Beat the Heat This Summer – Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy

Summer weather in India is inevitable. As we move from the temperate days of early summer to the dog days of late June, increasing our self-care habits alongside the increasing temperature is extremely important.

As much as we blame our erratic schedules for negligence, it is crucial that we keep our bodies hydrated and nourished with the right nutrients, as our hydration status is linked with health, wellness, and performance. Physical and cognitive functioning can suffer when we are poorly hydrated, especially in hot, humid conditions. This might lead to lightheadedness or dizziness, infrequent passage of urine in small amounts (less than four times a day), tiredness, dry eyes, lips and mouth, loss of stamina and strength.

Drinking water is the ideal way to keep yourself hydrated as it has no calories, is harmless to your teeth, flushes toxins from your body, is a nutrient-carrier and maintains body temperature. Drinking a lot of water can also help you in losing weight. To sustain the balance of water in our body, it is important to replace the water we are losing, which doesn’t necessarily have to be done by drinking water alone.

Summer brings with it decisions to beat the heat whether it is a change in wardrobe, barbecues, outings, and is similar with food. It is a season with many tough albeit fun decisions, and here’s a list of healthy choices you can make, which are perfect for hot days:

• Milk contains a good amount of water and nutrients. It is suitable to have plain/flavored milk (check the sugar content), curd or low-fat buttermilk and not aerated drinks.
• Coconut water is a great option as it is rich in potassium that helps in reducing blood pressure and keeps you hydrated by maintaining your body’s electrolytes.
• Fruit juices contain a few vitamins and minerals along with some soluble fiber. It is advisable to consume whole fruits than fruit juices, as they can provide you with more nutrients and roughage. Fruits like papaya, sweet lime, watermelon, banana and apple have high water content.
• Certain vegetables have a high amount of water like lettuce, ash gourd, tomato, spinach, cucumber, zucchini and broccoli. Having them in the form of salads or soups can help you gain maximum nutrients.

Apart from these, here in descending order, are different foods which can be consumed that are 90% water and densely nutritious,  to keep you hydrated and satiated throughout summer:

• Cucumbers have the highest water content of 97%, which is maximum among solid foods
• Iceberg lettuce comes a close second with 96% water content
• Celery has Vitamins A, C, K, and folate, and like iceberg lettuce, has 96% water
• Radishes, apart from having 95% water, also have high antioxidant content
• Tomatoes have 95% water content and are also high in the antioxidant lycopene
• Pepper, be it yellow, green or red, all have almost 93% water content
• Cauliflowers have 92% water and are filled with phytonutrients and vitamins although they might look pale and devoid of nutrients
• Watermelons are 92% water and is crucial in fighting cancer via the antioxidant lycopene, similar to tomatoes
• Spinach is 91% water and is very rich in fiber, potassium, folate and lutein. 
• Berries and strawberries are great sources of water and have their water content in the higher 8th percentile and 91% respectively. 
• Broccoli is 91% water and is also a cruciferous vegetable having cancer fighting cells. 
• Grapefruit is 90% water and is rich in Vitamin C 

While making you hydrated for the summer, drinking water will also help you losing weight faster. Healthy eating and staying hydrated will make your summers a bliss.

Follow these instructions and your summer will pass by like a breeze. We at Visit hope you Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy!

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