As the summer season sets in we all tend to feel a bit lazy. We tend to eat less and start to lose mental as well as physical stamina. The stomach also feels uneasy at times and the whole body system seems to go for a toss. Since the temperatures are high our body needs to be taken care for through a dietary pattern which will not only keep it fit but also make us feel more comfortable. Here are some cool tips that will help you chill out this summer.
1. Maintain a high water level inside
Make sure you have lots of juicy fruits like watermelons, melon and mausmi. You could also have fresh lime water, chaach, mint lime water on regular intervals to keep the body cool and hydrated. Avoid having tea/coffee and fizzy drinks as they cause more dehydration. Green coconut water is also a very good thirst quencher and a healthy alternative in summers.
2. Eat food in small quantities
Eat light food that contains less or no oil. Also fill your stomach with only 1/3rd of its capacity and eat at regular intervals so as to avoid feeling sleepy during the day. This will keep the insulin level in control and keep you going without any laziness. Try to have roasted foods like corn meals, chana, and cereals along with fresh fruit salads and boiled green leafy vegetables or pulses on short intervals to give you the requisite energy as well as vitamins and minerals for the body.
3. Avoid foods high on glycemic
In summer it is always advisable to not to have foods that are high on glycemic levels. Food items like white flour, semolina, wheat flour, and white rice make you feel sleepy. It is better to have brown rice and chapatis made of different grains with loads of green vegetables in your meal.
4. Eat lots of green vegetables
You must have observed that a diet dominated by proteins like pulses, meat, and chicken takes more time to digest. This is because the body takes longer to break down the proteins than vitamins and minerals. It is therefore advisable to have lots of vegetables, salads, fruits, soups and beverages. These should be at least 50% of our daily food intake.
5. Try to eat foods which maintain body temperature
Food items like cumin, cardamom, basil, brown rice, green gram, sattu, cucumber, thin cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon and green gram have a cooling nature. They keep the temperature of the body as well as the mind under control.
6. Eat to gain energy, not weight
Junk food like burgers, pizzas, and sandwiches are an absolute no. These will only give you extra calories. Also you should prefer a bowl of sprouts to a creamy milk shake. The milk will only make you feel lazy rather than give you instant energy. Instant energy drinks with glucose can also be had along with some lime juice, for instant energy. You can also have green tea or other natural brews like rose or hibiscus tea to feel refreshed and energetic throughout the day. Sattu mixed with water and rock salt is another very good source of energy to beat the summer heat.
7. Never skip meals
Skipping meals makes your system lose the basic energy that it needs to function and do the routine tasks. Eat small quantities of light food the whole day. If you skip a meal it may cause you to feel dizzy and irritable. It can also reduce the metabolism rate of your body.
You may then end up overeating at night, which can also cause toxin build up on an empty stomach and cause skin problems thereafter. So, make sure you never skip meals. Just use all the above tips and adhere to them to beat the summer completely. But, do remember to have loads and loads of water everyday to keep your body cool and hydrated. Have at least 1.5-2 liters of water everyday. You can also add tulsi leaves in the water. This will leave you with a refreshing feeling besides giving you strong immunity. Also remember to replenish the salt level of your during sweating. You could do this by adding a pinch of salt to your fresh lime water. Hope you stay cool and enjoy your summer!
