A nutritionist has shared what food items people should avoid during the summer heatwave.
Soaring temperatures across the country have prompted the Met Office to issue a rare amber and red heat warning. The alert started on Sunday at 1am and will remain in force until 11.59pm tomorrow.
Many people will be finding ways to cope with the sweltering conditions as Merseyside basks in 34C temperatures. A qualified nutritionist has teamed up with the experts at Forbes Advisor to explain what people should eat to help avoid dehydration in the extreme heat.
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Abi Roberts recommended people should avoid asparagus as the vegetable is "surprisingly one of the least hydrating foods". She added: "This is because it is a natural diuretic which rids the body of excess fluid — meaning you need to wee more and you lose the fluid that you consume. Diuretics also help your body to get rid of salt, so are useful for the body, but should be consumed in moderation."
The nutritionist also advised people to avoid anything salty snacks. She said: "Too much salt wreaks havoc on the kidneys, so limiting salt intake is important for overall health."
Ms Roberts also advised people to avoid bread as this is "one of the most common reasons behind people having too much salt in their diet." She said: "Bread is often used at all mealtimes and even for snacks, so can add up to a high salt intake. Limiting the amount of bread you eat will help reduce the sneaky salt that you didn’t even know you were consuming."
The expert also warned cured meats are heavily coated in salt. She said: "The kidneys overcompensate when there is too much salt in the bloodstream, and pull water from elsewhere in the body, leading to dehydration. Make sure to drink plenty of water if you are indulging in a little antipasti this summer!"
Ms Roberts also warned sugar has a similarly negative effect as salt on your hydration levels. She said: The list of reasons why we should limit our intake is endless! When you consume sugar, the kidneys react similarly to when they encounter salt and pull water from other parts of the body, as the kidneys don’t want excess sugar in your bloodstream."
Although asparagus is cited as a dehydrating drink, the nutritionist said food and vegetables has the highest water content of any food. Ms Roberts describes the top 5 most hydrating foods as cucumber, iceberg lettuce, radish, watermelon and tomato.
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