1. Physiological Challenges and Dietary Principles of Dog Days
(1) The complex challenges and harsh trials encountered on a physiological level.
During the dog days of summer, the temperature is high, humidity is high, and the amount of water lost through the skin by the body significantly increases, resulting in increased sweating. This not only leads to loss of body fluids but may also cause electrolyte imbalance, affecting physiological functions. In addition, in a high-temperature environment, the digestive system functions weaken, appetite decreases, and improper diet can easily lead to gastrointestinal diseases.
(2) Basic principles and scientific methods to be followed in daily diet.
In the face of the physiological challenges of the dog days, the diet should be based on light, easily digestible, rich in water and electrolytes, while emphasizing nutritional balance to enhance the body’s resistance and promote health.
(2) Heatstroke prevention and detoxification
During the dog days, drinking bitter gourd compound enzyme fruit and vegetable juice is also an effective way of detoxification. Bitter gourd is known as the “miracle tree” with its leaves, fruits, and roots rich in nutrients and bioactive substances. The bitter gourd compound enzyme fruit and vegetable juice combines the essence of enzymes from a variety of fruits and vegetables, promoting digestion, enhancing immunity, and eliminating free radicals among other multiple benefits. By drinking this enzyme drink, intestinal peristalsis can be accelerated, helping to excrete fecal toxins from the body, while providing the necessary nutrients to inject new vitality into the body.
2. The 3 Vegetables to Eat More: Clear Heat, Promote Digestion
(1) Bitter Melon: Natural Heat-clearing Agent
Bitter melon, known for its bitter taste, is actually a rare natural heat-clearing and heat-relieving treasure during the sultry summer days, bringing a cool touch to the scorching summer days. Modern research confirms that bitter melon contains abundant bitter melon glycosides and bitter substances, which can stimulate saliva and gastric juice secretion, promote appetite, and also have effects of lowering blood sugar, clearing heat, and detoxifying. Recommended consumption methods: Cold-bitten bitter melon for cooling and nausea relief, and bitter melon stir-fried with eggs for a fresh and delicious dish, both cleverly preserving the nutritional value of bitter melon, enhancing the freshness and flavor of the dish.
(2) Winter Melon: Diuretic, Decongestant, and Hydrating Superfood
Winter melon contains over 90% water, making it a natural hydrating food in the summer. With a cool nature and sweet taste, it is good at clearing heat and relieving heat, and draining water to reduce swelling, making it a natural aid in resolving summer water retention and promoting the expulsion of toxins from the body. Additionally, winter melon is rich in dietary fiber, significantly beneficial for accelerating intestinal movement and optimizing bowel movements, aiding in improving constipation issues. Recommended consumption methods: Winter melon pork Rib Soup, clear-fried winter melon slices, both delicious and healthy.
(3) Mung Bean Sprouts: A prime choice for supplementing vitamin C in summer due to its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties.
As a fresh product of green beans sprouting, mung bean sprouts are slightly cool in nature and taste sweet and delicious, possessing significant heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, effectively promoting urine excretion, assisting in the body’s expulsion of dampness, and being an invaluable healthy ingredient in summer. Compared to raw green beans, during the journey of sprouting, mung bean sprouts significantly increase their vitamin C content and retain the original nutritional essence of legumes intact, such as high-quality proteins and abundant minerals, achieving nutritional upgrades without losing authenticity. Consuming mung bean sprouts not only replenishes lost water and electrolytes in the summer but also enhances immunity, and promotes skin health. Recommended consumption methods: Cold-bitten mung bean sprouts, and mung bean sprouts stir-fried with shredded pork, refreshing and appetizing.
3. Eat Fewer Fruits
(1) Lychee: Delicious but can cause heatiness
Lychee is a seasonal fruit in summer, loved for its sweet and juicy taste. However, lychee is warm in nature, excessive consumption may lead to “lychee disease,” causing hypoglycemic reactions and possibly fire symptoms like mouth ulcers, constipation, and more. During the dog days of summer, the body is already in a damp and hot state, excessive intake of warm fruits will undoubtedly increase body dampness, affecting health. Therefore, it is recommended to consume in moderation.
(2) Mango: Be cautious for those with a damp and hot constitution
Mango is also a popular summer fruit, rich in vitamins and minerals, but it is damp and hot in nature. For those with a damp and hot constitution, excessive consumption of mangoes may exacerbate internal dampness, leading to oily skin, acne, and constipation issues. During the dog days, it is more advisable to choose cooler fruits or consume mangoes in moderation to balance internal dampness.
4. Innovative Insights: Personalized Dietary Plans and Scientific Monitoring
(1) Formulation of personalized dietary plans
Everyone has different physical conditions, age, gender, occupation, etc., which results in different tolerances and dietary needs. It is recommended to develop personalized dietary plans under the guidance of professional nutritionists or doctors based on individual circumstances to achieve more precise health management.
(2) Scientific monitoring and health feedback
With the development of technology, popularization of smart wearable devices, health management apps, and other tools, providing us with convenient means for health monitoring. During the dog days, these tools can be used to monitor physiological indicators such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, as well as life data such as water intake, exercise volume, to timely grasp the body’s condition, and adjust diet and exercise plans accordingly. By keeping a food diary and tracking health conditions, a feedback mechanism can be established to continually optimize dietary plans and enhance health levels.
Despite the heat of the dog days, through wise dietary choices, we can effectively cope with the challenges of high temperatures and humidity while promoting body health while enjoying delicious food. The dietary strategy proposed in this article of “eat more of the 3 vegetables and fewer of the 2 fruits” combines traditional wisdom with modern medical knowledge, emphasizes personalized needs, and scientific monitoring.
