KOCHI: Summer is here, and many are struggling to cope with the heat. As days turn hotter and exceptionally scorching, it is time to start including food and drinks that will keep the body hydrated, and cool, and help beat the heat. It’s necessary to maintain homeostasis, says Rajiv Ambat, CEO and founder of NuvoVivo Center for Obesity, Lifestyle Disorders and Research. And it is important to add more drinks, fruits and vegetables with rich water content to the diet.
“Homeostasis is the tendency to maintain a stable and regulated internal environment when any change happens externally. During summer, we tend to sweat — a natural mechanism by the sweat glands to cool down the body temperature. So it’s important to replenish the liquids the body is sweating out,” he explains.
Rajiv also points out that sweating can also cause loss of electrolytes. “So make sure to replenish the electrolytes by drinking tender coconut water, buttermilk with salt, and lemon juice. Keep your electrolytes balanced. And if you are working in hot conditions, there are chances of fainting. Lack of enough electrolytes will also lead to muscle cramps.”
And to aid every being during the changing season, nature has provided ‘summer fruits’ like juicy mangoes, watermelon, pineapple, rambutan, and more. Though adding vegetables to the daily diet is healthy, during hot days, including more fruits is ideal.
According to Uma Kalyani, registered dietitian and yoga trainer, and founder and director of Umasnutriyoga, Thiruvananthapuram, consuming refreshing and soothing food is good during the season.
“Cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin, and gourd varieties like ash gourd have many benefits. After peeling the skin and seeds of the ash gourd, blend it nicely, then add cucumber — this can be a great soothing drink. Adding buttermilk to the same is another option. Cucumber is a low-calorie food and if you don’t like to have it raw, make it into a drink. Another summer cooler can be prepared with one cucumber, one or two gooseberries, a bit of ginger and a pinch of salt. It has a cleansing effect,” she says.
Having fruits in any form is beneficial. However, for those who are conscious of their weight or have any lifestyle diseases like diabetes, vegetable juice would be ideal than fruit juices,” notes Uma.
“Pay attention to the quantity also. It is ideal to consume 60-80gm of fruit. Also, there’s a common notion that since watermelon has more water content, it can be consumed by those with weight issues. The glycemic index of this fruit is high,” says Uma.
Also, it is better to consume fruits as such if you have any such diseases. Having low-calorie drinks like tender coconut water and buttermilk is also effective. “ABC juice or apple, beetroot, and carrot juice is also great for cooling the body. Mix 50gm of all three with a pinch of salt and prepare the drink. Beetroot has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, too,” adds Uma.
The demand for shakes is also high this season. Experts recommend drinking shakes with cold water rather than ice cubes.
Drink enough water
Even now, there is confusion about how much water to drink. “Urologists used to suggest 50ml for 1kg body weight. If one drinks water according to this measurement, it might lead to bladder issues. I would suggest listening to your body. When dehydrated, the body will signal and drink accordingly,” says Uma.
According to Rajiv, for 20-25kg of body weight, 1 litre of water is ideal. “Also, never drink this much water in one go. Split it throughout the day, or else one would feel bloated.”If the idea of drinking plain water seems boring, then Uma suggests flavoured water. “One can add Cinnamon to water and boil, cinnamon has a hydrating effect. Also, in case you need some flavour, a slice of lime, cucumber or orange can be added to normal water.”
What to eat in a day?
For summers, there are no special dietary plans. A few additions to the normal diet would be enough, say experts. Cut down spicy and deep-fried items to help reduce heating up the body. Pearl millet porridge is a good way to start one’s day.
“This year is International Millet Year. Pearl millet is one of the healthy millet varieties. Fermented porridge enhanced with sour curd and green chilli is a refreshing variety. Also, add shallots while serving,” says Uma.
“For lunch, with vegetables, add any side dish with curd. Take dinner at least four hours before bedtime. One dinner option is boiled vegetables with salt and pepper, dal, and two chapatis.Consuming non-veg is said to raise body heat during the summer time. “Instead of avoiding red meat or chicken, I’d suggest adding meat in a moderate and balanced amount,” adds Rajiv.
Getting exhausted during hot days is quite normal. During such tiring days, a cup of coffee or tea can give us instant energy. “There are people who tend to consume many cups of chai and coffee. However, it is better to drink only two cups a day,” adds Uma.
WATERMELON SORBET
Ingredients
Seedless fresh watermelon chunks: 3 cups
Lime juice: 2 teaspoons
Warm water: ¼ cups
Raw honey ( Optional)
Method of preparation
Freeze watermelon chunks in a refrigerator in a container with a baking sheet lined inside.
After it freezes overnight, drop them into a food processor and blend them well along with lime juice. Allow it to settle for five minutes in between, permitting it to thaw.
Make sure to blend it until it becomes smooth with warm water.
Transfer these summer special drink to a freezer for four hours until it becomes firm. Serve it cold.
Peachy Orange Slush
Ingredients
Fresh orange juice: 1 cup
Fresh peaches: 1 cup (Chopped)
Apple: 1 cup (Chopped)
Orange: 1 (Peeled)
Ice cubes: 2 to 3
Method of preparation
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend well.
If you do not wish to add ice cubes, then use cold orange juice. Also freeze the fruits which are to be used for preparing the juice. It will give a slushy effect to the recipe. Serve fresh.
Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients
Cucumber: 1 cup (peeled and chopped)
Mint leaves: 6 to 8
Sugar: 3 tablespoons
Black salt: 1 teaspoon
Chilled water: 3 cups
Lime juice: 3 tablespoons
Method of preparation
To a blender, add 1 cup chopped cucumber, 3 tablespoon sugar, 6-8 mint leaves, and 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Use a spoon or a spatula to press the pulp. Discard the pulp.
Stir in 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 teaspoon black salt, and the remaining 2 cups of water with the cucumber juice.
Masala Chaas ( Spiced buttermilk)
Ingredients
Mint leaves: 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves: 1/4 cup
Ginger: 1/2 inch
Roasted cumin powder: 1/4 teaspoon
Green chilli: 1
Black salt: 1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Plain unsweetened yogurt: 1/4 cup
Method of preparation
Add all the ingredients except water into a grinder jar and grind to a smooth paste.
Add 1 cup of chilled water and blend.
Top with some roasted cumin powder and enjoy!