Doesn’t this heat make you want to just curl up under the bed till summer is done? How long do we have to wait till summer is officially done? Does anyone even know anymore?
Summer used to mean light dresses, cool sunglasses, watermelon slices, and tubs of ice cream. But this unheard-of level of heat means eating is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind! Am I right?
Of course, we cannot ignore nutrition, no matter how tempted we are. So, let’s find out how to keep ourselves nourished in these arid hot months, shall we?
Hydration hydration hydration
This is key. Our bodies and brains are made predominantly of water and need a constant supply of it to function well. It is very easy to fall prey to heat stroke in this dry heat. The best way to avoid this is to keep ourselves well-hydrated during the day. Keep sipping on water frequently, instead of downing a massive amount at one go. Add slices of lemon or orange to your water. This will add flavor to your water and help add some Vitamin C to your diet.
Eat plenty of water-rich foods
This is another way to hydrate well. By snacking on water-rich foods like cucumber, melons, and citrus fruits like oranges, we can keep our body’s water content topped up. During this time, we might need more than the usual 8 glasses of water and by eating water-rich foods, we can easily keep up with the increased demand.
Eat foods that are easier to digest
Indian food is generally heavy on our digestive system. During the hot summer months, it would help to shift our eating habits a bit. Instead of our usual carb-heavy meals, switching to light meals like salads, kosumallis, and cooling foods like mor kozhambu and kokum kadi, will aid our bodies.
These will go down easier and not put a big demand on our digestive system. The last thing we want to do is add to our bodies’ load when it is so hot out there, do we?
Drink coconut water
Most street corners in India will have a vendor selling tender coconut, tempting every passerby. Give in to the temptation and indulge in one whenever possible. Not only is it a cooling mouthful of water, a pleasant thing at any time of day, the electrolytes in it will help replenish what your body loses by sweating.
This is vital as our bodies tend to lose a lot of the vital salts without us being aware of it. By topping up whenever possible, we can help stave off any harmful effects.
Eat small meals
Maybe it is time to park the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine for a while. Instead of three heavy meals, spread the load. Eater smaller meals during the day and avoid the heavy, greasy stuff for dinner. This will hamper your sleep, which is the last thing we want.
Reduce alcohol
A chilled glass of beer might sound like the perfect antidote to this heat but it is important to remember that alcohol will cause dehydration. When we are already losing a lot of our body’s water resources due to sweat, it doesn’t help to dehydrate it further, does it?
So, keep an eye on the amount of caffeine and alcohol. Coffee is a diuretic and that's the last thing you want right now.
How’s your pee?
Keep an eye on the colour of your pee. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are. Light-, straw-colored is what we are aiming for. When it gets dark, your body is telling you that you are running low on water and it is time to up your game. Listen to it!
Harsh summer lasting for 6-8 weeks may well be relegated to the “days of yore”. It pays to adapt our habits to suit the new set of circumstances. By altering our eating habits slightly to be in tune with the new weather patterns, we can help our bodies deal with the external changes better.
Remember: use plenty of sunscreen, cover your heat, and avoid being out during the harshest part of the day.
