Summer is the season when many people have the most irregular diets. They either lose their appetite or overeat, and it's easy to consume too many raw and cold foods, all of which are detrimental to health. In the hot season, it is essential to pay attention to dietary regulation and adopt appropriate measures. Bitter foods are indispensable in summer.
Add some bitter foods
The alkaloids contained in bitter foods have pharmacological effects such as relieving summer heat, clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and dilating blood vessels. Appropriately eating some bitter foods on hot days, such as bitter melon, bitter vegetables, as well as bitter-tasting foods like beer, tea, coffee, and cocoa, can not only clear the mind, relieve vexation, refresh the brain, but also enhance appetite and strengthen the spleen and stomach.
Light nourishment is suitable for summer
The principle for hot weather is light nourishment, strengthening the spleen, and eliminating summer heat and dampness. Foods with the effects of being light in nature and nourishing yin should be chosen. Additionally, one can also consume some "heat-relieving medicinal porridges" such as mung bean congee and lotus leaf congee, which have a certain effect of eliminating summer heat and promoting the production of body fluids.
Supplement with salt and vitamins
Nutritionists recommend that during high-temperature seasons, it is best for each person to supplement with 2 mg of Vitamin B1, 2 mg of Vitamin B2, and 50 mg of Vitamin C daily, as well as 1 gram of calcium. This can reduce the consumption of carbohydrates and tissue proteins in the body and is beneficial to health. You can also eat more foods rich in the above-mentioned nutrients, such as watermelon, cucumber, tomato, beans and their products, animal liver and kidneys, and dried small shrimps. You can also drink some fruit juices.
Do not overconsume cold drinks and beverages
When the weather is hot, consuming some cold drinks or beverages can play a certain role in relieving summer heat and lowering the temperature. Ice cream and ice bricks are made from milk, egg powder, sugar, and other ingredients and should not be consumed in excess. Overconsumption can lower the temperature of the gastrointestinal tract, causing irregular contractions and inducing ailments such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. There are many varieties of beverages, most of which have low nutritional value. Drinking too much can damage the spleen and stomach, affect appetite, and even lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction.