Dog Days Of Digestion: Why Your Appetite Gets Lazy In Summer

While you enjoy summertime laziness, on the inside your body may be working hard to adapt to the heat. The hot dog days of summer pull your blood into your skin. Your cheeks get red and flushed and your heart beats faster. Just beneath the skin your capillaries are dilated and filled with blood so they can release heat and sweat through your pores. Your blood supply for other activities may be limited.

In summer keeping your body cool takes priority over eating & digestion. When the summertime heat is high, appetites are low. On a hot summer day you might not feel as hungry for lunch as in other seasons. Don't be alarmed. This is your body's natural, seasonal rhythm and can even help you lose weight. It takes a lot of blood, energy and fluids to digest a meal. When you eat in the summertime, you may not have enough blood to process your food. Summer may make your digestion as lazy as you feel.

Watch for These Signs of Summer Indigestion

• Low appetite
• Mild nausea
• Soft Stools

Ice cream appears like the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. However, the symptoms of summer blood deficiency are more apparent when your meal happens to be heavy and cold. On a hot day you simply may not have enough blood in your gut to digest ice-cream. If heavy food has depressed your digestion, you may experience mild nausea and soft stools or diarrhea soon after, often containing visibly undigested food.

Summer Midday Appetite

Listen to your body and choose lighter, easier to digest fare, with fewer heavy proteins and grains, favoring vegetables and fruit. Instead, move heavier and protein rich foods to the cool mornings. A light lunch in the summer can save you from a gauntlet of digestive problem such as bloating, gas, and loose stools. Be especially cautious if you have been sweating: you may be too dehydrated to produce enough stomach acid for a big meal.

Favor cooling ingredients like cilantro & dark leafy greens. Fruits are a fun and healthy choice for snacks. Pomegranate juice with lime and salt is an excellent way to quench thirst in the afternoons. Avoid fatty meals in general, which can congest your blood.

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