4 Foods to Eat Less of in Summer to Prevent "Heatiness"
Introduction: In the hot summer, lack of sleep and high physical consumption can easily lead to "heatiness". Therefore, in addition to drinking more water, people should also pay attention to their diet. Eating less of the following 4 types of food can help prevent heatiness.
I. Eat Less of "Warm and Heaty" Fruits
Eating too many "warm and heaty" fruits in summer, such as lychees, longans, and apricots, can easily trigger "false heat rising" in the body. Lychees contain components that lower blood sugar, and eating too many can lead to hypoglycemic reactions. For people with a "heaty" body constitution, who are naturally energetic, have difficulty falling asleep at night, and have a high metabolism rate, it is even more important to avoid these fruits. Furthermore, children who have a fever or have an inflamed organ should also avoid eating them. Besides lychees and longans, peaches, longans, guavas, cherries, coconuts, durians, and apricots are also considered "warm and heaty" fruits. They should be eaten in moderation during summer, never excessively.
II. Eat Less Nuts
Nuts refer to various oily seed foods, such as peanuts, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, melon seeds, almonds, and pistachios. It is crucial to eat nuts in moderation during the summer because they are very high in calories. For example, the calories in 50 grams of melon seeds are equivalent to a large bowl of rice. For the average person, about 30 grams of nuts per day is an appropriate amount. Nuts have the function of generating heat in the body, so they are more suitable for winter and should be eaten less in summer.
III. Eat Less Meat
When the temperature exceeds 35°C, excessive sweating can increase blood viscosity and irritability. Eating meat at this time can worsen one's temper. Meat contains a large amount of animal protein, which can reduce the level of tryptophan in the brain, leading to tendencies towards aggression, anxiety, and belligerence. Secondly, the calcium content in meat is not high, and excessive consumption can lead to low calcium concentration in the body, which also increases the tendency towards irritability and anger. Excessive intake of meat can harden blood vessels, which in turn raises blood pressure. Increased blood pressure is an important cause of emotional instability.
IV. Use Less "Heaty" Spices
During the hot summer, high temperatures can make it unbearable to use "heaty" spices (such as star anise, fennel, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and white pepper) in cooking, as they can also cause some digestive and urinary tract problems. Consuming "heaty" spices can lead to constipation, hemorrhoids, intestinal bloating, reduced urination, painful urination, kidney pain, and even systemic diseases like cheilitis, pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, prickly heat, and heatstroke. People with chronic illnesses who consume "heaty" spices may find their condition worsens. Therefore, it is not advisable to use too many "heaty" spices in cooking during the summer.