Foods to Keep You Cool in the Summer Heat

Yum! A sweet cool treat may just hit the spot on these hot summer days, but while you are enduring the scorching temperatures, understand that it’s only a quick fix that will leave you hotter than before. This is because it takes your body more energy to warm cool foods as you digest, causing your body temperature to rise. However, we have some tips to keep you cool by prioritizing foods rich in water. On average, our bodies obtain 20% of the water it needs from foods eaten during the day. We have suggestions for foods that will help cool you down by triggering nerves that naturally cool you down, cause you to sweat and more, plus some foods to avoid!

Hydrating Fruits

Berries are our number one suggestion on what to eat when the weather is hot, and you need to keep your body cool due to their high moisture content. For instance, a cooled strawberry is composed of 92% water while blueberries and blackberries consist of around 85% water. Pineapples and oranges contain 87% water while being packed with lots of vitamin C for boosting the immune system while plums and other stone fruits are 85% hydrating water.

Melons
Watermelon and cantaloupe are great ways to consume liquids while the sweetness gives you energy you need. Watermelon contains 92 percent water, while a vitamin rich cantaloupe comprises 90 percent water.

Vegetables
It’s not just fruits that will give you the hydration you need. Cucumbers provide 97% water while spicy radishes are 95% water. Other hydrating vegetables include celery, tomatoes, and broccoli, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep your body energized in the heat. In addition, there are certain herbs and spices that will naturally help your body cool down. This includes mint. By triggering the cold-sensitive nerves in your mouth, fresh mint can naturally cool you off and acts as a digestive aid. In addition, it may seem counter intuitive, but eating lots of hot chili peppers and spice and heat may help to keep you cool. This is because a naturally occurring capsaicin, helps to trigger a sweat reaction in your body, which will actually help your body regulate its temperature in the heat.

Soup time!

When it’s hot outside, soup may be the last thing you would suspect would cool you down. However, the water rich vegetables full of vitamins, broth and spices will make you sweat while hydrating you all at once.

A Cool Dessert May Get You Heated

When it is hot outside, we crave sugar, in the form of popsicles, ice cream and cool pies. However certain foods are more dehydrating than others, and this includes sugar. The body uses a lot of water to metabolize sugar, causing your body to work harder and increasing the body’s temperature. It might feel great at the moment but if you can’t get relief from the heat, sweet cool foods are just going to make you feel hotter in the long run.

Other Foods that Cause Your Body to Feel Hotter

• Meat: It takes more digestive power to digest protein, causing a process in the body known as thermogenesis—the body’s process of creating heat.
• Diuretic foods: Avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks which act as a diuretic. In addition, some vegetables and fruits also purge water from the body including asparagus, mangoes, and fennel.
• Processed foods: foods that are highly processed and high in sugar, such as candy bars, doughnuts, muffins, breads, pasta, and grains require a lot of water and energy from the body to digest, raising your body’s temperature.

CC Sunscreens

While you are trying to stay cool outside, we suggest a break from the sun by investing in CC Sunscreen’s patio shades and window shades. Our protective sunscreens provided coverage from the sun, while you rest in your garden, by the pool, or in the comfort of your home, while blocking out 90 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays. With CC sunscreens, you can avoid premature skin aging and lower the risk of skin cancer, while enjoying hydrating and cooling feasts all summer long. To find out more contact us today to schedule a consultation today!