Tata 1mg Capsules

Summers are here and incidents of food poisoning, dehydration, gastrointestinal troubles are on the rise. Add heat related problems such as boils, heart burn, acidity to the mix, and summer can be a hotbed of illnesses waiting to happen.

So here are some foods to avoid and keep yourself healthy through summer.

1 . Red Meat

While red meat is a great source of protein and iron, summer months are a good time to stay away from meat. The body has to work really hard to digest and assimilate nutrients from meat, and red meat also increases body temperature, which is avoidable in summer months. The body expends almost 80% more energy to digest meat. Also meat spoils really easily due to heat, increasing chances of food poisoning.

2 . Sugary Drinks

Most of us reach for cold sugary drinks to feel refreshed during summer, from sherbet concentrates to aerated colas, the rising temperatures lead to an increase in consumption of unhealthy drinks, which increase our calorie intake, dehydrate the body and make our kidneys work over time to flush toxins from the body. Strain on the renal system can lead to painful kidney stones. Switch to coconut water, buttermilk, fresh juices and other healthy options instead.

3 . Dairy Products

While products like yoghurt are great during summer other dairy products such as milk, paneer, cheese, cream and butter are heaty in nature and contain high quantities of fat. Fat is hard for the body to digest and can lead to indigestion and gastric problems. Milk and milk products putrefy easily due to high temperature and improper storage; and are a major cause for most upset stomachs during summer months.

4 . Sea Food

The rule in olden days for sea food was “eat sea food only in months that have an “R” in them” which means that from May through August one must stay away from sea food. The reason behind this was to avoid fishing during these months which weren’t just hot but also mating season for aquatic animals. Also spoilt sea food is the number one cause of food poisoning during summer months. If sea food is not fresh it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, gastroenteritis.

5 . Rich Spicy Curries

Indian food is rather rich and contains many spices, while flavour is important, excessive oil, ghee, cream is hard for the body to digest, too many spices increase the body temperature, and the body has to work doubly hard to regulate the temperature. Switch to coconut milk, tomato based curries and stick to cooling herbs and spices such as coriander, mint, curry leaves, cumin, cardamoms, saunf for healthier meals.

6 . Oily Junk Food

Deep fried patties sandwiched between white bread isn’t good for you on any given day, but really bad for you in summer months. The oil which has been heating all day long frying batch after batch is responsible for the instant heart burn you get after eating a samosa or bread pakora. These foods are unhealthy and hard to digest and increase your body temperature causing acidity. Greasy food in summer months increases the activity of sebaceous glands of the skin, increasing break outs, blemishes and oily skin.

7 . Tea And Coffee

Tea and coffee while essential to our daily routine are also diuretic in nature and cause the body to lose excessive quantities of water. The milky sweet cutting chai from the corner stall might feel refreshing but is a cause for acidity due to long boiling time and reused tea leaves. Strong cups of coffee also cause acidity in addition to constipation and dehydration. So cut down tea and coffee to one or two cups a day instead try herbal infusions of lemon grass, hibiscus, rose, green tea or mint for a healthy refreshing cuppa.

Also Read: Hibiscus Benefits

Try and have freshly cooked home made foods and lots of fluids to stay healthy this summer.Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you do consume the above mentioned foods, make sure you have them in moderation and ensure they are freshly cooked and handled hygienically. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!