Eat spicy chilli, tikka masala, a Thai curry or soup to keep cool in the heatwave, say experts
- A hot meal in the evening can actually help you stay cool during the heatwave
- The sweat you perspire will evaporate into the air and therefore cool the body
- Chilli can be helpful, with capsaicin telling your brain that body is overheated
- Eating watermelon and reducing carbohydrates can also help beat the heat
You might not think that a spicy chilli, tikka masla curry and soup would be the best things to eat to cool down during the heatwave.
But it turns out that having a hot meal in the evening can actually help you stay cool by the sweat you perspire evaporating into the air and cooling the body.
A chilli can also be helpful, with the capsaicin found in the food sending a signal to your brain that your body is overheated – so you will sweat more to cool down.
The powerful anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric make a tikka masala curry a good option
Tucking into watermelon, turmeric and reducing the carbohydrates and protein in your diet are also good ways to beat the heat.
Nutritionist Daniel O’Shaughnessy has teamed up with online delivery firm JustEat to compile a list of the best foods to eat or avoid in order to cool down.
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Traditionally seen as a winter dish, a bowl of soup in the evening as temperatures start to drop can actually help people stay cool, Mr O’Shaughnessy explained.
He said: ‘It will make you perspire more, but as the sweat evaporates, the energy is absorbed into the air, therefore cooling the body.’
A bowl of soup in the evening as temperatures start to drop can actually help people stay cool
Mr O’Shaughnessy also believes a spicy chilli is a good choice, with the capsaicin found in the food sending a signal to your brain that your body is overheated.
Top ten tips for food to cool you down
As a result, you will sweat more to cool down. The powerful anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric also make a tikka masala curry a good option in the heat.
Curcumin, which is the active ingredient in the spice, helps promote good circulation, helping to speed up your blood flow and cool your body down.
Mr O’Shaughnessy also named onions as a top pick, with the vegetable being used in Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional form of Indian medicine which is more than 3,000 years old, to treat heatstroke.
Other heatwave choices recommended by the nutritionist include mint, thanks to its cooling sensation, as well as spinach, which contains the vitamins and minerals needed to help keep your blood pressure under control and keep you cool.
Mr O’Shaughnessy said coconut milk, found in Thai green curry, has important nutrients to support hydration, prevent exhaustion and muscle aches in hot weather.
Watermelon has citrulline, an amino acid which relaxes you and helps to dilate blood vessels
And watermelon, which is high in water content, also contains citrulline, an amino acid which relaxes you and helps to dilate the blood vessels, meaning more blood can circulate around your body and cool you down.
But there are some foods to avoid, with Mr O’Shaughnessy advising Britons to cut down on carbohydrate-rich foods, such as rice and wholegrains, and foods high in protein like chicken.
He said: ‘It may be harder to digest a high protein food in a heat wave. Meat is quite hard to digest and the digestion process creates heat (thermogenesis) and can make you feel hotter in yourself.
‘Opting for plant-based dishes can be a good choice as less energy is needed to break vegetarian dishes down compared to meat.’
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