Best foods to eat to keep you cool in the heatwave - including CURRY

The soaring temperatures and sticky heat that's set to hit us over the next few weeks can drain our energy and leave us without an appetite.

But it's important to make sure your diet is not only healthy but also helps cool you down when the mercury begins to climb.

While we all try different hacks to combat the heat, one easy trick to cool off is actually certain types of food, some of which you don't expect on a summertime menu.

From soup to spicy Thai curry, there are various of cuisine that help you reduce your body's temperature.

Best foods to keep you cool in a heatwave

Hot soup makes you sweat more, which then cools you down (Anjelika Gretskaia/REDA&Co/Getty Images)

Here's a list of the best foods to help you cool down during the heatwave.

Soup

A warm, steaming bowl of soup might seem more fitting as a winter dish. However, having soup during summer evenings - when temperatures outside are beginning to drop - actually helps you stay cool.

Experts have revealed the foods you should be eating to keep cool during hot weather, including spinach, chilli – yes, and soup.

The hot soup makes you sweat more, but as the sweat evaporates and gets absorbed into the air, it cools down your body.

Chilli

Spicy chilli in hot weather is yet another great choice as the capsaicin found in the food sends a signal to your brain about your body overheating.

Similar to the soup, this causes you to start sweating more, which in turn cools your body down.

Curry

Turmeric and onions in curries are both great ingredients to cool your body down (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Spicy Thai curry or a tikka masala curry are great options for hot weather, because of the turmeric present in these dishes.

Curcumin present in the spice helps improve blood circulation, speed up blood flow and cool your body down.

Onions, which tend to be used in curries, also make the dish perfect for the heat, as the vegetable has been used in ancient Indian medicine Ayurveda, as a way to treat heat stroke.

Coconut milk, found in some curries, also helps support hydration, prevent exhaustion and muscle aches in hot weather.

Mint and spinach

Spinach, which contains vitamins and minerals to control your blood pressure, thus keeping you cool, makes for excellent hot weather food.

Similarly, mint is well known for its cooling sensation and makes any dish or even drink with the herb a soothing summer choice.

Watermelon

Watermelon is high in water content and also contains amino acid citrulline, which helps relax you and dilate your blood vessels.

This in turn allows blood to circulate better around your body, and cools you down.

What foods should you avoid during a heatwave?

A lot of dishes are surprisingly good for you during a heatwave. However, there are some dishes that Brits should cut down on if it's too hot.

This includes carbohydrate-rich foods like rice and wholegrains as well as foods high in protein like meat. High protein foods can be harder to digest, and since the digestion process generates heat, it can make you feel internally hot.

Instead, try opting for vegetarian dishes that will be easier for your body to break down and digest.