Summer Foods And Drinks To Keep You Cool, Light And Hydrated

Summer’s in full swing in many parts of India, and the taste of high temperatures is what our body gets the most during this season. It’s only understandable to bear the heat of the scorching season first, before savouring what else it has to offer. While the mercury reaches a crescendo, it is utmost important to understand the cooling and hydration needs of your body. It is here that summer foods and drinks matter the most.

With the outdoors getting unbearable, everyone is bound mostly indoors in the comfort of air conditioners. However, constant exposure to air conditioning also results in the body getting dehydrated. Although this fluid loss may not be as much as what your body may sustain when venturing out in the sun, remaining hydrated is imperative to avoid episodes of dizziness, fatigue, heat strokes, and cramps.

Veggies And Fruits That Are Right And Light

What you eat during summer determines how active and free of fatigue you are. It is believed that cutting down on meat intake and consuming ample amounts of alkalising fruits and vegetables help you get rid of toxins from acidic foods naturally.

Hailed as one of the healthiest foods, the ever-modest cucumber is a powerful antioxidant and offers incredible cooling properties. Have it in salads, grate it in curd, or make cucumber water to detoxify your body.

Okra, bottle gourd, bitter gourds and pumpkin are excellent for the gut, and are easily digested during summer. They’ll end up lowering your calorie intake too.

Loaded with vitamins to keep you energised, summer offers some super-healthy and tasty fruit choices. The king of rehydration, watermelon, is widely available. Whether you eat it or blend it into juice, it will keep you super-cool any which way. Berries, plums, pineapples, and lychees are all great summer fruits too.

Lest we forget, the king of fruits - mango. With health benefits reportedly ranging from preventing cancer to thwarting heat strokes and boasting a taste that spurs temptation, the mango is delicious in its fruit form, as a drink (juices, shakes, and aam panna) or a dessert (ice cream, cake, and pudding).

Refreshing Drinks To Keep You Hydrated

Natural fluids like coconut water are bliss during summer. Buttermilk is not only a probiotic drink helping the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, but it’s also a natural cooler. If you wish to go beyond routine, try whipping up natural fruit cocktails now and then - watermelon juice with a dash of lemon juice, mint and lemon concoctions, raw mango juice with a tinge of spices, and mint (aam panna) and green tea lemonade. A couple of glasses of these drinks throughout the day will ensure your body is cool, hydrated, and revived.

Last, but certainly not the least, the go-to fluid in the presence or absence of all else is the humble water. Don’t wait for the body to get thirsty and nourish it with water (not the aerated version) at frequent intervals. Around eight glasses of water should suffice the body’s needs under normal conditions, but if you’re walking, running or working out, the more the merrier.