Summer diet

Is the blistering heat making you unwell? eye asked experts for the best way to eat healthy and stay cool

The scorching sun not only saps your energy but also triggers a host of health problems, from heatstroke to diarrhoea. The solution is simply: eat light and eat right. We bring you a list of foods that you should add to your diet to beat the heat and stay healthy.

Curd

It’s an inseparable part of most Indian food—drink it as lassi or dunk your parantha in a bowl of raita. Curd is a good source of protein, calcium and phosphorus. It also contains Vitamin B12—a nutrient that is not found in any other vegetarian food. Curd is a kaphaj food, that is, it has cooling properties—ideal for summer.

Barley

A bit of barley in your food can keep you cool. Barley is a good source of fibre and phosphorous and also protects against cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes and childhood asthma. “Add it to a cool drink or mix it to a soup or stew,” says Sharma.

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Watermelon juice
Watermelon’s high water content makes it the ideal fruit for a hot summer day. “This is a fruit packed with Vitamin A, B and C and has antioxidant properties,” says nutritionist Shikha Sharma. “A glass of watermelon juice every day will help you fight the heat.”

Stone apple
When in the middle of a heat wave, there’s nothing better than stone apple or bael to protect your stomach. The pulp of this fruit contains 60 per cent water, besides Vitamin C, magnesium and iron. “Bael sharbat is an ideal recipe for summer. It also helps cure chronic diarrhoea,” says Sharma.

Sandalwood
A few drops of this fragrant oil not only add flavour to a beverage, it also brings down the body temperature. “The best way to protect yourself from a heat stroke is to have a sandalwood drink before stepping out in the scorching heat ,” says Sharma.

Mint leaves
Add these tangy leaves to a salad or a beverage to soothe the stomach. They relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including indigestion and muscle spasms.

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Kadhi
This is one of the best dishes that you can gorge on this summer. “A key ingredient in kadhi is buttermilk, which has properties that keep the system cool. It’s a light food and can be eaten a lot in summer with chapattis or rice,” says Sharma. Buttermilk also helps replenish fluids that get lost in the hear.

Tulsi seeds
Tulsi seeds or sabza have a cooling effect on the body. The best way to include them in your diet is to crush and add them to your drink.

No-Nos
Caffeinated or carbonated beverages

Spinach, pepper and garlic
Honey and molasses
Hot, spicy or extremely
salty food
Deep-fried food