Although the summer heat is a blessing to everyone who suffers through the colder temperatures of Autumn, Winter (and sometimes Spring) it can also be a tough time for anyone attempting to cope with it. We are reminded regularly to hydrate and keep our body’s fluid levels up in order to prevent dehydration, but there are also dietary changes you can make to help deal with rising temperatures. We wanted to discuss 4 that will help your body regulate its own temperature and help you stay a little more comfortable when the heat is on this summer.
1) Citrus Fruits Help Your Body Function Efficiently
Many citrus fruits, including lemons, oranges and grapefruits, are considered superfoods that are filled with antioxidants and nutrients designed to help keep skin healthy and aid body functions. They are especially good at aiding the digestion of proteins and fats which would otherwise require a large amount of energy to breakdown, thus forcing your body to work harder in the heat.
There are many ways to include citrus fruits in your daily regime, the most obvious being eating more of them, but you can also infuse a bottle of water with half a lemon (cut up) to both hydrate yourself and get many of the benefits. Increasing citrus juice intake (such as orange juice etc.) is not advised as these tend to contain a lot of sugars, even if they are natural.
2) Cucumber Cools The Body & Flushes Out Toxins
Due to its high water-content and fresh taste, eating more cucumber has a naturally cooling effect on your body when consumed regularly. Also, due to its diuretic properties, it helps flush toxins out of your system meaning your body can function more efficiently and tissue remains healthy. It also contains high levels of minerals as well as Vitamin B, Calcium and Zinc all of which aid various areas of your body including your skin, bones and brain cells.
This is another food stuff that can you can infuse your water with, you can also add it to sandwiches, burgers and salads to easily increase your weekly intake.
3) Spicy Foods Reduce Your Heat Levels
This may seem counter-intuitive but spicy foods actually help your body regulate its own temperature. Although they initially give a feeling of heat, they speed up your metabolism and cool you down in the long-run and many spices are considered home remedies for stress and headaches. If you have doubts it’s understandable, but there is a very good reason that many spicy foods and dishes originate from countries with very warm climates.
Sprinkling chilli flakes or black pepper into marinades and salad dressings can help add a mild amount of spice to your food and add to the amount of spice you consume on a weekly basis. You can also add sliced chilli peppers to scrambled eggs to give them a little kick at breakfast.
4) Mint Is As Healthy As It Is Refreshing
Mint has long been considered a herb that has multiple uses including soothing ointments, healing balms and healthy teas. Consuming more mint on a regular basis has actually been shown to relax our mind and soothe our body, thereby helping it cool down in warmer temperatures. It also helps relieve inflammation of the stomach and skin, common issues the body has to deal with in intense heat.
There are a variety of ways to include mint in your diet including peppermint tea (or iced tea), adding it to pea salads or using it in a lamb marinade if you’re having a barbeque. Our personal favourite is to chop some up and add a little to your ice cube tray before filling with water, those ice cubes will help keep you cool and refresh any icy drink. We also like Mojitos too!
So that covers our 4 summer diet tips to help keep you cool, let us know what you think in the comment section below and if you’ve enjoyed the article then feel free to comment, like and/or share it with your friends/followers. Also, don’t forget to subcribe as there will be more summer lifestyle ideas coming soon from The Male Stylist.
By Adam Walker
