What to eat in summer to stay hydrated?

We are already in the middle of summer and the heat is here to stay. Its consequences can be quite annoying, as we sweat more, it is more difficult to fall asleep and our blood pressure drops noticeably. The best thing in summer is to go on holiday and try to do as little physical activity as possible during the hottest hours. It is also important to maintain proper hydration and nutrition, which helps us to feel our best, thus balancing our body.

From the point of view of energy supply, the best suggestion is “to eat liquids” It sounds a bit strange, but it’s the easiest thing to do in summer. We must include foods rich in water in our diet, such as cucumber, courgette, escarole, lettuce, radish, carrots, watermelon and peach. Cucumber soup or watermelon gazpacho are also an excellent choice. Another recommended dish to nourish and hydrate us in summer is aspic or kanten. Aspic, is a gelatine made using vegetable stock and blanched vegetables, whilst kanten is a gelatine made from an apple juice and blanched vegetable base. Finally, another option are vegetable smoothies to which an apple can be added to give a sweeter taste.

On the other hand, we must take into account that coffee dehydrates us as it has a diuretic effect. Therefore, it is advisable to replace our regular coffee with barley coffee, which refreshes us and helps purify the liver. Baking, barbecues and roasts dry us out and make us feel warm, so we generate a craving for ice-cream. During summer, it is best to use refreshing and hydrating cooking methods such as sprouting, sautéing, steaming or blanching food or consuming it raw. We must also reduce the amount of animal protein we consume, as its energy quality is more calorific and does not help us feel fresh.

An example of a perfect summer menu would be to start with cucumber soup, followed by a sprouted lentil, corn and steamed or blanched vegetable salad and for dessert peach kanten.

Follow these summer food tips and stay hydrated and healthy!