Exhaustion e energy dropsto, but also swelling and little lucidity. Here they are again the evils of the season, combined with theheat wave ferocious that, already begun in some regions, will spread throughout the national territory in the next few days. What are the smartest behaviors this season, what diet to follow and what foods to leave for the winter months? Attilio Speciani, immunologist and allergist accompanies us on a "light but nourishing" path, coping with the discomforts caused by the heat and just enjoying the summer.
Heat wave and diet: beware of salt
Summer leads to change i behavior preferring to go out to dinner outdoors with friends and with no desire to cook. What tricks to use to try to stay toned and with a clear mind, while the heat is roaring? “I know, nobody in the heat wants to get to the stove to make food. But what is the temptation? Often you end up putting in the mouth what happens, especially what you don't need to cook: cheese, ham, crackers, snacks, snacks” says Speciani. "Apparently it seems the ideal thing, however in this way the body ends up storing large doses of salt (sodium chloride), mainly responsible for that sense of widespread swelling that we instead associate with heat sickness".
Just as in winter everyone knows that we need to defend ourselves from the cold with the right foods (citrus fruits for example), so too in summer nature comes to us to beat the heat: apricots, potatoes, bananas, are all rich sources of potassium and magnesium, the minerals that best counteract the effects of sodium. But let's see in detail.
The "tropical" diet to fight sodium
It is the most suitable diet for the heat wave of these days, the one that reduces the use of sale. Fruits and vegetables must always stand out on the summer table to replenish all the mineral salts that have been lost in the heat, says Speciani.
The day is best started with one Room based on cereals and vegetable milk together with all the fruit you want, with a few slices of lightly salted roast beef, or a hard-boiled egg, "rather than eating toast with ham and cheese and then complaining all day about being tired and swollen legs". During the day, in the hottest hours, we then give space to all snacks based on fruit and vegetables, including smoothies of bananas and milk (also rice or soy milk for those who cannot or do not want to use cow's milk), almond or nut milk (both rich in necessary minerals).
Foods more salted let's reserve them for the cooler hours, those of the beautiful outdoor dinners. And then you can choose the typical ham and melon, or pizza, without forgetting the appetizers salads with the most loved ingredients. In this case it is important to complete the vegetable part by adding protein sources (fish, eggs, soy, lupins, fresh cheeses, etc.) and good quality fat sources, such as extra virgin olive oil or pressed seed oils cold, but also oilseeds or dried fruit or a few cubes of avocado.
In general, as long as it's hot, better to prefer repeated light snacks, rather than a single full meal.
Heat wave and diet: drink a lot, starting with water
With the heat wave, the diet must ensure ahydration sufficient. Without it, you start to get tired, hunger comes before the time, you get tired quickly, concentration drops more easily.
It is therefore essential drink a lotto replenish fluids. But even in this case, pay attention to what you drink! Nice sips of water first of all. Carbonated or natural, it is certainly better not to drink it at refrigerator temperature. Better water with little sodium, less than 20 mg/l (a water with a lot of sodium, and there are many on the market, drunk in large quantities as in these days, risks inducing a further overload). It is important to remember that it is not the water that causes swelling, but the salt, which causes it to be retained in the tissues. On the contrary, water promotes an active diuretic function. Furthermore, drinking sufficient water means restoring energy, vitality, serenity.
An easy way to understand how much water you are inserting versus the one you are deleting? The color of your pee: it will be dark when there is little water, more transparent when there is enough water. In general, drinking at least a liter and a half of water a day becomes essential to maintain the serenity and prowess that are yours, suggests Speciani.
Smoothies, also called shakes, are phenomenal at any time of the day or night. They can be made with practically anything and the only real limits are everyone's imagination and desire to experiment. In addition to helping us stay hydrated, they are a tasty alternative to any type of dessert and are also an excellent source of fiber and vitamins and minerals to replenish when it's hot. On the other hand, alcohol is banned, which dilates the vessels.
Low pressure and salt: let's dispel a myth
Certain! Who has the low pressure perceives seasonal ills with greater sensitivity.
“I take advantage – says Speciani – to dispel the myth of the beneficial effect of sale to support low blood pressure and counteract the'ancient folk remedy which would even provide for the administration of salty foods (or even table salt) to those with particularly low blood pressure. We need to distinguish: i potassium salts, those contained for example in apricots, potatoes, almonds, hazelnuts, fresh fruit and vegetables, remain inside the vessels and correctly increase blood pressure, counteracting the effects of the heat. Instead i sodium salts, present for example in the caprese, in the pizza, in the sandwiches and in the focaccia, they are positioned in the extravasal spaces and retain liquids outside the vessels, causing the swelling of legs, ankles and hands, e also reducing the pressure arterial and facilitating a state of fatigue need fatigue".
When it comes to low blood pressure and a heat wave, in fact, theuse of sodium it worsens the symptoms of general malaise and is itself often responsible for the sense of tiredness, fatigue and swelling of the extremities which tends to be associated with the presence of environmental heat.
The other really valuable element is the magnesium which also has a regulatory action on blood pressure and counteracts the action of sodium.
In particular, the magnesium chloride, to be prepared by the pharmacist and taken in drops to supplement the diet, is particularly effective in this sense and decidedly more useful than salt in managing low blood pressure from heat. The magnesium contained in typically summer fruit and vegetables is also of great use: apricots, peaches, watermelon... they are all foods that contain useful, functional, and tasty quantities of magnesium.
It should also be remembered that the majority of salt consumed during the day comes not so much from the salt added to the dish, but rather from foods, often industrially produced, which contain it in large quantities. Suffice it to say that just a bag of ham exceeds the maximum amount of sodium recommended by the World Health Organization for the whole day.
Beyond the diet: other strategies to deal well with the heat wave
- Trying not to go out during the hottest hours is obvious. When you have to do it, it can be useful to wet your hair or the classic visor cap before going out.
- Whenever possible, imitating a tradition from warm countries, like the siesta, can also be a good idea.
- It is always useful to run cold water on the wrists, ankles, neck and temples: refreshing the amount of blood that passes superficially in these areas is generally able to guarantee temporary relief.
- Before getting a child or a person with unstable blood pressure into the car, it is always worthwhile to leave the air conditioner on for a while: the temperature in the passenger compartment is generally at least 10 degrees higher than outside.
- Keeping water bottles partially filled with water in the freezer, to which you add fresh water before you go out, allows you to have something to drink on hand (or to rest on your head or wrists to cool off) while on the go.
- Those who find it difficult to fall asleep due to the heat can use a cold-water washcloth on the forehead or an ice pack in the evening. Synthetic ice packs are also precious, normally used for distortions, which easily adapt to the shape of the head.
