Chief freelance nutritionist of the Crimean Ministry of Health: recommendations for nutrition in the heat

According to the specialist, the main rule in summer is to maintain water balance. Dehydration is a dangerous condition, so do not forget to take a bottle of water with you when leaving the house, and include more vegetables, fruits and berries in your diet. In hot weather, you need to drink at least 2-2.5 liters of liquid per day.

In addition to replenishing fluid loss, do not forget about minerals. But you should not add salt to your food to replenish salt losses, because there is already a lot of sodium in our daily diet. It is better to increase your intake of potassium and magnesium. These useful minerals are found in large quantities in leafy greens, apricots, nuts, buckwheat and oatmeal.— the doctor said.

When the air temperature rises, the activity of digestive enzymes decreases, saliva secretion decreases, and intestinal motility slows down. Therefore, it is necessary to remove fatty, hard-to-digest foods from the diet. It is not recommended to prepare rich soups, salads seasoned with mayonnaise, smoked foods, and pickles. Thus, the digestive system and the entire body will be able to tolerate the heat more easily.

When the air temperature exceeds 30OC, the body’s metabolic processes and calorie needs slow down. But not by much — it is enough to reduce the amount of food by 5-7% to cover energy needs. In hot weather, this is easy to do — fortunately, appetite also decreasesnotes Victoria Gavrilova.

Transferring meals to cooler times of day will help you cope with the heat. The optimal diet in the July heat will be an early but fairly substantial breakfast at 7 a.m. to have enough strength for the whole day. A light lunch at 11-12 a.m. and dinner after 6 p.m., when the heat has subsided.

You can also have snacks between meals from vegetables, fruits, smoothies, light salads. But everyone’s favorite ice cream is not the best product in the summer heat, as it contains a lot of sugar and fat, and can increase thirst. You should not eat products with an expiring shelf life. We part with them mercilessly to spend the summer in ease, and not in the hospital. In the heat, it is very difficult to keep seafood, rolls, soft-boiled eggs, cream cakes fresh. Bacteria multiply very quickly in them, so carefully choose products in this category before buying and eat them immediately, without storing them in the refrigerator.— the doctor recommends.

Summing up, the chief freelance nutritionist of the Crimean Ministry of Health, Victoria Gavrilova, notes that, despite the fact that the diet in the heat shifts to a lighter, dietary side, this is not a reason to refuse delicious things. Juicy fruits and berries grown in Crimea, aromatic vegetables and unique Crimean delicacies — all this is definitely worth trying in the summer season. The main thing is to maintain moderation in food and physical activity.

source: press service of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Crimea