Summer Digestion Struggles: How Heat, Dehydration, and Light Eating Affect Your Gut

The Summer Slump: How Heat Affects Digestion

Dehydration's Impact: Slowed Digestion and Constipation

During the summer, heat can impact your ability to stay adequately hydrated and exacerbate ongoing GI symptoms like slowed digestion and constipation due to reduced fluid status, which helps move nutrients through the GI tract. In older people, dehydration can also affect appetite, which can cause them not to eat as much food, resulting in unintended weight loss.

Changes in Eating Habits: Lighter Meals and Less Appetite

Digestion requires heat production, and during the summer months, the body’s priority is to cool down. During this time, you may experience your appetite declining and have a limited desire to sit down to eat a heavy, hot meal. When eating out, you’ll often see specials for salads and “light” menu options, as these tend to be more popular. Also, it's super coincidental that a lot of produce is in season during the summer months, making it even easier and delightful to indulge in!

Hydration Heroes: Essential Drinks for Summer Digestion

Water is Key: Staying Hydrated Throughout the Day

It is super important to stay hydrated with fluid intake. During the summer months, you tend to sweat a lot more and can become dehydrated quicker than during the cooler months of the year. If you’re anything like me, humidity amplifies this effect, making it even more important to stay on top of hydration. Symptoms of dehydration can come on quickly: dizziness, irritability, dry mouth and skin, headaches, and lethargy. For a general rule of thumb, aim to drink at least 64 ounces per day. Most people (anyone who is outside, active, and/or sweats) need to try and drink 80-100 ounces daily. If you are losing a lot of fluids from sweating or if you contract a stomach bug and start to lose fluids via vomiting or diarrhea, you might need more electrolyte-rich fluids. To stay hydrated, keep a water bottle with you at all times. I call mine my “security blanket”.

Electrolyte Balance: Replenishing Lost Nutrients

Like I mentioned, electrolyte balance is just as important as water intake. If you lose a lot of fluid throughout the day, you must also replenish electrolytes. Losing excess fluid increases your loss of sodium and potassium, which can amplify dehydration. Severe loss of these nutrients can lead to serious health crises and land you in the hospital. The electrolyte packets you can add to water, like IV liquid or LMNT, are great electrolyte options. You can also buy pre-mixed solutions like Pedialyte or even sports beverages like PowerAde and Gatorade. With these pre-mixed beverages, be mindful of the added sugar content.

Summer-Friendly Foods: Light & Easy on the Gut

Cooling Fruits & Vegetables: Water-Rich & Refreshing

Fruits and vegetables are great to snack on during the summer. Not only are they in season, but they also contain high water content, so they can also be refreshing and aid in hydration efforts. Fruits like watermelon and cantaloupe have very high water content and are great to snack on. They also contain other nutrients like potassium, which can help if you tend to get dehydrated. Fresh vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers also have higher water content- whip up a quick salad for lunch to increase water but also fiber!

Lean Proteins: Easy to Digest & Satisfying

Grilling is a classic method for summer cooking! There are so many great ways you can prepare proteins for meals. Whether you want chicken, fish, shellfish, lean beef, or turkey, all can be cooked on the grill in some form or fashion. Grilled proteins are great on their own, on top of a fresh salad, or mixed in a cold pasta/grain salad.

Whole Grains: Fiber for Regularity

Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, barley, and farro, among many others, are great options for getting fiber-rich carbohydrates in your diet. You can eat these hot or cold, with a salad or by themselves. They take on a variety of flavors and are highly versatile. Fiber is great for promoting bowel regularity, especially for those struggling with constipation.

Foods to Avoid in the Heat: Digestive Disruptors

Heavy, Fatty Meals: Slowing Digestion

Eating high-fat/fried foods can lead to slowed digestion and make you feel heavy and sluggish. Furthermore, when dehydration is more common, eating these foods can exacerbate this issue. If you can, it’s best to avoid these foods for optimal digestion

Spicy Foods: Exacerbating Heat & Digestion

Spicy foods are another group that can make the heat even more unbearable for some individuals. If you don’t tolerate heat well, avoid spicy seasonings and sauces. Opt for more fresh herbs and light flavors like citrus.

Excessive Caffeine & Alcohol: Dehydrating & Irritating

Caffeine and alcohol are two beverage groups that can make you more uncomfortable in the summer heat. Alcohol, for one, is not a good partner with heat because, in a dehydrated state, alcohol intoxication can be amplified. Alcohol also dehydrates the lining of the GI tract, which can lead to more irritation and GI issues like nausea. Caffeine from coffee, for example, can also dehydrate you as it acts like a diuretic. If you’re going to enjoy coffee or alcoholic beverages in any capacity, ensure that you’re also drinking plenty of hydrating fluids alongside them. For example, drink at least 16 oz of water with your cup of coffee. With alcohol, aim to stick to one drink while out in the heat and follow it up with plenty of hydrating beverages. Hydrate beforehand, too, to stay ahead of dehydration.

Tips for Healthy Summer Eating: Keeping Your Gut Happy

Mindful Eating: Listening to Your Body's Signals

Consuming smaller portions at meals and being mindful of satiety and hunger cues can help you feel your best. Eating large or excessive portions can lead to discomfort, especially out in the heat. If you go back for seconds, try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid overeating heavy foods.

Small, Frequent Meals: Avoiding Overeating

Another tactic to avoid feeling terrible is to consume small, frequent meals. So, for instance, instead of eating three larger meals, break that up into 4-5 small meals throughout the day. This prevents you from over-filling at a meal time but leaves you satisfied, where you’re not hungry, and if you get hungry later, you can easily go back for more or another light meal.

Food Safety: Preventing Summer Food Poisoning

As always, it is important to practice safe food handling. Make sure to put food back in the fridge after you are done with your meal, and if you have to reheat food, do so before eating. Some harmful bacteria can grow more rapidly in the presence of heat. Furthermore, try not to leave food outside under the hot sun when having a cookout or BBQ. This not only increases bacterial growth but can also attract pests that can also elicit foodborne illnesses if it’s left out; it's best to throw it out.

Please share your favorite summer BBQ ideas and tips that help you avoid those pesky summer digestive issues.