Foods to Avoid in Summer Season to Stay Healthy in the Extreme Heat

Extreme temperatures and dry weather conditions can leave the body drained. No wonder the incidence of heat-related health conditions also increases with the rise in mercury. Incidentally, summer foods play a vital role in helping you tide over the heatwave. But not all summer foods confer a soothing effect. Read through to learn more about foods to avoid in summer season.

List of Summer Foods You Must Avoid

The rising temperatures are bad for the human body but they offer perfect breeding grounds for microbes to thrive. This causes the summer foods to spoil easily. Also, there are a few that make you feel stuffed quickly and ones that are calorie-dense which do not aid in moderating the body temperature. All these and more are foods that are not so healthy for a summer diet. Listed below are foods to avoid in summer season:

1. Meat 

Meat is an excellent source of fats and proteins. But this weighs down heavily on the body during the hot summer months. Meat is heavy and difficult to digest. So, when consumed during the summer months, it triggers heat during the digestion process, causing the body temperature to rise further. Also, the oil and spices used to cook meat make you feel heavy, bloated and unhealthy during summers.

2. Spicy Foods 

Adding spices to foods enriches flavour and aroma but is not amongst the best summer foods. Spices like chilli, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon are body-heating foods. When ingested, they increase body temperature. They also increase the metabolism rate and affect the digestion process. Excessive spicy foods in summers can also cause heat boils and eruptions on the skin. 

3. Seafood 

Seafood tends to spoil quickly if not packed and stored properly. Summer months confer perfect temperatures for microbes to thrive. Consuming seafood that is not fresh can lead to food poisoning and severe gastric troubles. Also, non-vegetarian foods take longer to digest and generate excessive body heat, making the body uncomfortable during the hot summer months.

4. Junk Food 

As the name suggests, junk food is not suitable for the body. But the consumption of junk food during the summer season can be more debilitating. The ingredients of junk food, like potatoes, bread made from refined flour, steaks, and chicken with spreads and sauces, can be tough to digest during summers. They don’t just increase the body temperature but leave you feeling heavy, bloated, and sluggish. Topping up junk food with a fizzy drink will only increase the damage. 

5. Fried Foods 

Deep-fried foods like samosa, French fries, vada pav, etc., contain high oil. These foods are difficult to digest and make you feel sluggish and slow. Furthermore, excessive sweating during summers coupled with oily foods triggers acne and pimple outbreak during summers.

6. Tandoori Foods 

Tandoori foods are a delight to eat. But the preparation process is not the most recommended for summer foods. The charred foods irritate the stomach lining and increase the risk of gastric troubles. Also, the spice mix used to enhance flavours increases the body heat, making the body feel hotter and uncomfortable.

7. Street Food

The roadside bhel puri, gol gappas, and fruit salads appear tempting and seem refreshing to beat the summer heat. But they can do more harm than good. High temperatures during the summer season offer ideal breeding grounds for bacteria, and fungi to grow. Also, foods prepared and served in unhygienic conditions can lead to food poisoning and trigger gastric problems. 

8. Milk-Based Ice Creams 

While this may come across as a complete surprise, milk-based ice creams do not feature among the best summer foods. Made from condensed milk, they increase the body heat during the digestion process. Also, milk-based ice creams are more prone to spoilage during long power cuts. To beat the summer heat, go in for water-based, homemade ice creams. 

9. Fizzy Drinks

The fizzy soda drinks quench the thirst but only momentarily. The high-sugar content and aerated nature raise the body temperature during the digestion process. Prefer beverages like lassi, aam Panna, and lemonade.

10. Tea and Coffee 

Hot beverages like tea and coffee increase the heat in the body. Also, they are diuretics, thereby leaving the body dehydrated. The caffeine present in these beverages heats the body, leading to an increased incidence of heat-related health problems.

11. Dry Fruits 

Despite being extremely healthy for the body, dry fruits are not among the healthy summer foods. They are challenging to digest with almost no water content during summers. Furthermore, they have high sugar content, which increases body heat. 

12. Packed Juices 

Gulping down a chilled tetra pack of packed fruit juice might feel refreshing but it’s not good for the body. The added sugar only leads to weight gain. Furthermore, the preservatives leave our body dehydrated and may impair the functioning of our kidneys.

13. Sauces and Salad Dressings 

Although food becomes interesting with sauces and salad dressings, they are not among the healthy summer foods. The ingredients used in sauces and salad dressing leave you bloated and sluggish. Furthermore, they contain high quantities of Monosodium Glutamate and salt which affect kidney functioning, leaving you dehydrated. 

14. Alcohol 

Alcohol is a diuretic and causes us to lose body water through increased urination. This leaves our body dehydrated. Alcohol consumption also slows down the functioning of the hypothalamus gland, the gland responsible for regulating body temperature.

15. Chilled Water 

The body usually craves ice-cold water to quench thirst but drinking chilled water can give you a sore throat and fever. Because of high temperatures, the body temperature is also high. Drinking chilled water causes a sudden drop in body temperature, making it prone to infections.

Conclusion

The right choice of summer foods can help you face the scorching summer sun bravely. Do not overindulge in both sweet and salty delights. Excessive sugar raises body temperature during digestion, while excessive salt intake causes dehydration due to increased urination. Remember, moderation is the key. Keep this list of foods to avoid in summer handy to make sure you make the most of this season without compromising on your health.