Check out these summer diet cooling foods to fight heatwaves during this season

17/07/2022

It is no secret that icy coolers like fizzy drinks, aerated beverages or sugar-laden ice creams are not good for our health but few know that even super cold liquids like an ice-cold glass of water to beat the heat during summers, can force our body to bring itself back up to temperature and create more heat in our system. Come summers and the blazing sun has the potential to drain our energy, make us dehydrated or fall sick with heatstroke but seeking an instant fix to cool off during these swampy days of summer and revive and rejuvenate our spirits with an iced coffee is another sure way to keep body heat up as the caffeine kick-starts our metabolism while reaching for a frosty bowl of ice cream too raises our core body temperature, given the energy it takes for our body to process the saturated fat and sugar.
Dietician Vidhi Chawla who is also the Founder of Fisico Diet Clinic, shared, “With the bright sun sneering at us and with the much-dreaded Summer approaching, our bodies are already in angst. “With great heat comes the great need to cool down” our body, especially via our dietary intake. Drinking water and other coolers are one way to cool your body, furthermore, you could also use food intake to calm your body.”
Echoing the same, Dr Archana Batra who is a Dietitian, Nutritionist, Physiotherapist and a Certified Diabetes Educator, quipped, “We all have to agree that the summer arrived a little too soon this season. The sudden rise in temperature and heatwave is proof of it. This scorching summer heat asks for some icy coolers, for which we often seek an instant fix to revive and rejuvenate our spirits, but are these fizzy drinks, aerated beverages, or sugar-laden ice creams really good for our body? Well, the answer is clearly no. Also, since summers bring heat strokes, dehydration and various other health issues, this calls for a healthier diet and foods.”
Cooling foods to fight heatwaves during summers:
According to Dietician Vidhi Chawla, “Gulkand is an excellent body-cooling and refreshing agent. It is packed with nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Carotene and Copper. Gulkand can be added to your diet as it not only brings down your body temperature during summers but helps with other problems as well. During summers, your skin usually due to heat can be inflamed, is prone to pimples and even cause red eyes. Gulkand helps in calming and maintaining the pH of your skin as well."
She added, "During summers, your gut is more sensitive because of the heat, which is why we do not feel very hungry in the summers or get diarrhoea or even constipation, for which a good remedy is found in Gulkand. Nose bleeds, constipation, bad body odour are other health problems during summers, which can be relived using Gulkand’s antimicrobial property. Gulkand is made out of roses and is essentially a jam of roses. It is easily available in the market or else, preparing gulkand at home is a fun activity too. It is recommended that you have one spoon of gulkand daily in summers and for the kids, mix one spoon of gulkand in milk and give.”
Dr Archana Batra also shared two summer diet foods to keep us hydrated and cool this summer. They include:
1. Bel (Bengal Quince) - Bel, also known as Bengal quince, is a well-known summer fruit with cooling properties. The juices from this unripe fruit are extracted and consumed as a sherbat or juice. Furthermore, this summer fruit is an excellent ingredient used for treating dysentery and other digestive problems that arise as a result of the hot weather. Aside from that, bel, also known as wood apple, is high in dietary fibres which act as a natural laxative and helps in digestion and constipation relief. Furthermore, the presence of antioxidants and vitamin C aids in the improvement of immunity.
2. Yogurt or Curd - The other cooling food is Yogurt. It has vast cooling properties and is high in probiotics, which is highly advisable for better digestion. Yogurt is a superfood to have because of its good bacteria content that boosts immunity and reduces the risk of infections. This milk product is also good for our skin because it contains vitamin E, zinc, and phosphorus, all of which are known to help with complexion. It is also one of the healthiest foods to eat during the seasons. You can flavour it with fruits or just eat it plain as a side dish. You could also make Shrikhand or Curd Rice.
Adding to the list of summer diet cooling foods to fight heatwaves during this season, Avni Kaul, Nutritionist, Wellness Coach, Certified Diabetic Educator and Founder of NutriActivania, shared:
1. Watermelon - Watermelon is a wonderful summer food as it contains nearly 91.45% of water which helps in fulfilling our body’s water requirement. Also, filled with anti-oxidant properties, watermelon can give a fantastic cooling effect to our body.
2. Cucumber - Laden with fiber, eating cucumber during summer can keep constipation at bay. Cucumber also has a high quantity of water content.
3. Mint Leaves - Mint is a popular herb that is easily available with all vegetable vendors. Adding mint in curd raita and in your drinking water, can provide you added benefits. Mint helps to keep your body temperature cool and also provides a refreshing effect.
4. Homemade Curd - Homemade curd is an excellent probiotic that keeps the guts healthy and offers an excellent coolant effect on the body. One can have curd in different variants too. Make sweet lassi or spicy buttermilk. You can also make raita and eat it with your meal. Another way to enjoy eating curd is by adding some seasonal fruits into it.
5. Coconut Water - Across the globe, coconut water is regarded as the best summer drink. Loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, it has cooling ingredients that helps you fight against the hot weather and prevent dehydration.
6. Sattu - Sattu powder is made of roasted black chana. Sharbat made of sattu is very beneficial. It is a good source of energy and drinking sattu sharbat during summer will help you fight the risks of dehydration and heatstroke.

Photo Gallery

BSE Sensex

NSE Nifty