Hydrate, don’t hesitate

As the days get hotter, consciously up your liquid intake and opt for fruits and vegetables with a higher water content

Drink plenty of water and other fluids, so that body is not dehydrated. (Photo | www.pexels.com)

It’s a tough job to maintain your health during the hot, lengthy and torpid summers. We are so worked up that we often forget to look after our health especially in the scorching heat, which drains us out completely and starts reducing our energy levels.

Summer brings in with it a plethora of problems; be it skin issues, digestion and other things. It would be wise to increase the intake of our water levels so that we stay hydrated and our system works smoothly. Also, consciously opt for fruits and vegetables with a high water content to improve digestion like cucumber, watermelon, and muskmelon. 

Here are a few easy tips to tackle health issues which are common in summer:

•  Our skin often becomes sensitive to heat and reacts in the form of boils, pimples, acne and so forth. To avoid all these things, have a bath with room temperature or cold water, instead of hot water. Wash your face often with normal tap water without soap. An oat meal bath can be used to keep one’s skin health in check, and drink more than three litres of water to hydrate cells.
•  To avoid a heat stroke, always keep yourself hydrated, so that your body has an appropriate amount of water to balance the heat and cool your system. If possible, avoid going out in the scorching heat. If going out is unavoidable, then carry  lemon water, unsweetened kokam juice, infused water etc., and cover your head to avoid direct contact with sun rays. 
•  You’ll be clueless about feeling dehydrated unless you start feeling giddy, your mouth and skin becomes dry, and there can be even light headedness. These are all symptoms of dehydration. Lots of water is lost in perspiration and if you are doing exhausting exercises then you tend to lose more water from body. So, try having lemon and rock salt water with half a teaspoon of jaggery during your workouts  to refill the lost electrolytes add in sabja/tukmaria seeds for that extra cooling effect. 
•  When the temperature outside rises, our body’s temperature reduces internally to maintain a balance and keep our system cool. In this process even the digestion slows down, which means that food that is been ingested is going to digest very slowly which may lead to gas and acid production. So to ease the digestion process and to avoid bloating, gas and acid formation, avoid foods which are heavy on our digestive system. Avoid large quantities of chicken, mutton, other non-veg items, fried, processed or junk food items, too much spices and sauces. Instead, go for other options which are easy to digest like lots of veggies and fruits, organic A2 buttermilk and split and soaked dals with grains.

Deepika Rathod

Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems. The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.