When summer arrives, appetite loss and an upset stomach are common, yet it's precisely a time when the body expends a lot of energy and needs enhanced nutrition. So, how can you eat refreshingly and healthily in the summer? This also serves as a reminder of common dietary pitfalls in the season, helping you avoid obesity and easily enjoy a slender figure. Why is it hard to eat in the summer?
In the summer, many people experience a poor appetite, often feeling "unwell without a specific illness." Digestive function decreases, and they are prone to "summer" symptoms like mental fatigue, loss of appetite, a bitter taste in the mouth with a greasy tongue, chest and abdominal bloating, and weight loss. Some people also easily develop gastrointestinal diseases.
High temperatures: Japanese nutritionist Fumie Tezuka, in her book "Eat Big for Health," points out that for every 10-degree Celsius increase in temperature, the body's average calorie needs decrease by 70. In the summer, the body requires less energy, which reduces the feeling of hunger.
Dehydration: In air-conditioned rooms, you don't feel the evaporation of moisture, so you consume less water. However, the stomach lining is already slightly dehydrated, which affects appetite.
Too many sugary drinks: It's easy to get thirsty in the summer, and some people are accustomed to gulping down sugary drinks. Ironically, "sugar" is a natural appetite suppressor. Sugar is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, making people feel full instantly, leading to a vicious cycle of not being able to eat.
Self-Care to Escape "Bitter Summer"
To avoid "bitter summer," a good method is to regulate your diet and restore your body's vitality. Pay attention to supplementing with salt and vitamins
Nutritionists recommend that during hot seasons, it's best for each person to supplement with 2 mg of Vitamin B1, 2 mg of Vitamin B2, and 50 mg of Vitamin C daily, and 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 these nutrients, such as watermelon, cucumber, tomato, beans and their products, animal liver and kidneys, dried shrimp, etc., and you can also drink some fruit juice. Don't forget to supplement with potassium
Summer involves a lot of sweating, and a significant amount of potassium is lost with sweat. This can lead to hypokalemia (low blood potassium), causing symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, headaches, loss of appetite, and heatstroke. The most effective way to prevent potassium deficiency in hot weather is to eat more potassium-rich foods. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain more potassium, so you can eat more strawberries, apricots, lychees, peaches, plums, etc. Vegetables like scallions, celery, and edamame are also rich in potassium. Tea also contains a significant amount of potassium. Drinking more tea in hot weather can both relieve summer heat and replenish potassium, killing two birds with one stone. Don't overeat and consume fewer cold drinks
The summer heat weakens gastrointestinal function. Therefore, diet should be well-regulated to help strengthen the spleen and stomach functions. Fine grains and coarse grains should be eaten in a proper mix; coarse grains should be consumed once a week. The diet should be balanced between soft and solid foods. In the summer, a ratio of two soft meals to one solid meal is appropriate. Have noodles and soy milk for breakfast, dry rice for lunch, and congee for dinner. Eating some cold drinks or snacks in hot weather can help relieve summer heat. However, ice cream and ice bricks are mostly made from milk, powdered eggs, and sugar, so they should not be consumed in excess. Most beverages have low nutritional value, so it's best to drink them in moderation. "Light Nourishment" is Best
Especially for those with a weak spleen in the summer, the principle of "light nourishment" should be adopted, which involves replenishing qi and nourishing yin, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and clearing summer heat and dampness. Dietary conditioning should focus on fresh, palatable, mild, easy-to-digest foods that are nourishing but not greasy. "Light nourishment" should avoid spicy foods that generate heat and yang, and greasy foods that produce phlegm and dampness. However, this doesn't mean avoiding meat entirely. For those with yin deficiency and a weak constitution, you can choose lean pork, duck, rabbit, white-cut chicken, salted duck eggs, and steamed fresh fish, which are rich in high-quality protein, to increase protein intake.
Little Tips to Stimulate Your Appetite
Both TCM experts and nutritionists believe that in the summer, you can eat more foods that clear heat and detoxify.
Bitter Gourd: Modern medicine has found that bitter gourd contains an active protein that can effectively stimulate the body's immune cells to kill cancer cells, giving it a certain anti-cancer effect. Bitter gourd also contains a substance similar to insulin, which significantly lowers blood sugar, and is recommended by nutritionists and doctors as an ideal food for diabetics. Bitter gourd can be eaten cold as a salad, stir-fried with meat, or cooked with fish. It is tender, refreshing, and has a unique flavor.
Mung Beans: Mung beans have a sweet and cold nature, acting on the heart and stomach meridians. They have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving summer heat, and promoting urination. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: eating mung beans can reduce swelling, promote the descent of qi, clear heat and detoxify, relieve summer heat and thirst, balance the five organs, calm the mind, replenish vital energy, and moisten the skin; mung bean powder can resolve various toxins, treat sores and swellings, and heal scalds; mung bean skin can resolve heat toxins and remove cataracts; mung bean sprouts can resolve alcohol and detoxify. However, it should be noted that mung beans should not be cooked until they are overdone, to avoid destroying organic acids and vitamins and reducing their heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. Also, because mung beans are cooling in nature, people with a weak spleen and stomach should not eat too many.
Watermelon: Eating watermelon regularly can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. The protease in watermelon juice can convert insoluble protein into soluble protein, thereby increasing the nutrition for kidney disease patients. Thus, watermelon is a good medicine for kidney patients. Watermelon rind is also a great beauty product. Rubbing it on the facial skin and then washing it with water can increase skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles, and add a healthy glow.