Light, wholesome meals for summer

Light, wholesome meals for summer

Rich, fatty food puts an additional strain on our bodies in soaring temperatures. However lovely the weather may be in summer, heat stresses our bodies, creating additional work for our circulatory system and causing us to sweat. The consequence is that we feel tired and lethargic. To ensure that you are healthy and fit enough to enjoy the most beautiful time of the year, you should eat light and varied meals.

Nature provides a wide range of light and delicious foods for summer temperatures. Low-calorie foods, such as salad, vegetables, fruit and dairy products, are ideal, because they are easy to digest and therefore place less strain on the body.

It is best to have your hot meal in the evening and to eat small amounts during the day, for example yoghurt with fresh fruit, home-made milkshakes and smoothies, grilled or steamed vegetables and salads.

Fruit and vegetables with a high water content, such as melons, strawberries, raspberries, nectarines, cucumbers and tomatoes, make delicious and refreshing snacks. They not only replace the fluids that we lose through sweat, but are also a good source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and secondary plant compounds, which have a positive effect on the immune system, blood pressure and fat metabolism.

Salt (sodium) lost as a result of sweating can also be replaced by eating soup or broth.

Drink, drink, drink
Most importantly, in summer you should drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid a day. If the weather is very hot and you are sweating heavily, make it more. But which drinks should you choose? The best are tap or mineral water, home-made fruit juice spritzers and herbal and fruit teas. Lemonade and cola drinks with a high sugar content are not a good idea.

Ice-cold drinks directly from the fridge should also be avoided, because the body responds by heating up.

Text: Rainer Meier