Recent weather in Wisconsin was hard on many people. The temperatures quickly went from moderate to hot and humid. The high temperatures and humidity make it difficult for many people to breathe. Many people become easily dehydrated or constipated from this type of weather. What made the situation worse was that it happened early in the summer before many people have had the chance to adjust to summer weather.
If you are easily affected by hot and humid weather, it is important to learn hot to eat in order to help your body adjust to the weather. Most people increase the amount of cold foods, raw vegetables, iced beverages, and frozen treats. While these can make you feel better in the short term they do not help your body adapt to the weather.
Chinese Medicine provides concepts out of herbal medicine about how to adjust your diet to help your body cope with the heat. Many of these concepts can be seen in the types of foods that are eaten in places like India and southeast Asia. Below is a list of foods that should be increased in your diet, especially when you feel overwhelmed by the heat.
Melons; watermelon and honeydew are very cooling to the body and are traditionally the treatment for heat exhaustion.
Tropical fruits; Fruit grows where it is needed, and many cultures of Southeast Asia have diets heavy in fruit.
Green tea; Green tea and to some extent Black tea (used in iced tea), actually helps the body adjust temperature. Tea specifically helps the body digest meals quickly eliminating the heavy feeling that makes dealing with hot weather more difficult.
Green spices; Spices like basil, cilantro, mint and other green leafy spices help the body adjust to heat, and more importantly the humidity. Particularly helpful to those who have breathing difficulty in humid weather.
Yellow spices; Curry, ginger, mustard and other yellow spices will help a person regain appetite when the desire to eat drops due to heat and humidity.
For more information on understanding how foods affect how you feel, check out the following links. Eating healthy, Guide to eating healthy, fruit smoothies, watermelon, ice water, hot climate
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