Our body temperature is affected by many things, including what we eat. Here are some foods we should avoid when facing a heat wave.
Not only can heat waves be incredibly uncomfortable, they’re also more dangerous than you think. Our bodies are so sensitive to this than what you eat and drink can have an effect on how you feel and can impact your health when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Heat and sun are things that we normally can’t get enough of, especially if we live in a cold climate area. While chilly temperatures also come with their risks, the heat is easier to ignore and, thus, more likely to result in dehydration, heatstroke, and more.
When taking care of yourself and battling the heat, what you eat can have an impact, ranging from what feels like it’s obvious to what doesn’t. Here are 5 foods to steer clear of when it’s really hot out:
Coffee and tea
Aside from the fact that they’re hot (unless you have them served over ice), these drinks have strong diuretic properties and are not the best thing to consume when you want to quench your thirst. When it’s hot out, it’s important to hang on to our liquids, and consuming large amounts of coffee or tea, even if they’re iced, might deprive us of this.
Alcohol
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We probably don’t need to tell you this, but alcohol can quickly dehydrate our bodies. Once it enters our system, our liver will try to flush out alcohol’s natural toxins. Dehydration normally results in hangovers. When braving really hot conditions, this is made worse since stress and strain from the heat could trigger a more complicated episode.
Spicy foods
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Spicy foods aren’t the first thing that come to mind when it’s hot out and that’s because it’s not nice to have spice sweats when you also have regular sweat to deal with. Science explains that capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers, can temporarily increase our body temperature. When the weather is very hot out, try your best to keep your body as cool as possible.
High protein foods
Proteins like red meats feel heavy in your stomach. This is due to the fact that they ask a lot of your body in order to be fully processed, forcing your body to do a lot of heavy lifting, resulting in thermogenesis. This is normal, but it creates a lot of heat, which should be avoided during really hot days. Lighter foods, like fruits, are easier to process and produce less heat.
