Diet During Summers

With temperature going up, we get dehydrated easily due to excess sweat and perspiration and we constantly reach out for things to keep us cool.

Major problems during summers are acidity, heartburn, lack of energy etc.

Points to keep in mind during summers:

• Increase your water intake. In case of high humidity, we do not sweat adequately, we cannot release heat efficiently from our body. That is the reason that we should drink enough water at regular intervals even if we are not thirsty, to cool our system.
• Eat lot of fresh fruits, raw salads and less spicy foods. To improve hydration, eat fruits and veggies as they are easy to digest and are high in water content. Avoid eating fried and junk foods as they require a lot of water to digest. Avoid spicy foods as it increases body heat.
• Drink naturally cooling beverages like coconut water, lemon juice, buttermilk etc.
• Avoid drinking aerated soft drinks, caffeine and alcoholic beverages as they contain high sugar content and other preservatives which act as diuretics (increase the flow of urine) and can also cause loss of water from the body.
• Add chia or basil seeds to your drinks as it has a cooling effect on the body.
• Curd helps in increasing friendly bacteria in the gut and improves digestion and boosts immunity.
• To increase the water content in your body, add veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beetroot, etc.
• Avoid eating hefty meals at one go as it can lead to acidity and disturbs the digestion. Frequent meals in smaller quantities helps to feel light and to keep system active.
• Raw mango is a special fruit during summer season and is extremely good to prevent sunstroke and weakness. Raw mango juice is also known as Aam panna which can help balance electrolytes in the body. A person can also have raw mango in any form like by adding it in chutneys Salads ,bhel, or making a dish out of it.

By Ms. Prachi Jain, Dietitian/Nutritionist at the CK Birla Hospital in Gurgaon.