What should you eat and drink in the heat?

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Extract from the article: A heatwave is sweeping across the country. Excessive temperatures put a strain on the body and lead to extra energy expenditure. So it's important to eat and drink, even if you don't feel like it. How can you cope with the heat by eating well? Drink

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A heatwave is sweeping across the country. Excessive temperatures put a strain on the body and lead to extra energy expenditure. So it's important to eat and drink, even if you don't feel like it. How can you cope with the heat by eating well? Drink more or drink ice-cold? Eliminate salt? Which foods and drinks are best, and which are best avoided, in the heat?  

When the heat is on, hydration is essential, and that includes food. Certain foods are naturally bursting with water and minerals, such as fruit and vegetables from the cucurbit family, including cucumbers, courgettes and watermelons.

In hot weather, appetite often tends to decrease. The body expends energy to regulate its temperature, eliminating a great deal through perspiration, up to 2.5 litres of water a day. To compensate for this loss, it's important to stay sufficiently hydrated, otherwise you risk ending up exhausted and dehydrated. This means drinking water and eating water-rich foods, particularly fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, avoid heavy dishes, especially those that are too fatty, which tend to stick to your stomach at a time when your body is already weakened by the heat.

What should I eat when it's very hot?

When it's hot, the body eliminates a lot through perspiration. You can stay hydrated by drinking water, but also by choosing foods that contain water. We prefer foods rich in water and minerals, especially fruit and vegetables. Hydration is also a question of diet. Certain foods are naturally bursting with water and minerals, such as cucurbits: cucumbers, courgettes and watermelons. When the weather is hot, you can also enjoy raw vegetables as a starter and salads of cooked vegetables such as aubergines and peppers as a main course. When it comes to fruit, opt for fresh seasonal fruit such as citrus fruits, which are ideal for filling up on vitamins and energy, and are also a good alternative for keeping hydrated. If you want a fresh, light meal that will keep you going, turn to cold soups.

Foods to eat during the heatwave

Certain seasonal foods are ideal for keeping hydrated and filling up on vitamins during the heat, such as watermelon, grated carrots, cucumbers, cold vegetable soups and raw vegetables: without going overboard, raw vegetables are excellent from a nutritional point of view during heat peaks. Opt also for citrus fruits to fill up on vitamin C and energy, tomatoes, yoghurts, fresh herbs such as Esrou African basil, mint and celery, which also provide a feeling of freshness. Drink infused waters and fruit or vegetable smoothies, which are a good way to hydrate and quench your thirst on a hot day. Coconut water is also very interesting thanks to its nutrient content, which combats dehydration.

Beware of diuretic drinks

Coffee, tea... these diuretic drinks cause water to be eliminated. So they should be avoided excessively during hot spells. However, this is not the case with green tea, particularly Chinese black teas, which are consumed in hot countries for their hydrating properties.

No to alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks accelerate dehydration. As for the preconceived notion that beer hydrates, this is false. Beer has never quenched the thirst of some people, but alcohol dehydrates, meaning that we eliminate more water than we drink. The same goes for sugary drinks, which may be refreshing at the time but actually make you very thirsty.

Limit meat

Meat should also be limited. Animal proteins tend to heat up the body and make you sweat, so they require more energy. We therefore prefer vegetable proteins such as legumes, known as slow proteins, which do not have the same effect on the body. In hot weather, try to replace meat with fish or chicken.

Choosing the right drinks

There's no substitute for water when it comes to staying hydrated in hot weather.In hot weather, it's advisable to stay hydrated and drink at least 1.5 litres of water and up to 2.5 litres a day.While eating, of course!Beware of excess!Drinking more than 3 litres of water a day without eating can cause a dangerous drop in blood sodium levels.What's more, if your kidneys are sluggish, it's difficult to eliminate the water.

Remember to drink even if you're not thirsty! The simplest thing is still to drink water, whether from the tap or a bottle.Tap water in a carafe quickly loses its chlorine taste in a few minutes and can be drunk within a quarter of an hour.

Should you eat and drink ice-cold when it's hot?

It's a common misconception, but eating and drinking ice cold is not the best thing to do during a heatwave.It's counterproductive, because your body will raise its temperature to keep warm and try to maintain a temperature of around 37°C at all costs.It's a bit like taking a cold shower.Ideally, you should eat at room temperature or body temperature, so that you don't expend energy either heating up or cooling down.

In the heat: should you limit salt?

‘Yes and no.When water evaporates, so does salt.Yet sodium is essential for organic balance.‘It really depends on how much you sweat.People who perspire a lot shouldn't hesitate to add a little more salt, especially the elderly, but never too much.

Beware of the cold chain

In hot weather, fresh food should be handled with care to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Remember to take an insulated bag when you go shopping, put your frozen food away quickly and don't leave fresh produce out of the fridge for too long. At breakfast, for example, we tend to take out the butter and wait until everyone else has finished, the same goes for sauces, mayonnaise or ham.You really need to take the products out at the last moment and put them back in very quickly.  If you're preparing a meal in advance, chill it in a tray with ice cubes or ice packs so you can put it in the fridge quickly.

Dietary advice on staying hydrated

Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. Feeling thirsty is already a sign of dehydration.It is advisable to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.Drink water that is cool or at room temperature, but not iced. Iced water stimulates gastric emptying and creates a risk of diarrhoea. Drink small quantities of water regularly, throughout the day & every day.If you're afraid you'll forget, take a large bottle of water with you wherever you go.Leave it where you can see it so that you remember to drink: on your desk, in your handbag, in the pocket of your car.Increase your intake if you're doing sport; plan your sessions preferably in the morning or evening, in the shade. Beware of tea and coffee, which have a diuretic effect and can therefore dehydrate you. Avoid sugary drinks.Avoid alcoholic drinks as alcohol dehydrates.Keep them cool for the evening when temperatures drop, but in moderation.Also remember to give water to the most vulnerable: children and the elderly.

Give preference to water, which can be flavoured as you wish to make it tastier and richer in minerals and vitamins.

Recipes for refreshing drinks

Lemon water: add lemon slices to fresh water or squeeze lemon juice.

Water flavoured with cucumber, lemon and mint: add a few slices of cucumber and lemon and a few mint leaves to the fresh water and you're ready to go.

Watermelon and mint flavoured water: add a few mint leaves to the fresh water. Just before serving, add 1 or 2 pieces of watermelon.

Orange mint: squeeze a little orange juice into the water and add mint leaves and ice cubes.

William O.

Article validated by Coura Yasmine Sandrine Zerbo, Nutritionist-Dietician, Specialist in Clinical Nutrition and Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition (Burkina Faso)