eating lighter ingredients such as fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods such as meat, dairy and processed foods that can cause inflammation. Try cooking your food in the summer by steaming or consume more raw foods. Avoid cooking, frying, baking and roasting. Slow-cooked meals are great for the colder months, but should be avoided in spring and summer. Instead of eating a casserole in August, take advantage of the warm weather to enjoy more sushi, salads, and quick-cooked meals.
Eating in summer – Not too much cold food in summer
It may sound tempting to stick to what comes straight out of the fridge when the sun is shining outside. However, always make sure to consider your personal condition when choosing foods. If you notice signs and symptoms such as irritability, constipation, thirst, excessive sweating, or just feel awful when the temperature reaches the upper digits, then the tips in this article are for you.
However, if you do not like cold weather, as well as loose bowel movements, flatulence, and a pale tongue in winter and thrive in the summer heat, your general condition is probably on the colder side of the spectrum. You can still occasionally eat watermelons when it gets too hot outside. However, be careful that you are still eating plenty of hot food so you do not over-cool your system.
Vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes, salads, celery and spinach are ideal for summer meals. Raw vegetables are always a healthy option. Due to their watery nature, these 5 types of vegetables can lower your body temperature particularly well. You can also enjoy fruits such as apples, melons, citrus fruits and berries as healthy desserts during the warm days. Just like raw vegetables, fruit almost always cools the body system. You can eat it directly as a snack or dessert, make a smoothie with it or add it to your water for a delicious and refreshing drink.
Summer diet plan
Try to stay healthy, alive and energetic whenever possible. To achieve that, it is better to focus on more fresh and ripe organic fruits and vegetables with guaranteed quality. We also recommend that you consume only one type of fruit per serving, without restriction in quantity. In addition, eat when you are hungry without paying attention to the calories. It is also advisable to consume large amounts of salad during summer time, with a focus on green leafy vegetables. As mentioned above, you should drink many liquids on hot days, starting in the morning with ½ liter of warm water.
If possible, it is better to exclude all animal products and fats, including olive oil, to allow the body rest from excessive protein and fat consumption. We do not absorb them easily and they accumulate as toxins in the organs. It is also advisable to reduce the consumption of seeds and nuts to 20-30 grams per day. This is the ideal amount that supplies valuable fatty acids.
If you are a fan of cooked meals, gluten-free cereals such as quinoa, millet, rice, buckwheat and such foods should be preferred in combination with some legumes. So if you follow these simple rules for proper nutrition depending on the season, you can stay healthy and vital throughout the year.