Useful food for Summer

Eating and Habbits in Summers

With the soaring mercury levels and rising humidity, most of us feel low on energy and find out ways to cool ourselves. During summers, your body needs cooling food so that it doesn’t feel dehydrated and the energy levels are maintained. Here is a list of summer food that you must include in your diet:

1. Watermelon : High on water content, this fruit keeps your body cool during summers. This fruit is also loaded with many antioxidants that help maintain your digestion as well. It keeps your refreshed and stress-free. However, avoid buying chopped watermelon slices from roadside stalls. This affects your digestion process and also exposes you to the risk of a diarrhoea infection.
2. Green Vegetables: Although green vegetables must be consumed throughout the year, it is beneficial if you increase your intake of veggies during summers. Eat lots of green and coloured vegetables during the summer months. It’s because they are high in water content. However, do not overcook them as that might cause loss of water contained in the veggies.
3. Cucumber: This crunchy veggie is high on water content and is loaded with dietary fibre. This helps in maintaining your bowel movement, keeping constipation at bay. Moreover, on hot summer days, cucumber helps you stay cool and hydrated.
4. Coconut Water: Coconut water has cooling properties and many health benefits. It is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes and other essential minerals. Consuming coconut water on summer days keep your body well hydrated and also relieves digestive issues.
5. Onion :Some might find the strong smell of onions irritating, but this vegetable has amazing cooling properties. Having raw onion soothes your body. However, if you cannot stand the strong odour, you can add it to your salad, raita, curries, and dips. Compared to white onions, the red variety is high in quercetin. This is a natural anti-allergen. Apart from that, having lots of onions protects you from sunstroke.
6. Lime Water : Lime water is not only refreshing, but it has tremendous health benefits. Lime contains Vitamin C that has a cooling effect on your body. It is loaded with antioxidants that keep you rejuvenated and refreshed. Lime water with a dash of sugar and black salt restores the electrolyte balance of your body and prevents dehydration.
7. Kokum Sharbat: Kokumis  a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, it strengthens the immune system. It has a positive effect on the brain, heart and nerves and digestive system of the body and is very beneficial for the overall body. It should be consumed as juice/sharbat in summers to be effective. However Kokum is also added to food in rasam, sambhar, etc
8. Aaam Panha: It has heat resistant properties. It is made of green mangoes, sugar and some specific spices like jeera, black pepper etc. It quenches thirst and prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating and has a revitalising effect on the body.
9. Curd: It increase immunity, improves digestion, cardiovascular health, strengthens bones and teeth, releases anxiety and stress. It is one of the wonder food in summers and can be consumed as is or as a beverage or in salads. Along with multipurpose benefits there are multiple ways of using it.

10.Bael Fruit Juice: It is again one of the wonder food of summers or we can say one of the ultimate medicinal summer food. The bael fruit is rich in fiber, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin A. Its pulp and the juice is the most effective natural medicine against the scorching heat of summers.

So, this summer includes all these items in your diet to keep yourself hydrated and cool. Avoid spicy, pungent, oily, fatty, acidic food which provides discomfort to the body and brings along with it lot of ailments.