It is more crucial than ever to watch what we eat, as temperatures are rising across the country and forecasts suggest that this long, hot summer may continue. Fatigue, dehydration, and even severe heat-related disorders can be brought on by heatwaves. Your body's ability to tolerate the stress of intense heat is greatly influenced by your nutrition.

Along with tips on foods to avoid and heatwaves, here are some suggestions for being hydrated, fed, and comfortable throughout the summer.

What Is A Heatwave?

A heatwave is a prolonged period of extremely hot weather, sometimes with significant humidity, that can be especially dangerous for already susceptible people. In these temperatures, our bodies must work harder to stay cool, primarily by sweating. This may affect overall health and vigor, as well as raise the danger of dehydration.

To help your body cope, avoid foods that can aggravate the condition.

To help your body cope, it's essential to avoid certain foods that can make things worse.

Highly Spiced Foods

Spicy foods might be tempting for their bold flavors, but they can raise your body temperature and increase perspiration. This extra sweating can lead to fluid loss and, eventually, dehydration if not balanced with enough water intake. It's best to reduce the use of hot peppers, chilli powder, and other intense spices in your summer meals.

Highly Processed Foods

Processed foods tend to be loaded with sodium. Too much salt in the body signals it to retain more water, which ironically can lead to a sensation of thirst. If this thirst isn’t addressed with adequate fluid intake, dehydration can result. In addition, processed foods generally lack the natural water content found in fruits and vegetables, making them a poor choice during hot weather.

Fried Foods

Fried items are often high in unhealthy fats, which can be tough to digest—especially when your body is already working hard to regulate its temperature. These foods can leave you feeling sluggish and heavy. Choose alternatives like grilled, baked, or steamed dishes that are easier on your digestive system.

Caffeinated Beverages

Coffee, tea, and energy drinks may give you a quick energy lift, but they can also act as diuretics. This means they cause increased urination, which can speed up fluid loss and lead to dehydration. Try herbal teas or infused water instead.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol has a strong dehydrating effect and also impairs the body’s ability to control its internal temperature. Drinking alcohol in hot weather can increase your risk of heat exhaustion. If you choose to drink, balance it out with plenty of water and limit your intake.

Sugary Foods and Drinks

High sugar content can cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, which lead to fatigue and irritability. Sugary beverages are especially risky as they can also dehydrate you. Instead, hydrate with fresh fruit juices, lemon water, or drinks rich in electrolytes.

Heavy Meals

Large, calorie-dense meals take longer to digest and can cause discomfort in the heat. Eating smaller, lighter meals more frequently can help. Include hydrating foods like watermelon, cucumber, berries, and tomatoes. Fresh salads, yogurt, coconut water, and bananas also help replace minerals lost through sweating.

In the world full of people who are on their quest to defy aging like Bryan Johnson, we have another on the list, a 41-year-old doctor from London, Dr Mohammed Enayat. While speaking to Business Insider, the doctor, who is also the founder of the Hum2n longevity clinic said that tests which were taken some 18 months back indicated that his biological age was 24.

He has devoted his life to longevity which he says could be achieved through comprehensive routine that includes readily accessible supplements. While there is no universal test that measures one's biological age, Dr Enayat says that he used GlycanAge and TruAge PACE tests. These tests measure the chronic inflammation and then determine one's biological age.

What Works In Anti Aging?

Dr Enayat shared that he had been monitoring his health closely form the last seven years. He is also using wearable technology like an Oura ring, which is a smart ring that is used to track sleep and physical activities. He also recommended using fitness device which can help one monitor the physiological data, which includes heart rate, respiratory rate and resting heart rate, for this, he used a Whoop strap.

He had also been regular with his full body tests which included regular blood, urine, and microbiome tests. What has helped him is also his regular intake of supplements, which he has consistently taken and considers them as his "core".

"While I believe these supplements have supported my biological age reversal, I credit them as one component in a much broader framework," he told to Business Insider.

What Supplements Does The Doctor Use To Reverse His Age?

Dr Enayat shares a list of supplements that he uses in his journey to reverse his biological age. The first one on his list is vitamin B and folate supplement. He shares that he consumes it due to its "methylation gene defect". It causes high, pro-inflammatory homocysteine levels and in order to bring it down, he has to be on a good B complex and a folate supplement.

He also emphasized on the magnesium supplement. He revealed that his natural levels are already below the recommended levels, due to his dietary intake. In order to compensate that, he opts for magnesium bisglycinate, which is a form better known for absorption. "It works really well to bring my levels up," he shares.

Furthermore, magnesium is also beneficial for bone health, blood sugar regulation, and muscle function. They are also found in foods like legumes and leafy greens.

Lastly, he credits his age reversal to omega-3 fatty acid supplements. He reveals that even in this parameter, his natural levels are low.

Omega-3 fatty acids are present in fish and chia seeds. They have been linked with an improved heart health, reduced inflammation, and lower blood pressure.

In fact, in a recent study, published in Nature Aging, which involved 777 participant, it was revealed that daily gram consumption of omega-3 fatty acid was in fact, associated with lower "biological ages".

A team of researchers has discovered a group of brain cells responsible for creating “meal memories” — a finding that could explain why people often overeat after forgetting a recent meal. Published in Nature Communications, the study reveals how these neurons not only store information about what was eaten but also when it was consumed. The research, conducted on laboratory rats, may offer new insights into eating disorders, memory loss, and even distracted eating habits.

The Brain’s Food Log: What Are Meal Engrams?

Scientists observed that while eating, a specific set of neurons in the ventral hippocampus became active. These neurons formed what researchers are calling meal engrams — memory traces that preserve the details of eating experiences, including the place and time a meal occurred.

“Meal engrams function like biological databases,” explained Scott Kanoski, senior author of the study and professor at USC Dornsife. “They help the brain log not just the food, but the full context of the meal.”

Engrams have long been known to store different types of memories. This study is the first to identify engrams tied specifically to eating.

Why This Matters: Overeating and Memory Loss

The findings could help explain why individuals with memory impairments — such as those with dementia or brain injuries — may eat multiple meals in a short span of time. If the brain cannot properly recall a recent meal, it may mistakenly interpret hunger signals and prompt overeating.

Disordered eating can also be triggered by distracted eating. Whether it’s watching TV or scrolling on a phone, these distractions may interfere with how effectively the brain forms meal memories. According to lead author Lea Decarie-Spain, these interruptions weaken or prevent the creation of complete meal engrams. Without these memory markers, the brain may fail to recognize that a meal has already been consumed.

How the Brain Records a Meal

The study showed that rats formed meal memories during short pauses between bites — moments when their brains naturally surveyed the environment. These pauses are key to integrating various streams of information such as time, place, and sensory details. When attention is disrupted during these pauses, memory formation suffers.

Using advanced neuroscience tools, researchers monitored brain activity in real-time as the rats ate. When the meal memory neurons were destroyed, the rats forgot where food was located but could still perform non-food-related memory tasks. This suggests that these neurons are uniquely dedicated to processing meal-related memories.

Further analysis showed that these neurons communicate with the lateral hypothalamus, a brain area crucial for regulating hunger. When this link was blocked, rats overate and could not remember meal details — further proving the importance of this memory mechanism.

A New Angle on Obesity Treatment

Kanoski believes this research opens new avenues for managing obesity and disordered eating. While current approaches largely focus on calorie restriction and exercise, strengthening meal memory formation could become an equally important strategy.

“Remembering what and when you ate could be just as vital as making healthy food choices,” he said.

In a world filled with distractions, this study underscores the power of mindful eating — not just for the sake of enjoyment, but for better memory, appetite control, and long-term health.

Herbs and spices are important parts of our diet. Used to enhance the taste and aroma of the food, these spices can be used in various ways. However, is the incredible taste and strong aroma the only benefits you get from herbs? There are many benefits to them as well, whether it is making our immunity strong, warding off cold or other infections as well as keeping our brain health strong!

Two herbs you probably have in your kitchen, rosemary and sage, might be surprisingly good for your health. New research published in the journal Antioxidants suggests these everyday plants could help improve your memory and even protect your brain from serious problems like dementia, a condition that affects memory and thinking.

Power of Carnosic Acid

Research shows that a special substance found in both rosemary and sage, called carnosic acid, could lower your chance of getting Alzheimer's disease. Carnosic acid is a strong "antioxidant" (which fights off harmful things in your body) and "anti-inflammatory" (which reduces swelling and irritation). This means it helps protect your brain cells from damage, like the kind of damage that leads to Alzheimer's.

New Hope for Alzheimer's Treatment

In a recent study published in the journal Antioxidants, scientists created a new, more stable version of carnosic acid called diAcCA. Early tests in labs showed that this new compound helped improve memory, increased the number of connections between brain cells, and reduced harmful proteins (like amyloid-beta and tau) that are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists are hopeful that they can soon test diAcCA on humans. What's especially exciting is that diAcCA only becomes active in parts of the brain that are inflamed (swollen), which could mean fewer side effects. So far, studies in mice have shown no signs of harm and big improvements in how their brains work. Researchers also believe diAcCA might help treat other conditions that involve inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and Parkinson's disease.

Other Brain-Boosting Compounds

Besides carnosic acid, rosemary and sage contain another helpful substance called 1,8-cineole. This compound helps stop the breakdown of acetylcholine, which is a brain chemical that is very important for learning and memory. By protecting acetylcholine, rosemary might help keep our brains sharp as we get older. Plus, rosemary is full of antioxidants that protect brain cells from damage caused by something called "oxidative stress," which is a big reason why our thinking skills can decline.

Even just smelling rosemary might help your memory! A 2016 study from Northumbria University found that people who were in a room that smelled like rosemary had better memory. In this study, older adults in a rosemary-scented room did much better on memory tests compared to those in a room with no smell, scoring 15% higher. They also felt more awake.

General Tips for Dementia Prevention

The NHS (National Health Service) in the UK gives general advice on how to lower your risk of dementia:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Get at least 150 minutes of exercise (about 2.5 hours) every week. This means doing things like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.
• Keep a healthy weight.
• Stop smoking if you do.
• Cut back on alcohol.
• Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
• Stay socially active, meaning keep connecting with friends and family.