30 surprising foods and drinks to keep you cool in hot weather
Beat the heat with what you eat
Prevent dehydration, sluggishness and overheating with these surprising foods and drinks guaranteed to help you beat the heat.
Gazpacho
This chilled Spanish soup is full of tomatoes, which have a high water content, and is sprinkled with red bell pepper and cucumber – also mainly water – making it one of the most reviving meals you can eat.
Hot drinks
According to a study at the University of Ottawa’s Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory, drinking hot beverages can have a cooling effect. Initially, you’ll feel warmer, but when the stomach’s thermosensors react by making the body sweat you’ll end up cooler as a result.
Poppy seeds
You're probably wondering how on earth some little seeds can keep you cool, but they're actually proven to help quench thirst and internally cool down the body. Try adding them to dressing to top a cold, refreshing salad.
Zucchini
Zucchini (courgettes) are 95% water and a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as dietary fiber. A versatile vegetable, for best results grate raw into salads, or baste with olive oil and grill lightly on the griddle.
Berries
Berries such as blueberries and raspberries are very alkaline, meaning they generate cold energy in the body and help to cool you down. As well as this, berries are also high in water, helping to hydrate the body, so they make the perfect summer snack.
Avocados
Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine both promote avocados as cooling, lubricating and nourishing. Eat raw sprinkled with fresh lime juice to aid digestion on warm days.
Pasta salad
In blistering heat eating carbohydrates such as small amounts of bread or pasta will keep energy levels balanced and prevent heat exhaustion.
Bananas
Made up of 74% water, there are other fruits with a higher water content than bananas but the yellow fruit is rich in potassium, which helps to regulate body fluid after excess sweating.
Curry
It seems counter-intuitive to eat a curry when the sun is scorching but cultures in hot countries have eaten spicy foods for millennia. Spicy foods increase our body temperature causing us to sweat and this is what cools us down when it evaporates.
Peaches
Packed full of water, peaches are naturally hydrating to the body and rich in nutrients to benefit your health.
Fish
Easy to digest, and full of water – up to 80% – fish is an excellent way to consume protein in summer without dealing with the post-meal malaise that red meat eaters can suffer from.
Apples
With a crispy, juicy bite, apples are guaranteed to keep you refreshed in summer months. Keep them in the fridge for an extra cool snack, or simply blitz into a juice with ice.
Spicy peppers
Much like curry, it might seem counter-intuitive to eat spicy peppers, but the heat naturally makes you sweat, causing your body to trigger its cooling mechanisms.
Frozen grapes
A tasty, refreshing snack and a great way to save food, frozen grapes are a genius idea in the summer. Simply freeze a selection of grapes or berries in a bag until they're ready to be eaten.
Citrus water
Lemon or lime squeezed into soda water with a dash of salt and sugar is popular in India because it acts like a natural isotonic drink, replacing the salt and electrolytes lost by perspiring heavily.
Coconut water
After exercise ditch the sports drinks and opt for coconut water instead. It’s rich in essential minerals and electrolytes that replenish the body.
Cucumber
Cucumber and lettuce are around 96% water, making them the perfect summer food. Prepare a salad with other high-water-content veg such as celery and radish, or add slices of cucumber to water and drink throughout the day. Studies have shown that eating cucumber after a workout will hydrate the body as effectively as sports drinks.
Fruit salad
Combine strawberries (92% water) with cantaloupe melon (90% water), peaches (88% water) and orange (87%) for a healthy, rehydrating breakfast or dessert.
Grapefruit
At around 91% water, grapefruit is one of the best fruits to consume to prevent dehydration. Like bananas, the bitter fruit contains an abundance of potassium, which helps the body recover from lost fluids caused by sweating.
Leafy greens
Not only are dark greens such as spinach (92% water) and watercress (95%) full of fluid, they’re very nutritious and provide us with essential vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, that are lost through perspiration.
Mint
One of the more invigorating herbs, fresh mint has been used for centuries to cool people down in hot weather, either in tea or added to cool drinks or salads.
Onions
Although regarded as a piquant vegetable, onions – especially red ones – contain quercetin. This has an anti-histamine effect on the body, soothing the irritant that causes allergic reactions and heat rash.
Pineapple
Comprising of 87% water, pineapples are particularly hydrating. The juicy fruit also contains bromelain, known for alleviating stomach upsets, so it’s a great choice for travelers who have succumbed to a local bug.
Seafood
For a high-protein, low-calorie meal seafood, such as shrimp and scallops, are juicy and easier to digest than heavier proteins. Seafood deteriorates quickly though, especially in warm weather, so needs to be kept cold and eaten quickly to prevent food poisoning.
Tea
Tea is thirst quenching hot or cold and it’s packed with antioxidants. Add other ingredients, such as slices of lemon and fresh mint, for extra flavor and freshness.
Iced tea
But if you can't bear the thought of a hot drink in the summer, opt for a glass of chilled iced tea instead. There are a huge variety of flavors available, caffeinated or decaffeinated, such as raspberry, peach or lemon. Served with some ice and a wedge of lemon, you'll be cool in no time at all.
Tzatziki
This light Greek dip is a combination of yogurt and cucumber, which are both full of water, making it the ideal snack.
Watermelon
Made up of 92% water, watermelon is one of the best fruits to eat or drink as a juice in summer. It’s also low in calories – good for keeping your beach body in shape.
Yogurt
Yogurt or curd is popular in hot countries because of its high water content and cooling effect. Opt for bio yogurt as it promotes friendly bacteria in the gut that helps the body fight against food poisoning, which is more prevalent in summer months when bacteria flourishes and people eat outside more.
Ice pops
And finally, what would summer be without ice pops? There's nothing that cools you down more than a frozen popsicle, bursting with your favorite flavors. Try making you own by blitzing up some fruit and transferring it into an ice pop tray ready to be frozen.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature