Beat the Heat - the Smart Way

It's that time of the year again - sweltering heat, sweat, warm, dry winds, the sun at its angriest and tanning. But nature has been as thoughtful as She could get to replenish and make up for the dryness and dehydration the weather causes by providing bountiful supplies of fruits and vegetables substituting for what’s lost during summers.

As per inputs from Dr. Shailesh Sutariya and Dr.Shilpa Bhakare, Department of Health, Gandhinagar, there are a certain things to be borne in mind with the advent of summers:

Stay hydrated: Your body tends to lose a lot of fluids so drink a lot of water and other liquids such as coconut water to keep you well hydrated.

Use protection against the sun: Avoid stepping out in the sun between 11 am and 4 pm; that’s when its rays are likely to cause most damage. Also make sure you wear sunscreen 30 minutes before you step out at all times during the day.

Cover-up: Always use a scarf/cap to cover your head and wear shades to protect your eyes. Over-exposure to the sun may cause a heatstroke, so keeping covered is essential. One needs to take special care of young children.  The Body Mass Index (BMI) in children is not uniformly distributed as compared to their curved surface area; more so for children under five years of age.  As a result the body absorbs and releases heat at a relatively much faster rate compared to grown-up children/adults.

Wear loose-fitting clothes: Make sure you wear loose clothes to let your skin breathe by the circulation of air else you may be susceptible to developing rashes. Try and wear cotton clothes as far as possible.

Avoid eating outside: Avoid eating outside because you can’t be sure of the food’s freshness. Also avoid having chilled aerated drinks as the excess sugar content is harmful for the body.

Consume fresh fruits and veggies:Beat the scorching summer heat with watermelon that contains 95% water and electrolytes. Eat lots of leafy greens and cucumber to keep your body cool and make up for the loss of minerals due to heat.

There are always ways around overcoming the harshness of the weather – whichever season it be. Just take a cue from what is available in terms of natural, live food and tweak your diet regime a little and remain in the pink of your health.