Dietician Sheela Seharawat
In the sweltering hot weather, just drinking some refreshing drinks and slapping on some sun screen is just not enough. Along with the soaring high temperatures, we hear more and more cases of dehydration, health issues, sunstrokes and even death in extreme cases.
There are many factors that are responsible for the increase in our body heat and environmental heat plays an important role in it. During the summers the temperatures rise and our body getting exposed to these heat episodes causing it to heat up. Another important factor that is responsible for body heat is the foods that we eat.
So, how I can cool down in the hot weather?
Perhaps, cooling down in summers is all about how your body adapt to the seasons heat and how much can you adapt to. Here are some cool tips that you can resort to this summer to stay cool:
Keep hydrated always: summer causes sweats, and sweating can cause dehydration, making you more exposed to heat strokes and exhaustions. Just drinking some cool water regularly throughout the day can keep your body cool and hydrated.
Choose cotton over any other fabric: when it’s scorching outside, opting for lightweight cotton is the best option. Wear lighter colour like white and creamy as it reflects away sun’s radiation. Avoid black and other darker colour clothing’s.
Eat small and regularly: larger meals warms up the body as it works more to process larger meals. Metabolic energy is required to break down food, hence it is advised to eat smaller meal at regular intervals.
Lay low: hot air is lighter and rise high. Try to stay as low as possible to keep surrounded by cooler air. If you are so intrigued to stay cool, lie down on the floor.
Rinse your hands and keep feet cool: Washing the hands and wrists and feet with cold water before stepping out in the open heat helps drift off and cool down. Dunking the feet into an ice cold bucket of water can help take your temperature down.
Keep the moisturizers and lotions in the refrigerator: applying cold moisturizers on the body can provide you with the much needed rejuvenation. By keeping all your essential in the refrigerator can create this cooling effect without much effort.
Simple foods to eat in summers to stay naturally cool
Drinking water helps maintain body temperatures and water levels, but what about the vital nutrients that are lost through sweating. Here are some foods that will not only helps keeping cool but also will ensure that you don’t lose out on the nutrients and stay healthy, fit and fresh.
Watermelons:
A fruit that has more richness and benefits that could be imagined. Watermelons are amazingly delicious and healthy – full of water and nourish with you from within as it is packed with healthy nutrients, vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber.
Coconut Water:
Full of richness and nutrients, it definitely is a must-have for summers. Packed with the goodness of nutrients, it is a perfect for summers as it replenishes all the nutrients your body loses after sweating. It is the best ever natural energy drink packed with nutrients, as it replenishes all the nutrients our body loses from sweating. It has been used since ages for its numerous health benefits as it promotes cardiovascular health, improves metabolism, aids in digestion, prevents and treats dehydration, helps in weight loss, treats cases of diarrhea, works as a detoxifier and many more.
Buttermilk:
Aided with the goddesses of curd is better to have fresh. Added with some other cooling spices like coriander leaves, some cumin powder and salt for some taste makes for a perfect cooling agent in summers. Butter milk have been rated high even in Ayurveda and is known for its many health benefits like cooling down body temperature, helps in digestion, it helps the stomach smoothen after spicy meals, it washes out fats after meals, fulfils calcium deficiency and it blessed with richness of proteins, vitamin B and potassium. All of these minerals and vitamins work wonders for our overall health.
Cucumbers:
A storehouse of water and vital nutrients and a must in almost every salad, cucumbers entices everyone in the summer heat. A nutritionally dense vegetable that is packed with nutrients like Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Riboflavin, B-6, Folate, Pantothenic acid, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc and Silica and is naturally low in calories, fat and cholesterol. Out of its many health benefits, some impressive ones are - Alkaline producing effect on the body, are the best cosmetic for your skin, contributes to that strength of our connective tissues, aids hair growth, works as a diuretic, helps to lose weight and improves heart health.