Effective cooling menu on hot days

Orange juice is also a refreshing drink on hot days - Photo: THUY DUONG

The Southern Hydrometeorological Station said that in the last days of this month, the weather in Ho Chi Minh City and the South will be very hot, with high temperatures and widespread heat. So what should you eat to cool down on these hot days?

Doctor CKII Ngo Thi Bach Yen, head of the treatment and skin care unit, examination department (Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Traditional Medicine) - said that on hot days, body temperature tends to increase according to the temperature and humidity of the environment, causing the risk of damage to important organs, especially the brain.

Therefore, nutrition is very important, especially for people with chronic diseases. Factors such as obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, alcohol use, and certain prescription medications all increase the risk of dehydration and heat stroke, which can cause serious harm.

Prolonged heat waves can easily cause dehydration and fatigue. Choosing foods that cool, detoxify, and hydrate the body becomes an important factor in maintaining health and alertness.

In hot weather, you should prioritize foods that are easy to digest. You should eat foods such as vegetable sandwiches, cold soups, fresh fruit and fish. Avoid spicy, fried, greasy and salty foods.

Drink enough 2 liters of water every day. Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, sugary and carbonated drinks, instead choose herbal tea, fruit juice and low-fat milk.

One of the easiest ways to reduce body temperature is to add fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water. Fresh fruits not only provide vitamins but also help cool the body. Avoid eating dried fruits and foods that are high in sugar.

Watermelon, cucumber, orange, grapefruit, dragon fruit are fruits rich in water, vitamin C and antioxidants that help cool the body and increase resistance. In addition, vegetables such as pennywort, fish mint, Malabar spinach, jute are also very good for cooling, diuretic and supporting digestion.

On hot days, the body is prone to dehydration and electrolyte loss. Foods such as coconut water, yogurt, green bean tea, and green bean tapioca tea are all great choices to rehydrate and replenish minerals.

Coconut water contains a lot of potassium and sodium, helping the body recover quickly after hot spells. Yogurt provides probiotics to help improve the digestive system and soothe the body. In particular, mung bean sweet soup and mung bean sweet soup are liver-cooling, heat-clearing dishes that are very popular in the summer.

Herbal teas such as artichoke tea, green tea, chamomile tea, corn silk tea, etc. all have a cooling effect, help the liver detoxify and increase blood circulation.

Cooling soups such as squash soup, sour soup, pennywort soup, Malabar spinach soup with crab, coix seed soup... are all easy to digest, hydrate, help cool the liver, strengthen the spleen, reduce fatigue due to heat, and effectively cool the body.

In addition, desserts such as green bean dessert, lotus seed dessert, tapioca starch dessert, roasted black bean water, etc. not only provide fiber but also help soothe the body and cool down on hot days.

What is nutrition for children and the elderly on hot days?

Children's thermoregulation systems are not yet fully developed, so they are susceptible to dehydration and heatstroke in hot weather. Parents should supplement their children with water-rich foods such as fruits, green vegetables, thin porridge, and fruit smoothies. Limit greasy and spicy foods to protect their digestive system. In particular, avoid carbonated soft drinks and encourage children to drink enough water.

Older people are prone to dehydration without being aware of it, so it is important to ensure they drink enough 1.5-2 liters of water a day, especially filtered water, fresh fruit juice or herbal tea.

Because the digestive system of the elderly may not be as strong as before, it is necessary to prioritize easily digestible foods such as vegetable soup, porridge and yogurt.

Fresh fruits such as watermelon, oranges, and green vegetables are good for the elderly, providing vitamins and minerals, and helping the body cool down.

Elderly people should limit foods high in protein and fat because they are difficult to digest and can create extra heat in the body.

Alcohol and caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea can dehydrate the body, so should be avoided during the summer.

Whether children or the elderly, it is necessary to control food portions to avoid overeating, help the body digest easily and not create too much heat in the summer.

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THUY DUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thuc-don-giai-nhet-hieu-qua-trong-nhung-ngay-nang-nong-20250325151422432.htm