It has been a brutally hot summer across the globe. If you live in the Southeastern United States, you are probably used to heat and humidity this time of year. You know to limit outdoor activities in the middle of the day. Increase your hydration. Have you thought about how what you eat can impact your health during the hot weather? Priscilla Fernandez, registered dietitian, explained in a recent interview:
Baker: Should you consume smaller portions this time of year?
Fernandez: Especially if you're out in the heat, the answer is yes. You want to be careful with heavy meals. The lighter the food that you're eating, the better it is for your body to digest. Foods that are very high in protein or very high in fat are actually going to take much longer to digest, which can cause your body to produce more heat and make it more difficult for you to cool down.
Baker: So, what would be a good choice and a bad choice, for instance?
Fernandez: So a great choice is going to be something light, something that contains a high amount of water: cucumbers, celery, radishes, strawberries. Watermelon, of course, is a famous one. Grapefruit, cantaloupe, leafy greens actually, zucchini, blueberries.
I would say almost any fruit, lemons, peaches, plums, those are all going to very light and easier for your body to digest. And they provide your body with a lot of water as well. They also give your body some essential electrolytes like your sodium potassium magnesium and calcium which are all essential in maintaining hydration in your body.
A bad choice will probably be heavy barbecue ribs with French fries. Now it doesn't mean you can't have it. I would choose to have your barbecue either in the earlier part of the day when it's a lot cooler. Make sure you have a lot of shade if you're going to have it in the hotter part of some of the day or towards the evening when it starts cooling down. You just want to careful when it's very, very hot outside.
Baker: You mentioned hydration. Let's move to that. Is water the best choice?
Fernandez: For the average person, water is a great choice. If you are out in the heat and you're sweating for more than an hour, then you probably might want to think about having something with electrolytes.
Baker: An example of something with electrolytes?
Fernandez: Just your regular sports drinks are going to have some electrolytes. You can also make your own electrolytes, just add a little bit of honey with a little of salt. You can also have coconut water, which is also a great natural electrolyte replacer. I would just be careful, if you have kidney disease, you want to be careful with coconut water because it is very high in potassium.
Baker: Exactly how much water should you drink during the day?
Fernandez: If you are just running around, I would say just if you're thirsty, drink some water. That might be listening to your body is essential. Your body will tell you what it needs.
But if you are in extreme hot weather and you're sweating a lot, then a good rule of thumb is to drink one or two cups of water for every hour that you're outside being active.
Read the full interview here.
Extreme heat can cause a number of potential health issues. Knowing how to protect yourself is essential. From what you eat, to what you wear, to when you are active, there are many strategies you can utilize to keep cool and remain healthy.