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 in the body.
Heatstroke is a common form of hyperthermia where our body takes in more heat which stays in the body and leads to nausea, fatigue and even fainting. 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 or afternoon sun. If going out is unavoidable, then please carry lemon water, unsweetened kokam juice, infused water etc with you and cover your head properly 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 lightheadedness. 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 it’s very important to stay hydrated. 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.
Stomach aches, indigestion, heartburn, acidity and sometimes diarrhoea are common during the summer. 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 we need to 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. These foods take time to digest which may cause issues. 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.
The writer is the Chief Nutrition Officer, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems. She is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices.
Photo courtesy: Mateusz Feliksik on Unsplash