Tips for a healthy summer diet

The mercury level is rising, summer is at its peak and the scorching sun gives even more reasons to constantly hunt for some cooling and soothing foods which can comfort us. It is the time of year when you get dehydrated easily due to excess sweat and perspiration, making you want to reach out for something cold like sodas, beverages or even cold water. But this is where we go wrong, because anything extremely low in temperature can actually constrict our blood vessels, affecting the heat loss process from our body. Here are a few tips you need to keep in mind to keep yourself cool:

1. Up your water intake. In high humidity conditions you do not sweat adequately, due to which you cannot release heat efficiently from your body. That is the reason you need to drink enough water at regular intervals even if you are not thirsty, in order to cool your system.

2. Eat lots of fresh fruits, raw salads and lightly spiced foods. Fruits and veggies are easy to digest and high in water content, hence help in hydration. Avoid fried and junk foods as they take time to digest and require a lot of water. Spicy foods can also increase body heat.

3. Drink naturally cooling beverages like coconut water, lemon juice, buttermilk, sugarcane juice, etc. rather than aerated soft drinks, caffeine and alcoholic beverages, as the latter contain sugar and other preservatives which act as diuretics and can cause loss of water from the body.

4. You can add sabja (tulsi seeds) to drinks as it has a cooling effect on the body.

5. Curd is excellent as it increases friendly bacteria in the gut and improves digestion and boosts immunity.

6. Add veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beet, etc. to add to the extra water in your diet.

7. Avoid heavy meals at one time as they can cause acidity and affect digestion. Instead, eat small meals to feel light and keep your system active.

8. Raw mango is a special fruit in the summer season and is extremely good to prevent sunstrokes and weakness. Raw mango juice, also known as ‘aam panna’ can help balance electrolytes in the body. You can also have raw mango in any form like adding it in bhel, salads or making a dish out of it.

Stay cool, stay healthy!