In his famous 1936 hit, Martha and The Vandellas they compared romantic love to a heat wave. But when we are faced with the latter, what we really feel is hate. So we thought that going to the rods would improve things, but we continue sweating and cursing the day we said that this winter was getting long. Predictions predict that we will reach 40º C in the middle of May. And we should be prepared.
Although eating and drinking do not help much to lower the thermal sensation –in this sense, the important thing is to stay in the shade, in the coolest possible place, and not to make physical effort in the middle of the day–, the truth is that it is important for regulate our body temperature and avoid what is one of the greatest dangers of summer: the heatstroke.
This is not a trivial problem, in 2017 20 people died from this cause and in 2015, when we suffered the longest heat wave in historical record, 24 people died from heat stroke, to which we must add another 42 deaths attributable to excessive heat. Beyond the waves the heat reigns throughout the summer in most of the country, and extreme precautions must be taken, without forgetting the role of food.
Food against heat stroke
As experts from the Mayo Clinic explain, heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and occurs when the body temperature reaches 40º C or more. It happens for two reasons: when we are exposed to a hot environment for a long time –what is known as “exertional heat stroke”– or when we carry out intense physical activity in a hot climate –“exertional heat stroke”–.
The maximum in summer should be to eat foods that have a large amount of water
In both cases, the condition can appear for the following reasons: wear too many clotheswhich prevents sweat from evaporating easily and cooling the body; drink alcohol, which can affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature; Y dehydrateby not drinking enough water to replace the fluids that are lost through sweating.
This is why the food and drink we eat when exposed to high temperatures is more important than we usually believe. And this is what we should and should not take.
what to eat and drink
As a general rule, the maximum in summer should be to eat foods that have a large amount of water, help us regulate our body temperature and do not dehydrate us and, in this sense, some of the recommendations may be surprising.
Tea and other infusions
You are reading right. Although it seems contradictory, drinking hot drinks when it’s very hot helps regulate body temperature more efficiently than cold drinks. It is no coincidence that in many Asian countries where it is much hotter than here, everyone prefers to drink hot drinks (much to the chagrin of Western visitors).
The sweating and, more importantly, the sweat evaporation, is one of the key pathways to modulate body temperature and maintain thermal balance. As shown by various studies –such as this one from 2012–, due to the increased heat load on the body from drinking a hot drink, there is an increase in the global production of sweat and its evaporation, which compensates for the increase in internal heat generated by the drink hot, it is digested very quickly.
Is better avoid coffeeas it causes greater fluid retention
Spicy food
As explained in an article in Scientific Americanspicy food is beneficial for regulating body temperature for the same reason that hot drinks are more refreshing than cold ones: the spicy stimulates the thermosensors of the mouth, causing us to feel more heat and, therefore, sweat more. All this, of course, if we can evaporate the sweat, that’s why it’s important to always wear the right clothes.
Watermelon, melon and strawberry
The fruits par excellence of summer are, in addition, one of the ones that contain the most water. Specific, watermelon and strawberry are 95% water and the melon between 85 and 90% (depending on the varieties).
We are not going to list here how convenient it is to introduce more fruits and vegetables in our diet, but we will remember that, in general, they are still not present enough in our meals and we would do well to incorporate them more frequently.
Salads and gazpacho
vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, celery and radishes They are made up of more than 95 percent water. The tomato reaches 94. That is why any combination of vegetables is perfect to consume in summer.
Just a warning. On very hot days, especially if you are going to eat out, it is better to avoid adding mayonnaise to our salads or any other dressing that includes raw egg, which is one of the main causes of poisoning in summer. We are not going to care about refreshing ourselves if we catch a salmonellosis.
What not to eat or drink
The foods and drinks to avoid are those that increase our body temperature or dehydrate us. And unfortunately, many are present in our summer menus, so, as is almost always the case, it is more important to know what not to do.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages and summer seem to go hand in hand, but they shouldn’t. Alcohol acts as a powerful diuretic which, as everyone knows, makes us urinate more frequently, which leads to greater dehydration. This is not to say that we can’t have a few beers, but if getting drunk is always a bad idea during a heat wave, it is even more so.
Nor is it good to wait for winter to go blind. Bad news: alcohol is also bad for fighting the cold. When temperatures drop, blood circulation in the extremities decreases so that it concentrates in the vital organs. If the cold continues to increase, the vessels narrow more and more. It is a defense system that is counteracted by alcohol which, in addition, if consumed in excess, weakens our immune system, which predisposes us to catch a cold.
Meat (and other high-protein foods)
Barbecue is another one of our summer passions, but just like alcohol, it’s not the best food when it comes to beat the heat, And not just because we’re going to roast while we do it.
Barbecues are the ideal event to catch a sunstroke
It is known as thermogenesis to the ability to generate heat in the body due to metabolic reactions. In general, a large meal leads to greater thermogenesis and, therefore, generates more body heat, but, specifically, proteins are the type of nutrient that is most difficult for us to digest. So, if you go to a barbecue on a very hot day, it is better not to stuff yourself with sausages and bacon and bet on including vegetables. Nor does squeezing a stew seem like a good idea.
Orbegozo Sf 0147 – Oscillating Pedestal Fan, 3 Ventilation Levels, Blade Size 40 Cm, Adjustable Height, 50 W, White
As with spicy or hot water, thermogenesis also increases sweating, but generates internal heat for much longer. The body temperature it ends up regulating, but while our digestion lasts we will have more heat.
It is an increase in body temperature that can be anecdotal, but if we add to that the heat of the sun, the grill and the alcohol with which these celebrations are usually accompanied, barbecues are the ideal event to catch a sunstroke.
Images | iStock/Pexels
In DAP | The 16 best recipes to enjoy homemade summer meals without getting overheated
In DAP | The 23 most hydrating foods to cool off eating this summer (and a lot of recipes with them so you don’t get bored)