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What to eat and drink – and what to avoid – in a heatwave

Eat watermelon in a heatwave - it's 95 per cent water - Caiaimage
Eat watermelon in a heatwave - it's 95 per cent water - Caiaimage

Heatwaves can be fairly hard to navigate food-wise. Once the initial joy of finally seeing some sun subsides, many are plagued by a loss of appetite which could leave you feeling unwell during the hotter temperatures.

We've compiled a list of some foods to help you get through this heatwave with ease, and also some to avoid.

Let's get the obvious out of the way first: make sure to drink lots of water when the weather is hot, to make up for fluids lost through extra sweating.

To ward off dehydration (when your body loses more water than it takes in), drinking water can be crucial, even when it's not hot - since fluids carry nutrients to your cells and flush bacteria from your bladder. Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, dizziness, tiredness, and a dry mouth, lips and eyes.

As well as during heatwaves, drinking plenty of water can help with workout recovery, hangover cures, and staying hydrated during exercise.

Water is not only healthy, but it's also one of the cheapest options: according to the NHS, it has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth. If you can't bear plain water, try sparkling, or add a slice of lemon or lime to give it some zing. Failing that, add squash or fruit juice. Hydration tablets can also be a quick fix for replacing water and essential vitamins when you need them most.

EAT

Watermelon

As well as being a delicious fruit, perfect for picnics and barbecues, watermelon contains a nutrient called lycopene which can protect you from sun exposure.

Lycopene is the pigment that makes fruit and veg a vibrant red. Other sources include tomatoes (particularly cooked) papaya, pink grapefruit, and guava. (Strawberries are red, but they get their color from another compound other than lycopene.)

Watermelon and feta jar salad

watermelon and feta jar salad
This refreshing combination of watermelon and salty feta is the perfect healthy summer lunch

Salads

Vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, celery, and radishes are all made up of over 95 per cent water. Eating them on a warm day will help you reach your recommend eight glasses of water a day, keeping you hydrated and cool. Strawberries and courgettes also contain lots of water.

Diana Henry's essential summer salad recipes

Tea

Although you might crave ice-cold drinks, a warm drink will actually help to regulate your body temperature.

Tea is a mild diuretic, but sweating, and more importantly the evaporation of this sweat, is one of the key avenues for modulating body temperature and maintaining heat balance.

Due to the increased heat load from drinking a warm drink, there is a compensatory increase in overall sweat output, which outweighs the internal heat gain from the warm drink.

Heatwave recipes

Diana Henry's no-cook suppers

Diana Henry's no-cook suppers are perfect for night when you don't want to use the hob
Diana Henry's no-cook suppers are perfect for night when you don't want to use the hob

AVOID

Alcohol

Disappointing, yes. Though sitting in the garden with a bottle of your favourite wine may seem like the perfect way to pass the time during a heatwave, alcohol can promote dehydration - especially during extreme weather conditions. It acts as a powerful diuretic, causing you to urinate more after drinking, meaning you become dehydrated.

If you must (yes, we must): Beer gardens, barbecues and beaches: Britain's 30 best summer pubs

It's tempting to sit in a beer garden, like this one at The Stackpole Inn, knocking back beer and wine to cool down - but try to drink some water, too
It's tempting to sit in a beer garden, like this one at The Stackpole Inn, knocking back beer and wine to cool down - but try to drink some water, too

Mangoes

Like alcohol, mangoes act as a diuretic so should be avoided when the weather is warm. It's best to stay away from fennel, artichokes and asparagus as well, for the same reason.

Meat

For many of us, when the sun comes out our first instinct is to start warming up the barbecue, but during a heatwave this should be avoided. Digesting the protein found in meat requires a lot of energy, creating a heat process called 'thermogenesis'.

The Food Republic advises sticking to foods light in protein: "It can take anywhere from 50 to 100 per cent more energy to break down protein compared to carbohydrates. The moral of the story: Take it easy on the meat."

Heatwave | Read more
Heatwave | Read more

Lollies, slushies and ice cream

You might crave a cool lolly, but that Calippo might do you more harm than good. Digesting cold foods actually causes core temperature to increase, as your body over-compensates for the rapid cooling initiated by cold foods.

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