Prepare your body for summer
By DR. PAUL RODRIGUEZ
06/28/2012 17:09
It's important to protect our bodies from heat, sun, humidity and all other summer hazards. Here's some important advice.
Summer Photo: Courtesy
Summer is around the corner, and we’re gradually removing all those layers of clothes. Summer is hot and sometimes very humid, thus we must adjust our bodies to the weather and maximize our energy. The temperature outside affects how we feel inside. In hot weather, blood flows through the cells at a faster rate, and the body looks for ways to cool down. Here are some suggestions to help you cope with the hot season.
Avoid spicy food. Spicy and seasoned food have a warming effect on the body, increasing perspiration.
Eat small meals. Eating big meals overloads the digestive system, and this can produce overly warm energy.
Eat foods that are easy to digest, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also advisable to cut down on slow cooking, as vitamins and other essential elements are lost during the cooking process.
Drink a lot of water. Drinking water has many benefits, such as preventing dehydration; improving digestive processes; adding moisture to the skin and preventing dryness; cleansing the body of dirt and toxins, which cause skin aging. Water plays a key role in the process of breaking down fat. Therefore, people who want to lose weight should drink a large amount of water.
Add refreshing herbs to the water you drink, such as mint and spearmint. They will make your feel better and prevent sweating.
Vegetable juices also have a cooling effect.
Avoid fruit drinks and carbonated soda. They contain a large amount of sugar.
One can of a regular soft drink contains eight teaspoons of sugar.
Add antioxidants. They help delay the skin aging process and prevent damage to skin. Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, potatoes, zucchini and lettuce are rich in essential antioxidants. There are also dietary supplements that contain the antioxidants we need.
Watch out with ice! In the summer we like our drinks cold, so we add ice cubes.
However, ice may be contaminated, so be careful.
Wear sunscreen. This is the most basic action to take when exposing skin to the sun.
And exercise. By doing exercise, we can keep our body healthy and refreshed.
The writer is the director of the Center for Natural Health.