Beijing issues yellow warning for high temperature! What should I do if I don’t feel like eating when the weather is hot?

Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow high temperature warning at 16:15 on July 16: It is expected that the highest temperature in the city will reach 35℃~36℃ from July 17 to 19 , please take precautions.

The Municipal Meteorological Bureau issued a weather forecast at 14:00 today: It will be sunny to cloudy this afternoon, with northerly winds turning to southerly winds at level 2 or 3, and the highest temperature will be 34℃; it will be sunny to cloudy at night, with southerly winds turning to northerly winds at level 1 or 2, and the lowest temperature will be 22℃.

According to Beijing Meteorological Bureau, the maximum temperature at the Nanjiao Observatory is expected to be 30~35℃ and the minimum temperature is expected to be 21~24℃ from July 17 to 25.

July 21st marks the beginning of the middle of the dog days of summer, with cloudy and rainy days and a slight drop in temperature. The highest temperature from July 21st to 23rd is between 30℃ and 32℃. The highest temperature on July 21st (Friday) is 30℃.

The weather is hot, so please pay attention to sun protection, pay attention to the upcoming weather forecast, and adjust your clothing in time.

What should we do if the temperature is too high and we don’t feel like eating? Let’s take a look at how to improve your diet in summer.

Appetite is a fickle feeling. It comes with a vengeance when you are losing weight, but disappears when you are sick. Not only that, but when the weather is hot, everyone's appetite seems to decrease. Why is appetite so unpredictable?

Why do we have poor appetite in hot weather?

In summer, the weather is hot, people are listless, and their appetite also becomes worse. This phenomenon is called "bitter summer". It is not just the dog days. We often have no appetite after strenuous exercise, when we have a fever, or even after taking a bath. This is because in a high temperature environment, due to the enhanced activity of the sympathetic nerve and adrenal system and the relative ischemia of the gastrointestinal tract, the function of the digestive glands is reduced, resulting in a decrease in the secretion of digestive juices such as saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, bile, and intestinal juice. The central nervous system also affects appetite. When the body temperature rises, nerve conduction transmits the high temperature stimulus to the body temperature regulation center, which has an inhibitory effect on the feeding center, thereby reducing the amount of food intake.

In addition, environmental, cognitive, reward and emotional factors all play an important role in food intake. In today's society, the pace of life is getting faster and faster. Mental stress, fatigue, insomnia, work pressure, etc. may cause gastrointestinal dysfunction, which in turn affects appetite.

We also connect our mood with food. When we eat, we feel happy and the atmosphere is harmonious, and our good mood will be projected onto the food. If the dining environment is hot and humid, we will sweat profusely before we start eating, and our whole state will be bad, which will also cause us to dislike certain foods or even lose our appetite.

Even if you have no appetite, you must ensure balanced nutrition

01

Sufficient protein intake

If you want to have a refreshing summer, you need to have a reasonable combination, careful cooking, and adequate nutrition. Even if you have no appetite and cannot eat too much food, you must consume enough protein. The protein in the diet should account for 12% of the total energy. Lean meat, fish, eggs, milk, soy and its products are all good sources of high-quality protein. Fat can account for 25% to 30% of the total energy. A moderate amount of fat can increase the flavor of the dishes and promote appetite, but it should not be too much. If you feel that red meat with fat and lean meat is too greasy, you can choose to eat some aquatic products such as fish, shrimp, and shellfish.

In summer, the temperature is high. Animal foods are rich in protein and are prone to spoilage due to the growth of bacteria. Special attention should be paid to low-temperature storage. Although iced raw marinated seafood, drunken crabs, and sashimi are refreshing, they pose food safety risks. Fresh aquatic products, seafood, and meat that have not been processed in any way are likely to contain a variety of parasites and pathogens. In life, the safest way to eat is to cook the food before eating. Especially for the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with low immunity, it is not recommended to try this kind of raw food.

02

A light diet with balanced nutrition

When it is hot and you have no appetite, many people like to have a bowl of porridge, a portion of cold noodles, a pancake and some side dishes for a simple meal. Many people think that porridge is a food that is easy to digest. In fact, the softer the food is, the easier it is to digest, and the faster the blood sugar rises after a meal. People who need to control their weight and blood sugar and diabetics should not just eat porridge in summer.

Porridge, cold noodles, cold noodles, and cakes are all staple foods. They are mainly refined carbohydrates and have relatively simple nutritional components. Pickles and pickles are appetizing and go well with rice, but from a nutritional point of view, staple foods and pickles are not a good combination. Pickles have a high sodium content and also contain a certain amount of nitrite. Long-term consumption is not good for health.

Eating only one staple food is not enough to support the nutritional needs of the day. We can achieve the goal of balanced nutrition by making a few small changes. When drinking porridge, you can pair it with a plate of refreshing cold cucumber and stir-fried seasonal vegetables, which can supplement vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. When eating cold noodles, add an egg and some green vegetables; when cooking porridge, add some shrimp, beef, chicken and vegetable leaves; when adding a snack, add a box of milk, yogurt or eat some nuts, you can easily increase the nutritional value of a meal.

03

Replenish water and electrolytes promptly

In the hot summer, people sweat a lot, and the body relies on the evaporation of sweat to dissipate heat to maintain body temperature. With sweat, not only water is lost, but also electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Since potassium deficiency is one of the causes of heat stroke, the diet should be supplemented with more potassium-rich vegetables, fruits, and beans, such as mung bean soup, which is a must-have for many families in summer, or vegetable soup, fish soup, and meat soup alternately. These delicious soups can not only quench thirst, but also replenish water and salt. In addition to boiled water, light tea, flower and fruit tea, sour plum soup, etc. are also good choices for replenishing water. It is best not to drink sugary drinks and alcohol. When drinking soup, pay attention to small amounts and multiple times, and the temperature should not be too high. Overheating will cause increased sweating, but it should not be too cold. Too cold drinks are a strong adverse stimulus to the body that is being heated, which may cause sudden contraction of gastrointestinal blood vessels and even spasms.

Follow the changes of the four seasons and feel the heat in summer and the cold in winter. You can find a diet that suits you by matching food, so that you can enjoy cool and delicious food while achieving balanced nutrition in this summer.

Source: Beijing Daily, Public Health Magazine