Little by little, the summer, and with him, the temperatures They are getting more exhausting. The possibility of suffering some degree of dehydration or a heat stroke increase, which is why it is essential to take care of both the type of foods ingested as the fact of maintaining constant hydration.
To combat high temperatures it is essential to maintain an adequate state of hydration. You should not wait until you are thirsty, as this indicates that the body has been needing fluid for a long time. It is recommended to drink 2 to 3 liters of water daily.
Complementing the intake of pure water with other drinks such as natural juices, smoothies and infusions is a valid strategy to achieve sufficient hydration. One last piece of advice on this subject: drinking water before, during and following physical activity is particularly important in summer.
It is very important to follow a Mediterranean Diet pattern, which might be summed up in using olive oil as the main added fat; consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains or legumes daily; moderate the consumption of red and processed meats, replacing them with fish and eggs; promote the intake of unprocessed foods and favor fresh foods.
Maintaining these habits is essential throughout the year and, of course, in the summer months, since it has been shown to be one of the healthiest eating patterns and offers important benefits for our health (cardiovascular prevention and certain types of cancer, weight control, etc.).
At this time there is an abundance of fruits and vegetables that, in addition to hydrating, are very low in calories. Mid-morning and mid-followingnoon are good times to eat 1 piece of fruit or portions of watermelon or melon which, although they taste very sweet, have a low sugar content and can also be consumed by people with diabetes.
It is convenient to eat the fruits with the shell because it is there that the highest fiber content is found. This fiber is digested slowly and provides very few calories. And opt for vegetables, in the form of salads and cold soups, which are taken fresh and raw. These dishes lower the body temperature.
If you want to control your weight, you should completely eliminate all calorie-containing beverages (sweetened soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, or “non-alcoholic” alcoholic beverages) and replace sugar with a natural sweetener (Stevia) that does not provide calories. They can be replaced by water (the healthiest drink that exists), fruit juices and infusions.
Red meat consumption should be moderated. It is advisable to eat more servings of fish than meat per week, around 3-4 times a week of fish, preferably sea fish.
In addition, we must moderate the amounts of food. The amounts of food that, even being healthy, provide more calories should be controlled so as not to take an excess of these (legumes, pasta, rice).
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, K, D, E) are absorbed through fats and provide the body with essential fatty acids. Vegetable oils and fats from seeds and dried fruits have unsaturated fats and never have cholesterol. Some of these are essential for health, so they should be part of the daily diet.
Animal fats contain saturated fat and cholesterol. These substances increase the risk of contracting cardiovascular disease, so their intake must be controlled.
That is why limit (not eliminate), also, the amount of fat and that what is consumed is mainly olive oil, nuts and seeds. Fats are less necessary and should be reduced, so it is mandatory to do without greasy and fried foods that can make digestion more difficult and provide unnecessary extra calories.
In order not to gain weight, you must increase the calories you burn and the healthiest way to achieve this is through physical activity that is moderate and always regular, at least 3 to 4 times a week. It is a good time to practice exercise, taking advantage of free time and the weather (avoiding the central hours of heat and high temperatures).