Introduction: In summer, the body loses more water than in other seasons, so it is essential to replenish it promptly. When it comes to water, people often think of purified water and space water sold on the market. In fact, the water in vegetables is a natural, clean, nutritious, and biologically active water filtered through multiple biological membranes, which cannot be compared with any factory-produced drinking water. So, what fruits and vegetables are good to eat in July?
Summer is the peak season for melon vegetables, and their common feature is that they contain over 90% water. Winter melon ranks first among all vegetables with a water content of up to 96%, followed by cucumber, golden melon, loofah, chayote, pumpkin, bitter melon, watermelon, and others. This means that eating 500 grams of melon vegetables is equivalent to drinking 450 milliliters of high-quality water. In addition, all melon vegetables are characterized by high potassium and low sodium, which helps lower blood pressure and protect blood vessels.
Eat more cooling vegetables
The most significant factor affecting the human body in summer is the heat and dampness toxin. After invading the body, heat and dampness can cause pores to open, excessive sweating leading to qi deficiency, and also disrupt the function of the spleen and stomach, causing indigestion. Moreover, in recent years, the consumption of animal foods such as meat has increased, making the body constitution acidic and prone to internal heat. Eating some cooling vegetables helps to promote fluid production, quench thirst, relieve summer heat, clear heat, purge fire, and detoxify the bowels. Among the vegetables available in summer, which are cooling? Except for pumpkin and golden melon, which are warm-natured, other melons such as bitter melon, loofah, cucumber, snake melon, watermelon, and muskmelon are considered cooling vegetables. Tomatoes, eggplants, celery, chrysanthemum greens, Malabar spinach, lettuce, asparagus, watercress, and jicama are also cooling vegetables. These vegetables are in peak season, so it's a good idea to eat them frequently.
Eat more sterilizing vegetables
In summer, high temperatures promote the rapid growth and spread of pathogens, making it a season with a high incidence of human diseases, especially intestinal infectious diseases. At this time, eating more sterilizing vegetables can prevent illness. These vegetables include garlic, onions, chives, scallions, green onions, and garlic sprouts. These allium vegetables are rich in plant-based broad-spectrum bactericides that can kill and inhibit various cocci, bacilli, fungi, and viruses. Among them, garlic is the most effective. Recent research has found that the active ingredient in garlic is allicin. Since the alliinase in garlic becomes inactive when heated, it is best to eat garlic raw to fully utilize its sterilizing and disease-preventing properties. The aforementioned allium vegetables all have varying degrees of bactericidal and inhibitory effects, and regular consumption is beneficial.
Eat more seasonal fruits
Watermelon: Can clear summer heat, relieve restlessness, and quench thirst. Watermelon contains a large amount of water. When suffering from acute febrile diseases, thirst, excessive sweating, and irritability, eating a sweet, sandy, and juicy watermelon can quickly alleviate these symptoms. The sugar and salt in watermelon can promote urination and reduce kidney inflammation, while its protease can convert insoluble protein into soluble protein, increasing nutrition for patients with nephritis. Watermelon also contains substances that can lower blood pressure. After eating watermelon, urine output increases significantly, which can reduce bilirubin content and promote bowel movements, having a certain effect on treating jaundice. Fresh watermelon juice and tender watermelon rind can increase skin elasticity, make people look younger, reduce wrinkles, and add a healthy glow.
Peach: The flesh of peaches is rich in protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B and C, and a large amount of water. It has a health-benefiting effect of nourishing yin, promoting fluid production, tonifying qi, and moistening the lungs for symptoms such as dry cough, hemoptysis, chronic fever, and night sweats associated with chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, atelectasis, silicosis, and tuberculosis.
Peaches have the effect of tonifying qi and blood, and nourishing yin to promote fluid production. They can be used for people with qi and blood deficiency, sallow complexion, emaciation, palpitations, and shortness of breath after a serious illness. Peaches are high in iron content, making them an ideal supplementary food for patients with iron-deficiency anemia. Peaches are rich in potassium and low in sodium, making them suitable for patients with edema.
Peach kernel has the effect of activating blood circulation to remove stasis and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements, and can be used as an adjunctive treatment for amenorrhea and falls. Peach kernel extract has an anticoagulant effect and can inhibit the cough center to stop coughing. At the same time, it can lower blood pressure and can be used as an adjunctive treatment for patients with hypertension.
Plum: Every 100 grams of edible plum contains 117.2-221.9 kilojoules of energy, 8.8 grams of sugar, 0.7 grams of protein, 0.25 grams of fat, 100-360 micrograms of vitamin A (carotene), 0.3 milligrams of niacin, over 6 milligrams of calcium, 12 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.3 milligrams of iron, 130 milligrams of potassium, 2-7 milligrams of vitamin C, as well as other minerals, various amino acids, asparagine, and dietary fiber.
Plums can promote the secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes and have the effect of increasing gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, eating plums can aid digestion, increase appetite, and is a good dietary remedy for people with insufficient gastric acid, postprandial bloating, and constipation. The fresh flesh of plums contains various amino acids such as glutamine, serine, amino acids, and proline, which can be helpful in treating liver cirrhosis with ascites when eaten raw.