In summer you can eat the heat too: heavy meals raise your body temperature. The simple formula is to eat lighter and more often, with seasonal fruit doing half the work — watermelon, melon, cucumber and tomato are 90% water and cool you down better than plenty of cold drinks.
To drink: cool (not ice-cold) water in sips throughout the day, without waiting until you’re thirsty; a jug with slices of lemon or cucumber in the fridge makes it tempting all by itself. The star dishes for hot weather are the cold classics: gazpacho, bean and lentil salads, chilled soups. And go easy on alcohol at lunchtime: it dehydrates you and makes the muggy heat feel twice as bad.
Start today: cool water within reach all afternoon and some cold fruit in the fridge. Summer is easier when you’re well hydrated.