We live on a notoriously hot and humid island. Temperatures are high and uniform, and humidity remains at high levels all year round. Staying cool in this climate has long been the dream and aspiration of many.
The ever-present tree shade we have in Singapore certainly is a huge step in the right direction, and while wearing light and drinking lots of water certainly helps, there are more ways we could explore to keep our bodies cool in this tropical climate. Did you know that eating certain foods more can help to keep our body hydrated and cool? Here we explore a list of 10 food items to stock up on when the heat wave hits.
1. Berries
Berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries etc. are alkaline in nature and what this means is that they supposedly help in the release of cold energy in your body. It also helps that berries are high in water content, providing you with the hydration your body badly needs during hot weather.
2. Coconut
Rich in electrolytes and water content, coconuts are to tropical countries what ice-cream carts are to children - a godsend and a necessity. Electrolytes help regulate chemical reactions in your body and maintain the fluids in and outside of our cells, ensuring our body is sufficiently hydrated.
3. Banana
Anyone living in the tropics will know that sweating is part and parcel of everyday life. Potassium in bananas are good at regulating body fluids after excessive sweating.
4. Cucumber
Cucumbers are 96% water, and on top of having anti-inflammatory properties, they are also loaded with antioxidants and nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid. Folic acid helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around our body.
5. Watermelon
There is a reason why watermelons make such good hydration foods. In addition to being 92% water, watermelons contain essential rehydration salts like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
6.Yoghurt
You are dripping in sweat and deciding between ice-cream or frozen yoghurt to cool yourself down? Opt for the latter instead. Rich in water and other vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and potassium(same as banana above), the high water content will cool you down better than ice-cream while the high protein content is also good for weight loss.
7. Spicy peppers
Mala fans will be excited to hear this. While we know keeping cool and spicy food do not sound like they belong in the same sentence, spicy food helps trigger your body's cooling mechanisms, keeping your cool. It also helps that we tend to gulp down lots of water when eating spicy food.
8. Onions
Another superstar when it comes to hydration foods, onions are rich in iron, antioxidants, essential vitamins and more. In addition to its high water content, onions also contain volatile oil which helps to balance our body's temperature.
Hydration is not just about gulping down glass after glass of water. Plain water has a tendency to slide through our digestive system like an F1 car racing down the streets of Marina Bay when not accompanied by food or nutrients. Most of the water that we gulp down just end up being passed out as urine. Aim to include the above superfoods in your diet, and when accompanied with sufficient water intake, your body will be in a much better condition.
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