Though summer is not the season to gorge on food…. it is important to eat healthy during this season to beat the heat and keep your waistline in check.
The season also offers abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables which are nature's gifts to beat the heat. Here are a few tips which will not only keep laziness at bay but also help make summers more bearable.
Try this
Instead of three heavy meals, look for four to five small meals with fresh fruit salad and sprouts kind of food.
Summer is the season for fluids so drink lots of water and other fluids at regular interval to avoid dehydration. Include curd or yoghurt in your meals as it has cooling properties
Have a glass of buttermilk or chaas before you step out in the sun to avoid dehydration. Buttermilk is the best summer cooler and has several health benefits too. You can add a dash of mint to enhance the taste.
Include the refreshing bael or rose sharbat, lemonade, barley or chana sattoo, lassi, seasonal fruit smoothies, coconut water etc, as part of your meal or in between meals.
Avoid very spicy, deep-fried and greasy foods. Munch on green veggies like cabbage, spinach, coriander, gourd etc, as it will enhance immunity.
Vegetables and fruits have all the essential nutrients, right from anti-oxidants to all kinds of vitamins and minerals and also provide us with lots of water. Some of the summer fruits and vegetables that help us to bear the rising mercury levels are watermelon, cucumber, oranges, sweet limes, grapefruit, lemons, guava, jamun, phalsa and shahtoot.
Cut down on fried and junk food – it will keep the digestive system healthy and happy
Be health friendly by reducing the intake of meat and caffeine based product
Avoid street side food and limit your intake of fats and sugar to maintain your energy level
So say yes or a diet that comprises plenty of fluids, fresh fruits and vegetables that can help you beat the heat, stay cool and fit while the temperatures soar!
Mangai Subbiah is the Director at AFM.
