In hot summer weather, heatstroke is a common risk. So, what can we do to prevent heatstroke? There are many ways to cool down. Today, let's learn about what to eat to prevent heatstroke. Do you know what foods can help cool down? Let's find out together for the sake of our own and our family's health!
Firstly, in general, we need to focus on nourishing yin in summer. Some yin-nourishing foods can effectively help us cool down and prevent heatstroke. So, what foods can help cool down?
1. Pay attention to nourishing yin and moistening dryness
After the hot weather, it is mostly dry. Therefore, at this time, we should eat more foods with yin-nourishing and moisturizing effects to avoid dryness. In addition, our diet should be light. With the abundant supply of fruits, we can eat more pears, grapes, watermelons, and other fruits to nourish yin and moisturize the body.
2. Eat more sour foods
In summer, the lung meridian is most active. Traditional Chinese medicine experts believe that "excessive lung qi can control liver wood, so sour foods can strengthen the liver wood". Therefore, in summer, we should eat some sour foods in moderation.
When our oranges and hawthorns ripen, eating these fruits is also helpful for cooling down! Especially for our female friends, eating these two kinds of fruits not only helps cool down but also has beauty and skincare benefits.
In summer, we must eat more foods rich in vitamins, such as tomatoes, fresh chili peppers, eggplants, potatoes, etc. These foods can supplement our body's nutrition and avoid the invasion of dryness, effectively preventing heatstroke.
Similarly, we also need to consume more alkaline foods, such as apples, seaweed, and fresh vegetables. These foods also contain abundant water content and are indispensable in summer.
4. Consume an adequate amount of high-quality protein
In summer, it is necessary to ensure the sufficient intake of high-quality protein, as protein is the foundation of our body's life. For example, eggs, lean meat, fish, dairy products, and soy products. Summer is a special period for replenishing fluids and nourishing body fluids, so increasing the intake of protein can improve immunity.
5. Pay attention to consuming warm foods
If you want to prevent heatstroke, you need to learn some health knowledge to enhance your body's resistance. For example, try to avoid eating cold drinks and drinking chilled alcohol.
6. Avoid barbecued foods
In summer, the weather changes dramatically, and it is also dry. Most spicy and barbecued foods can cause dryness and damage body fluids. These foods can seriously affect human health. Therefore, in summer, we must refuse these spicy foods, such as chili peppers, ginger, peppercorns, onions, cinnamon, and alcohol. Also, avoid eating too greasy food.
Recommended foods to cool down in summer
1. Bitter gourd
As the saying goes, "eating bitter in hot weather is better than tonic". The preferred vegetable among bitter-tasting vegetables is bitter gourd. Bitter gourd contains rich nutrients and has the functions of cooling down, clearing heat, improving eyesight, and detoxifying the body.
Bitter gourd has a cold nature and bitter taste. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, clearing the mind, and relieving heat. It can prevent and treat heatstroke, dysentery, and sores. Bitter gourd contains various amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Bitter gourd also contains a substance called "polypeptide-P", which is similar to insulin and has the function of lowering blood sugar. It is a good food for preventing and treating diabetes. If cooked properly, bitter gourd has a mild bitterness with a hint of fragrance, giving it a unique flavor. It is a popular vegetable in summer.
2. Mung beans
Mung beans contain proteins and phospholipids, which have the function of exciting nerves and improving appetite. They are very suitable for consumption in summer. Mung beans have a sweet and cold nature and can clear the mind, diuretic, relieve heat, and detoxify the body.
Mung bean soup is a commonly used remedy for cooling down and detoxification. Eating mung bean porridge in summer is beneficial for cooling down and nourishing the stomach.
Mung beans are often used to treat heatstroke, irritability, thirst, excessive heart and stomach heat, abscesses, erysipelas, and other conditions. They also have a rescuing effect on poisoning caused by arsenic, croton, aconite, all plants, minerals, and alcohol. Drinking a large amount of mung bean soup has a relieving effect.
3. Watermelon
Among all melons, watermelon is the top choice for cooling down and quenching thirst. When one experiences heatstroke, fever, irritability, thirst, or other acute feverish diseases, watermelon is recommended as an auxiliary treatment.
Watermelon has a sweet and cold nature. It can relieve heat, soothe irritability, quench thirst, and promote diuresis. It is an excellent food for cooling down in summer and is known as the "natural Bai Hu Tang" (a traditional Chinese medicine formula for heat-clearing).