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In the summer, we tend to eat less and drink more.
Avoid large portions of food, as they will be difficult to digest and may cause you to feel tired, and lazy.
Instead, have frequent and small portions of meals, which will keep you fresh and light, suggests Dr Shoaib Sangatti, emergency physician, Ruby Hall clinic, Wanowire.
Scorching heat and extreme high temperatures during the summer season call for special attention from our bodies to stay fit because these conditions cause a number of heat-related problems.
Apart from precautions such as staying indoors and wearing light-colored cotton clothes, The foods and drinks that we consume play a major role in helping us stay healthy in the summer and cope with these extreme conditions.
Some common problems that we face include tiredness, irritability, and physical exhaustion.
We may also face the risk of dehydration, skin-related issues, nutritional deficiencies, and digestion problems.
Let's take a look at some of the foods and drinks that can be beneficial for us.
The basic idea behind choosing a diet is to keep in mind to have those foods and drinks that can help keep our body cool and maintain hydration and to avoid those that would raise our body temperature and cause digestion problems.
In the summer, we tend to eat less and drink more. Avoid large portions of food, as they will be difficult to digest and may cause you to feel blocked, heavy, tired, and lazy.
Instead, have frequent and small portions of meals, which will keep them fresh and light.
Eating fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables offers natural protection from the heat as they are rich in water content and various nutrients.
Junk foods such as pizza, burgers, etc and fried street foods like samosas, vada etc are a big no, as they are difficult to digest and have a negative effect on our overall health.
Consume as much water as possible.
Foods to eat in the summer
1. Curd and buttermilk
Help our body to remain cool and are also packed with calcium and protein that will contribute to our daily recommendations for diet.
Apart from these, they contain a good amount of probiotics, which will boost our digestion.
2. Coconut water
It is an ideal energy drink provided to us by nature that contains various vitamins, minerals, calcium, magnesium, and potassium that will be replenished in our body, which we lose due to sweating and dehydration.
3. Fresh summer fruit and vegetables
High-water-content foods such as watermelon, muskmelon, mangoes, oranges, berries and papaya are natural gifts to us when it comes to maintaining hydration.
These fruits are also enriched with various vitamins, minerals, and fibres beneficial to our body.
One can also consume these in the form of salads or by making milkshakes from some of these fruits.
Lemonade is one of the most common summer drinks that we have. Lemons are packed with vitamin C, which is a collagen booster that benefits our skin.
Vegetables with a good amount of water include cucumbers and tomatoes, which can be consumed frequently as an addition.
Other vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini are also abundant in the summer and provide the antioxidants required to repair cellular damage due to extreme heat.
4. Sprouts
Easy to digest, it also contains a high amount of water and nutrients and can be consumed raw as a salad.
Foods to avoid in summer:
1. Junk and fried foods
Pizzas, burgers and deep-fried foods such as samosas, vadas, and bhajiyas.
French fries, etc., are difficult to digest and have negative health effects. Hence, one must avoid having them.
2. Non-vegetarian food
Mutton, chicken, and red meat produce excessive heat in our bodies and are best avoided in the summer.
Meat is also one of the most common reasons for food poisoning in the summer, as it tends to easily contaminate.
3. Sugar drinks
Aerated carbonated cold drinks and packaged fruit juice increase calorie intake and cause dehydration.
4. Processed foods
These contain high levels of salts, which also dehydrate, and preservatives and artificial flavours that are harmful to our body.
5. Tea and coffee
Caffeine present in them has a dehydrating effect on the body and disturbs sleep. Caffeine also tends to increase body heat.
6. Hot and spicy foods
One must avoid having these as spices increase metabolism, which results in an increase in body heat. One must avoid curry-based items.