Get a summer diet plan

It’s a natural trend to eat light during summer, and you can easily do so without feeling deprived. It’s also natural for one to go in for a glass of cold fruit juice or ice cream instead of hot soup.
Interests shift from high-calorie food of the winter to low-calorie food. Although, for many, summer vacations mean family outings and picnics that are heavy on food. But, dietician Gunasekharan believes that summer is the season when it’s easiest to eat healthily.

tips for a summer diet plan

• Increase your water intake. In high humidity, you do not sweat adequately due to which you cannot release heat efficiently from your body. That is the reason why you need to drink enough water at regular intervals even if you are not thirsty, to cool your system.
• Eat a lot of fresh fruits, raw salads and lightly spiced foods. Fruits and veggies are easy to digest and high in water content which helps in hydration. Avoid fried and junk foods as they take time to digest and require a lot of water. Spicy foods can also increase body heat.
• Drink naturally cooling beverages like coconut water, lemon juice, buttermilk, sugarcane juice, etc. rather than aerated soft drinks, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages as they contain sugar and other preservatives which act as diuretics (increase the flow of urine) and can cause loss of water from the body.
• You can add sabja (tulsi/basil seeds) to drinks as it has a cooling effect on the body.
• The curd is excellent for summers as it increases friendly bacteria in the gut and improves digestion and boosts immunity.
• Add veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beet, etc to add to increase the water content in your body.
• Avoid heavy meals at one time as it can cause acidity and affect digestion. Rather, eat small meals to feel light and keep your system active.
• Raw mango is a special fruit in the summer season and is extremely good to prevent sunstroke and weakness. Raw mango juice also is known as aam panna can help balance electrolytes in the body. You can also have raw mango in any form like adding it in bhel, salads or making a dish out of it.

Here’s a sample summer diet that you can follow:

Breakfast: Eat 2-3 fresh fruits as they can help neutralise your stomach acids and make you feel light and active. They are natural sources of energy.

Mid-morning: Have a glass of buttermilk/ coconut water to refresh you.

Lunch: Have a bowl of salad with 1-2 rotis, veggies and thin dals (You can add or subtract the rotis as per your appetite and requirement).

Evening: Have fruit yoghurt/. They have filled fruit smoothie, nourishing and very cooling.

Dinner: Always have a light dinner, especially during summers. Here are a few options –

 stir-fried veggies/ chilled soups + grilled chicken/ steamed fish/ low fat paneer/ tofu + jaljeera/ lemon juice.

The above-mentioned diet is low in fat, medium in protein and high in good complex carbs which help control obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and many other ailments. So this summer, stay healthy and cool by eating right.