What foods and drinks not to consume in the heat: tips from an expert

Summer is not only one of the best seasons when all the healthy berries, vegetables and fruits ripen but also a dangerous one when the temperature rises rapidly, and with it the danger to the body if you do not follow the rules of nutrition. Experts recommend eating light meals and drinking plenty of water, especially on hot days, to help the body avoid severe stress.

Nutritionist Oksana Skytalinska shared her advice on what drinks and foods you can and cannot eat in the heat and why on Facebook.

What to drink in the heat

"It can be plain water, water with sliced cucumber, mint and basil leaves, mashed berries, apple and balsamic vinegar, lemon juice," the nutritionist advises.

What is better to eat in the heat

"It is best to eat food that is easily digestible and does not require a large amount of enzymes: vegetable and berry purees, vegetable soups (with kefir and kvass, cold borscht ("Polish borscht"), gazpacho, or gazpachoborscht (when raw beet and carrot puree is added to gazpacho)," the expert advised.

What foods should you eat more of?

"These are protein dishes that are quickly and easily digested: eggs, scrambled eggs, delicate omelets, steamed meatballs made from lean poultry and fish, cottage cheese, lentils (mashed potatoes, pate)," the expert explained.

Fermented foods and drinks

"These are sauerkraut, lightly salted cucumbers, homemade kvass made from various berries, flowers (for example, elderberry), and fermented dairy products. When preparing a salad, add a pinch of sauerkraut. Lactic acid bacteria will promote better digestion and metabolism," Skytalinska says.

Can you drink tea in the heat and what kind is best

"It is better to drink green tea as it is considered a natural adaptogen (helps the body adapt to high temperatures), rich in anti-inflammatory and tonic substances. It can be warm or cold," the expert recommends.

What foods should be emphasized

"Those rich in antioxidants - color pigments and vitamin C - berries, green leaves, fresh vegetables. Since the heat is accompanied, on the one hand, by a rapid loss of vitamins, especially water-soluble vitamins C and B, on the other hand, the body needs more of these vitamins to restore metabolism and the immune system. That's why we eat berries and green leaves throughout the day, not just "before lunch" because vitamin C does not accumulate in the body, the need for it is constant," the expert advises.

What you should not eat and drink

"Fatty and fried foods, salami, pizza. Such foods require a lot of body resources: enzymes, high-quality bile, lysozyme (an enzyme that destroys harmful bacteria) and high activity of intestinal bacteria, and these resources are lacking in the heat. Be sure not to eat sweets as a large amount of glucose enters the blood, worsening its properties (the blood becomes more "sticky," which increases the risk of blood clots). Once in the liver, sugar turns into fat and impairs liver function," the expert explained.

What kind of alcohol should you give up?

"Any alcohol has a toxic effect on both the brain and the liver in the heat, so it's better to make a non-alcoholic mojito," the nutritionist summarized.

An example of a daytime menu by Oksana Skytalinska

Breakfast. Omelet with spinach (put fresh spinach on top of the cooked omelet and cover 1-2 minutes before serving). Raw carrot salad with a spoonful of yogurt. A mixture of berries. Coffee or green tea to taste.

Snack. A glass of ayran with herbs. Dark berries.

Lunch. Gazpacho with crackers.

Dinner. Steamed white fish with baked tomatoes, peppers and herbs. A handful of black currants.