Rice
Munmun Ganeriwal, nutritionist
Rice is an essential ingredient this season — it’s a natural coolant, and reduces body heat, which in turn is high in vitamins. It also relieves one from constipation, which is common in summer season.
Many communities in the Eastern part of the country (Bengal, Assam and Orissa) have traditionally been cooling cooked rice in water and leaving it overnight. This fermented rice is then consumed in the morning. It is known to prevent heat strokes and stomach ulcer.
Rice could be like curd rice or a pulao with raita, which acts as a coolant. Phodni Cha Bhaat, a typical Maharashtrian dish, made from leftover rice, is good for the summer season.
Watermelons
Khushboo Sahijwani Matta, nutritionist
Melons are a good option to bring down the body heat. You could include this as part of a breakfast or a great mid-morning snack since it is high in water and nutrient content, while being low in calories.
The summers are the best excuse to also have lemon juice since it is low in calories, sodium and cholesterol free. Since these are easy on the pocket, lime juice can be incorporated in the diet on every possible way.
Nimbu paani is the best to beat the heat. However, the ready-to-drink nimbu drinks must be avoided since they are high in sugar and difficult to digest. Barley water can drastically bring down the body heat during summers. In fact, I would say that nothing works as good as this to prevent a heat stroke as it’s a very good coolant for the
system.
Raw Mango
Tripti Gupta
’Tis the season of mangoes and while people may have stocked up their Alphonsos for the week, one tends to forget that actually the real health benefits lie in the original raw mango i.e kaccha kairi.
Raw mango is nature’s best answer to beat the heat naturally. It’s not only lower on carbs and sugar but also offers higher antioxidant power, better immunity, and is excellent for diabetics.
One can include raw mango in salads, pickles, chutneys, and homemade chaats or simply have a slice with their meals as an accompaniment to aid digestion and weight loss.
Our bodies tend to get dehydrated, acidic and more toxic in the summer season, thus killing our appetite and leaving one feeling tired and irritable. Raw mango is known for being a natural coolant for our system.
Aam panna is the most refreshing drink that helps us regulate our appetite, keeps our body alkaline, and boosts our hydration levels. It’s also known to combat sickness and giddiness in patients suffering from heat strokes, migraines, headaches and blood pressure, which get aggravated in the summer season.
Zucchini
Karishma Chawla, nutritionist
Zucchini is the perfect ingredient this summer since about 94 per cent of the vegetable is composed of water. This vegetable comes with a host of benefits. It has high source of antioxidant like Vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system. Being a low-glycemic vegetable, it stabilises your energy levels and avoiding calories being stored as fat.
It can be added to sauted veggies or as a salad with grilled fish or chicken. It can also be consumed as a smoothie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For those who find zucchini boring, it can also be made like spiral noodles, which is tossed in olive oil. It makes for a good mid-evening snack. Zucchini with sun dried tomatoes with skim cottage cheese tastes refreshing and can be had a midnight snack.
