Summer is a time when a lot of people fall prey to the rising heat, which may lead to a number of problems. Summer health problems may be as benign as headaches and nausea or as severe as a heat stroke, de-hydration, constipation and diarrhea.
This is why people are advised to take special care of their health, primarily through diet and fitness. Your diet, in particular, can aggravate or alleviate your health problems during summer. What you eat is crucial for a healthy mind and body, as well as for keeping the levels of energy up during the long summer days. But not a lot of people realise how important nutrition is during summers.
Your body's nutritional requirements are different for every season, and for summers you must make sure that you include foods in your daily diet that are light and easy on the stomach. Additionally, these foods and drinks must be able to protect you against dehydration, as well as maintain optimal levels of energy.
If you're falling sick more often during summers, here's a helpful list of nutrition mistakes that you may be making:
1. Drinking chilled water after a day out in the SunWe've all been reprimanded by elders and parents for reaching out for that chilled bottle of water, straight after reaching home from a day out in the Sun. These concerns are not without reason. Drinking chilled water after a day out in the Sun may shock your system and result in sore throat as well as digestive troubles.
2. Drinking too much caffeineCaffeine dehydrates you due to its diuretic property. So drinking too much coffee or tea during summers may give you headaches and make you feel dehydrated.
3. Loading up on sugary cold drinks and juicesMost chilled packaged juices and cold drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar, which may increase your energy temporarily, but may result in an energy crash after a few days. So lay off those cold liquid calories and drink only fresh fruit juices with natural sugars in them.
4. Going on 'crash diets'A lot of people feel an intense pressure to sport a particular body type during the summers. A lot of people talk about 'summer body' and slimming down for the summers. This may push a lot of people to take up fad diets that have dubious credentials but promise 'quick results.' Crash dieting may lead to sluggishness, headaches, nausea and diarrhoea. Reject this pressure to attain a particular body type and instead eat healthy to feel energetic and fresh.
5. Avoiding eggs, fish and chickenThere is a misconception that eggs, fish and chicken generate excessive heat in the body and, hence, must be avoided during summers. This is not true. All three foods are rich in lean protein, which is also important for maintaining a healthy weight during summers. You may, however, want to reduce portions of fattier meats like mutton, beef and pork during summers.
No matter what your expectations are from the summers, it's important to build healthy eating habits for a sharp and alert mind and a healthy body.