There is a reason why you get an irresistible craving. The relationship between summer appetite and the body

When it gets hot, there are things you strangely start to crave.

Somen noodles.
Watermelon.
Ice cream.
Chilled Chinese noodles.
Shaved ice.
Carbonated drinks.

You don't crave them that much in winter, but they suddenly look appealing when summer arrives.

Conversely,

Yakiniku feels heavy.
Fried food feels tough.
A piping hot pot is a bit...

I imagine many people have had that experience.

Actually, this is,

not just in your head or a matter of mood.

Your body is changing to adapt to the heat.

And, in line with those changes, your brain and body are

"I want to eat this!"

sending out signals.

This time,

• Why food preferences change in summer
• The reason you crave somen and ice cream
• The reason you crave salty foods
• The relationship between summer fatigue and appetite
• What your body is truly asking for

I will explain these clearly from the perspectives of medicine and nutrition.

In summer, you are using more energy than you think

This is the first thing I want you to know.

Humans use energy just by being in the heat.

For example,

Sweating.
Lowering body temperature.
Changing blood flow.

All of this,

is proof that your body is working hard.

It looks like this when shown in a diagram.

In other words,

even if it seems like you are doing nothing, you are actually tired.

That is why when summer comes,

your body starts to crave different foods than usual.

Why do you want to eat somen noodles?

Somen is the king of summer.

You can eat it even when you have no appetite.

Why is that?

The reason is simple.

It is cold.

It goes down smoothly.

It is relatively easy on your digestion.

In other words,

it is easy for even a weakened digestive system to accept.

In summer, the heat makes blood flow more likely to gather in the skin.

As a result, the function of the digestive system can sometimes drop a little.

That's why,

you crave things that go down easily

rather than heavy meals.

However, somen noodles alone are dangerous.

This is important.

Somen itself isn't bad.

But,

just somen.

That's the problem.

Somen is mainly carbohydrates.

In other words,

an energy source.

But,

it is low in protein and vitamins.

For example,

this can happen.

Therefore,

eggs,
shabu-shabu pork,
green onions,
and okra.

I recommend adding these kinds of things.

The reason why you crave watermelon

A representative summer fruit.

Watermelon.

Actually, it makes perfect sense.

About 90% of a watermelon is water.

In other words,

it also serves as hydration.

Furthermore,

potassium.

It contains this as well.

Potassium is one of the minerals easily lost through sweat.

In other words,

there is a reason why your body craves it.

Why do you crave ice cream?

I think many people can relate to this.

A hot day.

A convenience store.

The ice cream section.

Getting drawn in (lol)

The reason is,

Because the brain seeks a cooling sensation.

When you eat ice cream,

your mouth and throat cool down.

Then the brain,

"It's cool!"

feels that.

In other words,

rather than body temperature itself,

there is also a part of you that seeks the sensation of coldness.

The reason why carbonated drinks taste good

When summer comes, you want to drink carbonated beverages.

This is also common.

The stimulation of carbonation.

A sense of refreshment.

Furthermore, the coldness.

The brain perceives this as,

a feeling of refreshment.

Especially when it is hot,

you are more likely to crave carbonated drinks than heavy ones.

Why do you crave salty foods?

This part is interesting.

When summer arrives,

salty flavors can taste delicious.

Pickled plums.
Salted kelp.
Pickles.

This is related to sweat.

Sweat contains,

not just water, but also salt.

In other words,

the body tries to replenish what it has lost.

Looking at the diagram,

this is the flow.

The reason why pickled plums are popular in summer

Since long ago, summer has meant pickled plums.

Actually, it makes a lot of sense.

Salt content.

Citric acid.

And appetite stimulation.

Even when it is hot and you have no appetite,

you can eat pickled plums.

There are many people like that.

The wisdom of people in the past is amazing.

Some people get a craving for yakiniku.

On the other hand,

Summer means yakiniku!

There are also people who say that.

This is because,

sometimes the body is craving protein and fat.

Surprisingly, it is easy to become malnourished in the summer.

Somen noodles.
Ice cream.
Juice.

If you only eat these,

you will lack protein.

Then,

you may find yourself craving meat more easily.

The real reason why your appetite drops

You often hear about summer fatigue, right?

Actually,

the autonomic nervous system is quite involved.

The hot outdoors.

The air-conditioned indoors.

That back-and-forth.

The body keeps adjusting.

Then,

the autonomic nervous system gets tired.

As a result,

the digestive system gets tired too.

Appetite also drops.

In other words,

summer fatigue isn't about a lack of willpower.

It's the same for children.

When it gets hot, children also

only want ice cream.
only want juice.

They crave it.

But in reality,

it's not just hydration,

nutritional replenishment is also necessary.

Especially during growth periods,

protein,

iron,

and calcium are needed.

It is important.

What your body truly needs

This is the most important part of the discussion this time.

Actually,

sometimes your body isn't necessarily craving the ice cream itself.

A cooling sensation.
Hydration.
Energy.

Sometimes it is craving these things.

For example,

when you want ice cream,

you might find satisfaction with cold fruit instead.

In other words,

it is important to know the true nature of the signals your brain is sending.

Recommended foods for summer

My personal recommendations are:

・Shabu-shabu pork
・Edamame
・Tomatoes
・Watermelon
・Kiwi
・Miso soup
・Chilled tofu

Things like these.

The reasons are:

They are easy to eat.

They are nutritious.

They make it easy to replenish what you tend to lack in summer.

Miso soup, in particular, is excellent

Miso soup, even in summer.

It might be surprising.

But,

Water.
Salt.
Minerals.

You can get them all at once.

Furthermore, warm things,

also help to get the digestive system moving.

Only having cold things is counterproductive

Be careful here.

Ice cream.
Juice.
Shaved ice.

If you only have these,

your digestive system gets tired.

Then,

your appetite drops even further.

A vicious cycle.

That is why,

cold things and warm things,

it is important to use both effectively.

Summary

Things you crave when summer arrives.

There is a good reason for that.

Somen noodles are for ease of eating.

Watermelon is for hydration.

Pickled plums are for salt.

Ice cream is for a cooling sensation.

In other words,

it is a sign from your body.

Finally,

during hot periods,

your appetite changes.

Your preferences change too.

But that,

might just be proof that your body is working hard to adapt to the environment.

Therefore,

if you think, 'Why do I only want to eat somen noodles?'

it might be a sign that your body is a little tired.

However,

if you rely too much only on things that are easy to eat,

you should be careful.

Next, you will become malnourished.

That's why,

add an egg to your somen noodles.

Drink miso soup, not just watermelon.

Such small adjustments

will lead to preventing summer fatigue.

This summer,

while listening to your body's needs,

let's get through it deliciously ☀️🍉🍜.