And the sweltering summer has set in with a vengeance leaving you sapped and sweaty most of the time. Here are some breezy, summer diet tips to keep you happy and hydrated while you pack in your day.
Watermelon waltz
Says Delhi-based nutritionist Lovneet Batra, “Watermelon, with its high water content, offers respite when the mercury soars, making it your best breezy, summer diet inclusion. You can eat chilled fruit chunks, convert the red goodness into a slushy sip, or even toss it up in salads.”
You can rub the chilled peels of the watermelon on your skin for soothing and hydrating your skin before discarding them. Watermelon seeds make for a great munch when hunger pangs strike, and bring in the cooling effect as well. Karishma Chawla, a Mumbai-based nutritionist, suggests consumption in the first half of the morning “as the fruit also contains lycopene which helps protect the skin cells from sun damage. Watermelon is a good source of the unique fibre pectin, and hence it can be used to prepare jams, jellies and marmalades to make way into your summer diet,” she adds.
Oranges & lemons
The citrus rush brings in a juicy kiss. Begin your day with a glass of warm water, a dash of lime and a slash of honey as the first ingestion to kick off your metabolism for the day. Make the most of local variations available. Orange marinades give your taste buds an explosion of exotic barbecue flavours when you grill chicken or meats. Squeeze fresh and freeze in shot pots for a lip-curling team up with ice cream, or peel and shower with crunchy nuts and seeds to chomp with rocket leaves. “Oranges are seasonal in summer and also help tremendously in hydration,” says Karishma. You can squeeze in fresh lime and add mint leaves for preparing your pot of infused water as a breezy summer sip. Dry and grind the peels to smear as a face pack for that unbeatable glow while the sun glows.
Home remedies for combating stress include a glass of warm water and fresh lime.
Shilpi Madan for Sunday Herald