During this humid season, drinking water is more important than ever because research has shown that if you’re mildly dehydrated, it can lead to mood changes and fatigue. This could have extreme repercussions, as living, working, playing and exercising in a hot and Humid environment isn’t easy.
You might also want to enjoy a delicious meal without having all the kitchen work, that will just make you sweat even more or suffocate in traffic trying to make your way to a restaurant. Hellofood Uganda recommends some tips to help you handle these humid days, remember it’s not just water that hydrates you. Juices, coffee, tea and sports drinks count, too. And 20 percent of your water intake comes from the food you eat.
When the temperature is high and the humidity makes it feel even hotter, your body has to work harder. Your heart rate goes up, you sweat out water and essential minerals, your blood becomes thicker and, as a result, you burn more calories. That’s great if you want to lose weight, but in order to avoid the dangerous side effects of exerting yourself in uncomfortable conditions, you have to provide your body with the right food and drinks.
First and foremost the foods to be avoided because they create an environment in the body ripe for dampness (humidity) include: Sugar, Fried/Greasy Foods, Milk Products, Processed and Refined Flour and Starches, Sodas and Alcohol.
There are quite a few food categories that help resolve (dry out) the dampness in the body. These include:
1. Bitter foods, like green leafy vegetables, parsley, celery, water melon, zest of citrus, turnips, radishes and broccoli; these are packed with calcium, which is crucial to the body’s thermoregulatory abilities.
2. High-fiber foods, like Adzuki beans, quinoa, amaranth, and whole grains; These are armed with the ability to relax muscle and nerve cells, not to mention increase of absorption of calcium in the blood stream and they contain high levels of magnesium that helps the body maintain a more constant body temperature.
3. Aromatic foods and spices, like onion, ginger, chives, cinnamon, cloves, basil, rosemary, cardamom, fennel, and raw honey.
By not consuming the dampness forming foods/drinks and by consuming more of the dampness resolving foods, you can restore your body to optimal conditions that will not create an environment where dampness can take hold in such a bad way as to create all the above-mentioned symptoms and diseases of high humidity.
If you happen to be in Kampala and want to sample some of these meals but don’t know where to start, Hellofood Uganda has you covered with numerous restaurants with comprehensive menus of all cuisines at the touch of a button and deliveries to your office or home.