In the height of summer, you may feel like you eat less and eat lighter, smaller portions than you used to in the winter. The American Heart Association indicates that hot climates may reduce appetite and affect the quantity and quality of food we want to eat, because digesting food and storing nutrients consumes energy and generates heat inside the body, but in cold weather we need to burn more calories to generate warmth.
Other studies indicate that high temperatures can suppress appetite and make the body “suggest” that it needs less food. One study found that the amount of food eaten decreased by about a quarter in the summer compared to the winter, even though energy consumption did not increase.
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Although this may seem beneficial, gravitating towards cold sugary drinks and iced desserts carries hidden risks, warns registered dietitian Juan Lines. How does the heat affect your appetite and the way you eat, and how do you benefit from summer nutritionally without falling into the trap of sugar and ice cream?
Why do we eat less in hot weather?
Gordon Fisher, a professor at the College of Education at the University of Alabama, says that communication between thermoregulation centers in the brain and stomach plays a role in regulating appetite, even if the mechanism has not been definitively resolved. Among the likely explanations:
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Calories generate heat within the body
Alison Childress, a professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University, points out that foods do not need to be spicy to increase our feelings of heat. Ice cream and cold drinks may provide immediate relief, but if they are rich in calories, the body will be forced to digest them, which ultimately leads to an increase in its temperature.
Therefore, Fisher advises avoiding high-calorie foods and drinks in the heat, because their internal thermal effect creates a feeling of exhaustion.
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Air temperature regulates the body’s appetite for food
In hot climates, the body makes a greater effort to maintain a stable internal temperature. Because the digestion process itself generates heat, what is known as “diet-induced thermogenesis,” the body automatically reduces the desire to eat to avoid further increase in temperature, especially with large meals rich in protein that require more energy to digest, as Lines explains.
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Hormonal changes associated with hunger and satiety
High temperatures also affect the hormones that regulate appetite, as the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin decreases with an increase in body temperature, while the hormone leptin, which is responsible for feeling full, increases in warm climates. This hormonal shift leads to a decrease in the feeling of hunger, especially during the hottest hours of the day, according to Lines.
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Hydration gives a temporary feeling of fullness
With increased sweating in the summer, the body’s need for water becomes a priority, so many resort to drinking large amounts of fluids. These fluids fill the stomach and temporarily reduce hunger signals, so people eat less, Lines explains. The problem appears when compensation is mainly with sweetened drinks that are high in sugar and low in nutritional value.
Summer is an opportunity for better eating habits
Juan Lines warns that eating less in the summer is not necessarily bad, but can encourage healthy habits if used well:
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1- More fruits and vegetables
Fresh summer foods are naturally refreshing and low in calories. Fisher points out that watermelon, berries, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers help cool the body, and also contribute about 20% of the body’s fluid needs thanks to their high water content.
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2- Cold and light meals
Salads, cold soups and unsweetened natural juices become more attractive in the heat, and are often lighter and more nutrient-rich than hearty winter dishes.
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3- Eat slowly and consciously
As the temperature rises, many people tend to eat slowly and eat smaller quantities, which improves digestion and helps control the quantity and quality of food instead of rapid “eating.”
Where is the problem with summer habits?
According to Lines, the problem begins when our feeling of needing coolness turns into a rush toward cold sugars and iced desserts:
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Replace real meals with cold sugars
Lack of appetite makes many people ignore complete and balanced meals, and tend to eat “the easiest”: a cup of ice cream, an iced soft drink, or sweetened juice. These options may seem lighter than a hot meal, but they are often high in added sugars, saturated fats, and empty calories, and poor in protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.
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Mood swings and subsequent hunger
Sugary drinks and iced desserts give a quick boost of energy, followed by a drop in blood sugar levels, causing a feeling of lethargy and nervousness, then intense hunger that prompts eating unhealthy foods to compensate for the drop.
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Long term risks
The habit of substituting nutritious dishes for sweets and sugary drinks increases the risk of weight gain, insulin resistance, and deficiencies in important nutrients such as protein, iron, and B vitamins, if this pattern continues throughout the season.
Practical nutritional tips for a lighter, healthier summer
To take advantage of the summer rhythm without harming your health, nutrition experts recommend these strategies:
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1- Make hydration a priority…but smartly
Adequate hydration and regular protein intake are the cornerstones of summer nutrition. Childress recommends water, or water with orange or cucumber slices, low-fat milk, water-rich cooling foods such as fruits and vegetables, unsweetened iced coffee, and iced tea in moderation. On the other hand, Fisher warns against excessive caffeine because it may contribute to more fluid loss.
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2- Don’t forget electrolytes
Sweating means losing not only water, but also sodium, potassium and magnesium. Lines advises that compensation should not be limited to water, but rather include leafy vegetables, bananas, and low-salt snacks in the daily diet, to maintain the balance of salts in the body.
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3- Do not ignore a full meal under the pretext of heat
Skipping lunch, for example, because “the weather is not conducive to eating” may backfire later. It’s best to choose a cold, balanced snack, such as tuna salad with cucumber and olive oil, or hummus with brown pita bread and cherry tomatoes. Lines stresses that a nutritious snack is much better than relying on sugar to get through the afternoon.
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4- Divide your meals and make them smaller and more frequent
Childress warns against depriving the body of protein or fiber as the temperature rises. The solution is to divide daily needs into small quantities at frequent intervals, instead of large meals that exhaust digestion and increase the feeling of heat.
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5- Ensure balance and enjoy in moderation
“Accord with your body, don’t punish it,” says Lines. That is, stay hydrated, eat light, balanced meals, and enjoy frozen dessert in moderation as part of the day, not as a substitute for a meal.
In this way, summer becomes an opportunity for better eating habits, not a season for accumulating sugars and leaving the body in a cycle of hunger and fatigue.
