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Summer brings with it long hot days, perfect to spend in the sun. But you must be careful to always stay well hydrated: in addition to drinking plenty of water, nutrition plays a fundamental role. There are many foods that help our body when the temperatures are hot outside.
The anti-heat diet is an excellent choice in these days of sun, to combat the fatigue and low blood pressure that afflict us due to the rise of the mercury column. We talked about it with Dr. Marilù Mengoni, nutritionist and psychologist, creator of the Psychoalimentation method. The first tip is obviously to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, for counteract dehydration.
But even at the table we can do a lot to make it easier withstand intense heat. Fruits and vegetables are our main allies: rich in water, these foods hydrate the body and provide numerous mineral salts, which we normally lose through sweat. This is a great chance to become fruitarians (only for a few days, of course), consuming large quantities of fruit combined with tomatoes, courgettes and peppers.
Instead I am from avoid fatty foods and animal proteins, which produce heat as a result of a process called diet-induced thermogenesis. Better to choose fresh and light dishes, reducing the amount of salt – which contributes to the stagnation of liquids and the appearance of imperfections such as water retention. Finally, it is good to give up fizzy and sugary drinks for a while, replacing them with plain water.
Fruits and vegetables are also the basis of the microbiota diet, a diet aimed at protecting the intestinal bacterial flora, very precious for our well-being. As the prof. Pier Luigi Rossi, medical specialist in nutrition sciences and preventive medicine in Arezzo and author of the book The intestine: the sixth sense of our body, the microbiota has an active role in our health, but also stimulates the immune system.
Plant foods, especially those consumed raw, provide probiotics and prebiotics: the former are microorganisms that help recover the correct intestinal bacterial ecosystem, while the latter are carbohydrates that represent essential nutrients for the microbiota. An excellent solution to protect ours intestinal well-being consists in replacing some solid foods with liquid ones, introducing soups, herbal teas and centrifuged into the diet.
Essential, as in any diet, is the Breakfast: this meal proves important, even more so, for those who practice sports. Several studies have highlighted its positive effects on athletic performance, also improving cardio-metabolic parameters and cognitive functions. The prof. Michelangelo Giampietro, an expert in sports nutrition, has drawn up guidelines for the breakfast of athletes, on the occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The meal that opens the day should be as complete as possible. Green light to all drinks: tea, milk, coffee, fruit juice and centrifuged are ideal for hydrating and recharging your well-being. Fresh fruit and yogurt are also useful for proper hydration. For lovers of sweet breakfast, all cereal-based products are perfect to accompany jams and sweets. While those who prefer the salty breakfast, can choose between cold cuts, eggs and low-fat cheeses.
