MANILA, Philippines – During this sweltering summer season, it can be tempting to grab ice cream or buy sweet, icy halo-halo to cool down.

Here are some healthier alternatives, some of which not only cool the body but are also perfect for summer concerns like sunburn, dehydration, and even body odor:

1. Cooling and hydrating fruits like cucumber

There’s a lot of truth to where the idiom “cool as a cucumber” came from. Cucumber temperature can drop down to 20 degrees lower than its environment. Its water-rich flesh is great for hydration, too.

You can also try other cooling and hydrating fruits like melon, watermelon, orange, and pomelo.

2. Fruits and vegetables in season like mangoes

There’s a reason why some fruits and vegetables thrive during a particular season: they are best eaten during that season, too! Summer fruits like mangoes are not only more nutritious during summer but are also cooling to the body.

If you are craving for ice cream, here’s a healthier alternative: fruit popsicles! 

3. Lycopene-rich food like tomatoes

Lycopene, the substance that makes tomatoes red, can protect your skin from sunburn. A study shows that subjects exposed to ultraviolet light had around 50% less skin redness after eating two and ½ tablespoons of tomato paste daily.

Whole fruits and vegetables still reign supreme: that study also found that lycopene supplements did not work as well in preventing sunburn. So eat your tomatoes, guavas, watermelons, and other lycopene-rich food.

4. Food rich in lutein and zeaxanthin like corn

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The harsh summer sun may not damage just your skin but your eyes, too. The lutein and zeaxanthin in corn, broccoli, zucchini, romaine lettuce, spinach, and eggs can act as your sunglasses and help prevent macular degeneration.

5. Zinc-rich food like sprouts

Zinc deficiency is linked to body odor. This summer, when a lot of sweating is almost a certainty, eating zinc-rich food like togue (mung bean sprouts), peanuts, pumpkin, watermelon seeds, and shell fish like oysters is a must.

6. Potassium-rich food like bananas

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For those who like to move around during summer, particularly swimming or trekking up mountains and down waterfalls, muscle cramping is a risk.

One way to avoid this is to eat potassium-rich food like bananas, avocados, white mushrooms, dark and leafy green vegetables like kangkong, and more.

7. Hot and spicy food or drinks

While eating hot and spicy food during summer sounds counterintuitive, it can actually help. So drink your tea and add chili pepper to your food. Research shows that ingesting something hot or spicy can help your body turn on its natural cooling functions. You sweat, and when your sweat evaporates, you feel cooler. 

Note that the cooling only applies when your sweat evaporates, though. So on days when you are wearing a lot of clothes and your sweat is dripping, drinking that coffee or adding that sili (chili pepper) to your food may not be a good idea. -Rappler.com

Sources: www.eatingwell.com / www.livestrong.com / www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / www.whfoods.com / www.healthaliciousness.com 

Claire Madarang is a writer, traveler, and seeker. Her wanderlust takes her on adventures like backpacking for 7 weeks straight. Her seeking leads her to different wellness practices like meditation and healthy (mostly vegetarian) eating. Follow her adventures, tips, and epiphanies at her blog, Traveling Light.