We‘ve got ourselves one of the hottest summers in history. It‘s tiring and the weather takes the breath out of us. It‘s that hot that we almost do not want to eat or cook anything. At all. Not to mention that nobody is up for deep oven cleaning and scrubbing when temperature‘s rising. But cooking can‘t be out of question, since our organisms can‘t physically endure any lack of food. That‘s why it‘s good to know what foods to stress on and what to avoid during the summer.

Even though this July‘s been a bit harsh on the high temperatures in Buckingham, and, genuinely speaking, throughout the whole of England, August‘s coming with the usual suspects of heat waves. Let‘s get down on what we should stack up on and what we‘d better omit in terms of eating during hot weather.

Spicy Foods – The Surprise Pass

The spicy foods are hot just because of one certain substance in them – capsaicin. It gives the burning sensation in our mouths when we bite a chilly pepper, for example. There are many magazines and websites that recommend not eating spicy foods during the summer since they will make you even hotter and sweaty.

Have you asked yourself the question, though, why many countries that live in tropical weather conditions prefer to eat spicy foods? That‘s because, after the initial burning sensation, the chili peppers actually cool down your organism and help break all the sweats away.

Although your common sense might be telling you to stay away from spicy foods during the summer, do completely the opposite. You will actually feel a lot of relief after the fast heat wave. Burn quickly a handful of hot chili peppers on a heated oven hob, peel them and add vinegar, olive oil, smashed garlic clove and voila, you've got a spicy appetizer to complement your main meal and heat it up a notch.

How‘s the question with cooking and cleaning the kitchen in the summer? Not so good. Not everybody is up to a literal hara-kiri by heating the kitchen space to unimaginable heights with your cooker. Adding up the task of basking your way through the dirty stains and carbonized food leftovers inside the chamber of the oven or the splashes of oil on the top panel around the hobs makes the whole situation of cooking at home during summer almost unbearable.

Professional oven cleaning Buckinghamshire companies are adamant when it comes to domestic hygiene – you should keep the things in order. But during summer, try to stay out of the kitchen more often. Use an outdoor cooker for that matter. You will still have to clean your barbecue, but, at least, you won‘t be closed between the four walls of your kitchen.

Diuretic Foods – a Big No-No

We know that during the summer, the water is our best friend. It‘s important to take in as much as we can and release as little as possible. That‘s why it‘s good to avoid diuretic foods. That is to say, foods that make our organisms secrete a lot of liquids. Here we can put drinks that contain caffeine – coke, coffee, black tea. Apart from that – mango, artichoke and asparagus. If you eat a lot of them, it can tire your organism and make you feel less energetic.

Foods, rich in proteins – Better no, but…

As much as we love the rich BBQ during the summer, it‘s best not to overdo it. The large amounts of proteins in the meat makes it difficult to digest. And, during summer, the hot weather makes it even harder.

Our bodies spend between 50 and 100% more energy in order to digest proteins, in comparison with carbohydrates or even fats. Apart from that, when it dissolves the proteins, the body releases extra heat. And that‘s precisely what you want to avoid. What‘s more, if you leave the meat undone, that means bacteria are still alive. That‘s why it‘s best to drop the semi-done steak from your summer menu and, please, don‘t try out the raw mince just to see if everything is all right with the spice combo!

If your diet doesn't allow it or you simply can‘t shut the summer door behind any meat-based meals, try out to grill foods on a well-cleaned barbecue, such as chicken kabops or steaks. Combined with vegetables, it makes up for a decent protein-based summer meal.

Another barbecue wonder of the summer – ribs, are not a smart choice, especially if you buy them from the nearby eatery. Drowned in barbecue sauce, beef ribs stand at around 300 calories per portion – no way that‘s healthy during the hot summer. Better cook the ribs at home. Replace all the fancy barbecue sauces and use garlic, mustard or any other kind of healthy home-made sauce. You avoid the calories and make the meal more delicious. Win-win is what you are looking for. Also, make sure to trim any excess fat and, generally, keep the portions smaller. It will not only help you avoid burning drips of fat, but it will lower your cleaning time afterwards.

Egg sauces and creams – Stay Away or double-check

Mayonese, Tartar sauce, garlic sauce, Caesar salad sauce – all those egg-based dressings are best to forget during summer. Eggs tend to go bad much faster when it‘s hot. If cooked, it gets even worse - it will take them a couple of hours to go stale. Don’t take me wrong - eggs are one of the healthiest foods to eat. The problem is - you have to look for such that are not spoiled and eat them right away.

Vegetables – 10/10 would eat them

What a better way to control the level of fluids in your body with plenty of vegetable intake? Eating water-based foods is like killing two birds with one stone – it keeps you both hydrated and satiated. In order to keep bigger amounts of water in them, avoid any intense heating of your cooker, especially for too long. The liquids will run out faster, and, together with them, all the precious nutrients. Why not actually take it a step further and cook a gazpacho soup? One of the best-looking and appetizing vegetable soups comes in a chilled version. You don‘t have the usual hot steams, coming up from the stove that make you even more sweaty. Chilled soups, such as Gazpacho, are top of the top when it comes to cooling down in the summer. Plus, the amount of healthy vegetables in it is too damn high – whereas cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers also complement with a palette of flavours.

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