Just Chill!!!

Long days of sunshine, warm evenings filled with fireflies, and markets bursting with fresh-picked foods. Summer’s fiery heat encourages us to eat lightly, to support the healthy functioning of our active hearts and digestive systems. Avoid spicy, oily dishes and fried foods. Excessive amounts of chilli, garam masala are irritating to the digestive system. Instead, season foods with small amounts of jeera, fresh coriander and mint (pudina) as these are milder and also act as digestives.

Top seven summer coolers

Berries

Strawberries come first, followed by cherries, raspberries, and blackberries. There’s some type of fresh berry available all summer in most areas of the country. Berries are good sources of fiber and vitamin C. Eight strawberries contain more vitamin C than one orange, and one cup of raspberries has 30 percent of your daily fiber needs. They contain more antioxidants than other types of food, helping protect against cancer and heart disease.

Watermelon

Watermelon is fat free, nutritionally low in calories and considered an ideal diet food, and is high in energy. It is perhaps the most refreshing, thirst quenching fruit of all and helps to keep summer heat at bay. Watermelon consists of 92% water and 8% sugar, so it is aptly named. Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delicious thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis. Many of us do not know watermelon has generous helpings of antioxidant lycopene, found in tomatoes.

Tomatoes

No vegetable better marks the summer season than the juicy, vine-ripened tomato. The red pigment in tomato, called lycopene, is an antioxidant that has been extensively studied for its cancer prevention properties. When eaten in high quantities, tomatoes help to lower the risk of colon, prostate, rectal, and stomach cancer.

Water

Water is the best option to quench thirst. It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.

Salads

Most of the vegetables in the shops during summer make beautiful and simple salads on their own. When combined with each other or with a few pantry staples, such salads can become simple lunch dishes with just the addition of good bread. Include handfuls of tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and other types of fresh veggies with some fresh berries, melon cubes or diced pears for added flavor and colour. Make a salad a meal by topping with grilled chicken or fish, and dress with your favorite light dressing.

Cool with karela

Any thoughts why karela grows in summer, because it lowers body heat. Bitter melon is reported to help in the treatment of diabetes. It has also been reported that bitter melon may help in the treatment of HIV.

Corn

Corn is a reputed summertime vegetable. Sweet corns provide three grams of fiber and another three grams of protein, plus they contain vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Cooking sweet corn makes more of its healthful antioxidants available, helping reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.

Invite these foods to your plate and enjoy a healthy and cool summer ahead.

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