ummer has set in. The hot, blistering heat is not only exhausting, but drains your energy levels too.

It is, therefore, important to maintain your health by choosing the right kind of foods according to the climate you are in.

Nature has provided us with enough foods that are specific to seasons and are healthy. And this is also how you can adapt your body to the seasonal changes.

For summers, the key is to eat light. This helps your heart and digestive system remain healthy and function well.

The next step is to choose the foods that have a cooling effect on your body.

Here are some:

~ Fruits

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Goose berries (Amla)
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Papaya
• Raw mango
• Peach
• Apricot
• Cherries
• Muskmelon
• Watermelon
• Apple 
• Water apple

~ Vegetables

• Bittergourd
• Greens -- cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, asparagus, green beans, alfa alfa, eggplant, iceberg and mint leaves.
• Sprouted moong, beans and lentils.

How do they help?

1. Fresh vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins and minerals. They have an expansive effect on our bodies, which draw heat from our central organs and, thereby, cool the body.

2. Fresh veggies and fruits also contain a lot of water which add to the cooling effect on the body.

3. Eating these cooling foods also assist the body's ability to release heat.

This way, the hot weather doesn't make the body overheated or exhausted.

Tomorrow: Useful lifestyle tips to beat the heat!