Four Seasons Fitness and Body Shaping

Author: Xiao Linrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: II. Dietary Regulation in Summer (I) Principles of Summer Diet In the hot summer, people generally experience reduced appetite, dislike eating, and prefer light, refreshing, and palatable foods, or cold foods. So, how can one achieve both cooling and heat relief while boosting appetite and ensuring a balanced intake of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals during summer meals? When planning summer dishes, the following basic principles should be followed.
1. Supplement with Adequate Nutrients In summer, people often suffer from mental fatigue and poor appetite, along with high physical energy consumption. Therefore, it is essential to supplement sufficient high-quality protein. Since protein is the foundation of the body's immune system, it is recommended to consume 200 grams of animal-based foods daily, such as eggs and lean meat.
Moderate supplementation of vitamins is also necessary. This is because vitamin metabolism increases in hot environments, and sweat leads to higher excretion of water-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin C. As a result, the body's vitamin requirements in summer are twice or more than the general standard. High doses of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E can help improve heat tolerance and physical strength. During high-temperature seasons, it is advisable for each person to consume 2 milligrams of vitamin B1 and vitamin B2, 1 gram of calcium daily. This can reduce the consumption of carbohydrates and tissue protein in the body, benefiting overall health. Additionally, vitamin A helps maintain the integrity, function, and responsiveness of respiratory mucous membranes, playing a crucial role in defending against viral invasions and infections. Studies have shown that children with vitamin A deficiency are more prone to respiratory infections. In such cases, consuming animal liver once a week (30–50 grams per serving) and drinking a glass of milk and eating an egg daily can be beneficial.
Moreover, during the peak of summer, the body loses a significant amount of sweat, leading to excessive loss of sodium chloride. Appropriate supplementation of water, inorganic salts, and bioactive substances is also required. Drinking salted water daily can help maintain the body's acid-base balance and relative osmotic pressure. The aforementioned nutrients can be obtained from various vegetables, fruits, and foods, such as watermelon, cucumber, tomato, legumes and their products, animal liver, and shrimp.
2. Eat at Regular Times Summer meals should be timed, and one should not eat whenever they feel like it or skip meals. This disrupts the normal physiological rhythm of the spleen and stomach, leading to dysfunction and symptoms such as stomach pain and discomfort. Additionally, during summer, it is essential to consume more diuretic and dampness-dispersing foods. The intense heat and high humidity in summer make it easy for pathogens to invade the body. Furthermore, the preference for cold drinks and increased fluid intake during hot weather can lead to external dampness entering the body and damaging the spleen and stomach. Consuming more diuretic and dampness-dispersing foods can help promote the functioning of the spleen and stomach.
3. Maintain a Light Diet. Avoid Overeating P122-123