10 Best Foods And Diet Tips For A Cool Cool Summer!

10 Best Foods And Diet Tips For A Cool Cool Summer!

As the days get longer and the temperatures soar, a dose of precautions and a diet peppered with cooling summer foods, energizing drinks and heat-busting diet tips, is our best bet to stay refreshed this summer. Here are the 10 best summer foods and diet tips to beat the scorching heat.

Stay Refreshed

  • Eat small and frequent meals.
  • Stay away from energy sapping foods such as red meats, fried foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
  • Rehydrate with coconut water, buttermilk, jal jeera, vegetable juices, lemonade and plain water.
  • Consume some of your foods raw every day.
  • Include mild spices such as pepper, ginger and fennel in the diet to enhance the body’s natural cooling mechanism.

Cucumber
A favourite, cucumbers top the summer veggie chartbusters with their high water content (they are 95 per cent water), superbly crunchy taste and a plethora of nutrients such as B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc and dietary fibre. Cucumbers are also naturally rich in diuretic properties that prove beneficial during the summers to flush out toxins and maintain a healthy electrolyte balance.

Curd
Besides an abundance of energy boosting carbohydrates, power enhancing proteins and bone building calcium, curd also provides gut-friendly probiotics. Be sure to consume a bowl of curd every day to keep summer woes such as fatigue, dehydration, and stomach problems away.

Melons
It’s is hard to beat the lure of a chilled crispy juicy wedge of watermelon on a hot, sultry summer day. Packed with a significant amount of vitamin C, carotenoids, potassium, magnesium and calcium, watermelons are a must have. A glass of watermelon juice or a bowl of musk melon cubes tossed with cottage cheese, mint leaves and a dash of lime juice, offer the perfect recipe to stay cool and also cut the risk to high blood pressure, cancer and kidney problems.

Lettuce
The best summer foods are those that are low in calories, easy on the stomach and those foods which can be enjoyed without sweating hours in the kitchen. Trust the green leafy nutrient storehouse, lettuce to do all of these jobs and some more! Fortified with iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin C and dietary fibre, lettuce offers a refreshing addition to any diet.

Red Onion
Consumption of onions to keep sunstroke symptoms away, is a home remedy that has been proven beneficial for ages. The compound quercetin present in red onions, brings down body temperature and acts as a natural coolant.

Sprouted Moong
If you are feeling drained or craving for a late summer afternoon snack, skip the usual samosa and chai but go for a bowl of sprouted moong salad loaded with nutrients and fibre instead, to bring the zest back into your long, tiring day.

Citrus Fruits
Juicy fruits like oranges and sweet lime are low in calories, packed with vitamin C, magnesium and potassium and aid in replenishing electrolytes lost during perspiration.

Bel And Kokum Fruit
Rehydrating juices prepared from indigenous fruits such as bel and kokum (dark purple plum) help to perk up energy and immunity levels, improve digestion and prevent heat stroke complications.

Fresh Mint
During the summers, it is common to experience indigestion and sluggishness. Fresh mint leaves work well to soothe the digestive system, calm our mood and tight aches and pains. Add an aromatic zing to your summer diet, by adding mint leaves in salads, chutneys, raitas, tea and even cold soups and ice creams.

Barley Water
Drink a glass of detoxifying barley water daily, to beat dehydration and also to keep your heart healthy and skin vibrant.

Refreshing Summer Drinks

“Keep aside popular carbonated beverages, boring nimbu paanis and expensive sport drinks. Make way for these delicious homemade summer drinks that promise to quench your thirst deliciously and healthily”

Aam Panna
Rejuvenate your system this summer with a glass of delectably refreshing aam panna, prepared with raw mangoes and spices.

Pudina Chaas
Cool off with a simple pudina (mint) flavoured buttermilk or chaas, spiced lightly with a hint of roasted cumin powder, pepper powder and rock salt.

Iced Ginger Green Tea
Infuse a bag of green tea In boiling water and then chill for a few hours. Add a spoon of ginger juice and a touch of honey before serving.

Cinnamon Apple Cider
Lend a spicy healthy twist to packaged fruit juices with homemade apple cider. Boil fresh apples along with sugar and cinnamon sticks till apples are soft. Puree the mixture, strain and dilute it to a desired consistency and serve chilled.

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