You’ve updated your wardrobe with light fabrics and flowy silhouettes. You’ve slathered on sunscreen and are wearing sunglasses and a hat for good measure. Why then are you finding it difficult to manage the mercurial temperatures? It could be because you’re not including cooling foods in your daily diet.
Chef Sudhir Nair, Executive Chef at Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru, and Chef Kasiviswanathan, the Executive Chef for Radisson Blu Atria, Bengaluru, share five easy tips that will help your body cope with the heat:
* Eat and enjoy a light breakfast every morning comprising of fresh fruits and lots of liquids. Avoid citrus juices and instead opt for tender coconut or melon juice. Cucumber juice or salad would also be a great option.
Try and cut down on a heavy breakfast and avoid high starch foods with rice or wheat. Lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day in summers. Keep low on yoghurt consumption, instead drink as much as buttermilk as possible. Keep your food low on spices and high on liquid.
* Do not drink chilled water or aerated beverages as it will disrupt the digestive process in the body. Keep a close watch on your sugar consumption. Ice creams, though tempting, are rich in sugar and cream, so avoid it. But an iced fruit lolly would be a legitimate indulgence.
* Avoid using spices such as mustard, ginger, and chilli. Avoid vegetables like tomato, peppers and garlic.
* Cook with cooling herbs such as fennel, dill, mint, and coriander. Allow use of spices like cumin, cinnamon, green cardamom in your food. Use vegetables such as white pumpkin, broccoli, snake gourds, drumstick and madras cucumber.
* Milk, coconut, butter and ghee in small proportions is cooling for the body. Best methods of cooking these foods would by boiling, steaming and stewing. It is best to avoid fried foods as they would give undue stress to the digestive tract.
* Fruits like ice apples, varieties of melons, sugarcane, and varieties of ripe mango, cashew apples and jackfruit are found in abundance in this season and the best choice of small meals throughout the day.
Blood pressure is one of the most common conditions in India. It is said that one in every three Indians are suffering from hypertension and heart ailments. High blood pressure is a silent killer; in fact, according to the National Centre For Biotechnology Information (NCBI), blood pressure shows seasonal variation. It is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. It tends to damage the body's blood vessels, thus causing kidney diseases, heart afflictions and other health problems. Blood pressure should be taken care of, especially during summers as it tends to fluctuate more often. We give you some expert tips on managing blood pressure with healthy summer foods.According to Parmeet Kaur, Dietitian, Narayana Hrudayalaya, "The hypertension diet should have foods with high magnesium, potassium and fibre content in it. They should be necessarily low in sodium."
Here are the summer foods for managing blood pressure as suggested by Parmeet Kaur.
1. Berries
All berries are loaded with heart-healthy compounds called flavonoids. The antioxidant rich fruit may help lower blood pressure, as per a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Add blueberries, strawberries, et al to your daily diet.
2. Skimmed milk
Skimmed milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D, two of which work as a team to help reduce blood pressure naturally. According to National Health Service, UK, drinking a glass of skimmed milk a day can cut blood pressure by upto a one third. So gulp down a glass of skimmed milk daily in order to reap maximum benefits.
3. Yogurt
According to a study presented at the American Heart Association (AHA), women who consumed five or more servings of yogurt a week had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than similar women who hardly ever ate yogurt. So load up on chilled yogurt every day and enjoy a healthful life.
4. Watermelon
According to a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, watermelon could significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while under stress. The pressure on the aorta and on the heart reduced after the consumption of watermelon.
5. Bananas
This tropical fruit is super rich in potassium and even more easy to include in your daily diet. One banana provides one percent of calcium, eight percent of magnesium and 12 percent of potassium that you need every day.
6. Kiwi
According to a report presented in the American Heart Association (AHA), kiwis may naturally lower blood pressure. Three kiwis a day could keep high blood pressure at bay. So toss kiwis in your salads and stave off any risk of high blood pressure.
Parmeet Kaur adds, "Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, etc. These foods cut down the triglyceride count and reduce inflammation."
Every culture and country has its own stock of old wives' tales which often find their way into the modern world by word-of-mouth. We either justify these ancient beliefs with some logic and offer these as remedies and 'quick-fixes' to others we know, or dismiss them as mere myths that have no place in a world where scientific proof reigns supreme. One such belief that some of you may have heard being voiced in your households is that carrying an onion around in your pockets is a healthy practice during summer season. You might have probably been told by an elder at home to carry an onion bulb around with you every time you head out in the sun, to protect yourself against heat stroke. But does this belief have any merit at all?
For people who aren't familiar with the belief, it may seem like a completely bogus remedy for sun stroke. But there is genuine curiosity about whether this 'trick' works against intense heat.
Onions For Summer
While we contemplate about whether or not the onion is effective against sun stroke, let us first look at the health benefits of eating onions in the summers. Onions are believed to have several health benefits when consumed raw during the summers. Red onions, which are the most commonly available variety in India, have a compound called quercetin, which acts against histamine. Histamine is the cause behind heat rashes and reactions to insect bites and quercetin has anti-histamine properties. Moreover, raw onions may also have a positive effect on your immunity, thus preventing the risk of contracting diseases. The juice from onions is also recommended for consumption as well as external use during summers, to treat heat stroke and soothe sun burns, respectively.
Onions Against Heat Stroke
So now that we've established that consumption of onions is healthy during the summers, let us establish whether onions are as effective against heat stroke, as is believed. Addressing this practice of carrying onions around in pockets during summers, Ayurveda expert Dr. Dhanvantri Tyagi said, "In earlier times, there weren't any proper means of transport and people had to often walk long distances. That's why they were advised to carry an onion in their pockets. Onions have volatile oils which are helpful in regulation of body temperature." However, Dr. Tyagi says that the practice must not be taken at face value and is merely symbolic. He adds, "The belief may stem from the fact that onions are very beneficial for consumption during summers and must be eaten regularly during the season."
Dr. Tyagi recommends adding raw onions to your salads and cooking them in your sabzis. "In some villages, people still apply onion juice on the soles of their feet during summers. However, there is no scientific base to any of these practices", Dr. Tyagi said, while reiterating the health benefits of daily consumption of onions during summers. Another Ayurveda expert Dr. Ashutosh Gautam echoed the views of Dr. Tyagi, saying, "Eating onions may replenish the electrolytes in the body, as they are rich in potassium and sodium." He said that raw onions are also effective in triggering release of digestive juices for proper digestion.
In Conclusion
Carrying an onion around in your pocket during summers will not serve any purpose, except drive people away from you, due to the smell it may generate. However, regular consumption of both raw onions and raw onion juice may certainly prove to be a healthy practice during the summers.
Imagine the world without the efficient functioning of the eyes; blank, isn't it? Summers are upon us and it is time to take extra care of them, especially as they are most exposed to heat, sun, pollution, et al, which may further lead to weaker eyesight, conjunctivitis, pre-mature macular degeneration and vision problems. While one of the best ways to take care of your eyes is to wash them with water, it is imperative to load up on healthy foods in order to ensure a healthy pair of eyes. Ayurveda is known to consider food just as powerful as medicine. Similarly, it suggests some foods that may help strengthen your eye health.
According to the book, 'The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies' by Dr. Vasant Lad, individuals who work in front of a computer for a long time, watch a lot of television or movies, or live in a city with high air pollution, may find their eyes become irritated and strained. The irritation may be due to the dryness of conjunctiva that results from excess vata dosha, or it may be related to excess hyper-acidity or pitta dosha in stomach. Liver and eyes are closely related, so one of the reasons can be problems occurring in the liver.
Here are some of the essential home remedies as suggested by Ayurveda in order to keep your eyes healthy.
1) According to the book, you can prepare a solution of rose water. Use a dropper or an eye cup; make sure the water is neither too hot nor too cold. A drop or two in the eye will help soothe the irritation.
2) The book also suggests putting a single drop of pure castor oil into your eyes at bedtime. Make sure the oil does not contain any preservative.
3) According to the book, 'Home Doctor' by Dr. P.S. Phadke, if you experience redness, pain or even swelling in the eyes, boil a teaspoon of turmeric in two cups of water. Reduce it to a cup and let it cool. Strain four to five times with a muslin cloth. This extract can then be used as an eye drop. Use it at least three to four times a day.
4) Infusions made of coriander seeds or fennel seeds can be used as cold eye-washes.
5)If there is only a burning sensation in the eyes, cold compress will work. In fact, direct cold application of a little cream of cow's milk or fresh yogurt will also help soothe the eyes. Make sure the application is cold.
We all get hot and irritable during summers and now we have a theory that explains why it happens. A team in Poland conducted a study to find the link between rising temperature and stress levels.
This has been something that has puzzled experts for many years.
The research has revealed that cortisol, which is the stress hormone is lower in winter, and the heat does make it rise. This could affect public health because cortisol is important to regulate salt, sugar as well as fluids across the body.
Pathophysiologist, Dr Dominika Kanikowska of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, was surprised to see more cortisol circulating in the body during warm weather. She shared, "These non-intuitive findings contradict traditional concepts of the taxing physical toll of winter and the relaxed ease of summer."
The first sample of data was actually derived from crime statistics and how it was associated with the weather. The report showed criminals engaging in increased violence when it was warmer.
Many theories connect warm temperatures with spike in heart rate, testosterone along with metabolic reactions, triggering the sympathetic nervous system.