Keep your Cool and Beat the Heat.

Summer's officially here. The mercury's rising by the day, tempers are more likely to be thrown around, road rage will soon be rampant again, and a lot of people will be seen with fire coming out of their ears. The food we eat plays a big role in this. Here are some Cooling Summer Foods, to keep your body cool and light, your mind refreshed and relaxed. And also, foods to avoid like the plague.

1 Cucumber. I have copious amounts of this in the summer. It's a perfect summer food, it contains a lot of water, and has an instant cooling effect on the body. There are tons of delicious salads possible with this, but i love having it with just a dash of lime and rock salt. Cucumber is also excellent for the skin, both in the consumed form or applied externally. Rub a slice of cucumber on your face and eyes before you sleep or anytime in the day. It keeps the skin soft, prevents acne and eczema and cools down the skin surface.

2 Yoghurt (Dahi). Fresh Yoghurt served at room temperature has a hoard of other benefits apart from just keeping your body cool. It is a  miracle food containing powerful microbes that can protect you from invasive cells, bolster you immune system, and prevent heart disease ; lowers your cholesterol levels, and keeps your bones strong. Have a cup of yoghurt daily this summer - or in the form of lassi or chaas.
 

3 Lettuce + Onion. Make sure you have a bit of a lettuce and onion salad on the side with whatever you eat. Both contain water and both have an immensely cooling effect on the body. The health benefits of onions are endless because of its powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties

.Lettuce also is a great source of roughage and keeps the stomach light and clear.

4 Fresh Juicy Fruit. Watermelon, Mango, Litchis, Lemon all of these come to us in the summer for a reason. They hydrate our bodies, and are a treat for the taste buds. Have them at room temperature, because eating them chilled actually raises our body heat. No, Mango is NOT fattening. Read this to gorge on mangoes, guilt free. You can also have them in juice form. Lemon Juice with salt and sugar, had every day in the summer also replenishes the salts we lose from our bodies and keeps us fresh.

5 Bittergourd (Karela). Yes, as disgusting as this might taste, Bittergourd has unbelievable benefits in cooling the body down, even if you consume heat inducing foods. It cleass the blood, keeps any kind of skin problem far away, and increases stamina and energy. A small glass of bittergourd juice gulped down first thing in the morning actually makes the rest of your day much sweeter for more reasons than one. You can buy premade bittergourd juice at any of the GNC outlets around the city - or even in powder form. Or you can try to make it yourself. So just close your eyes, hold your breath, and gulp it down like a medicine.

6 Spices and chillies actually cool the body down. Having a small amount of these, without mixing them with oil, will make you sweat and in turn keep your body temperatures down. But you will also lose water and salts from the body. So  dont forget to constantly hydrate yourself with drinking lots of water in the summer.

7 Water. Always keep a bottle with you, your body will stay cool. Summer offers you a great opportunity of losing weight, this is the time when your body does not require heavy food intake, you can take this opportunity get slimmer. 

What to avoid in the summer : Heavy oily foods, Meats, Heavy spices, Beer and alcohol (yes these actually raise the temperature of the body, so try to have cooling cocktails instead of stiff drinks), Ice cream (Sad but true, but ice cream actually does not cool the body down, it gives you a temporary sense of cooling down, but raises it up more than usual after a while - so have icecreams in moderation.)

The best summer diet solution would be to include large salads in your diet, onions are just great in summer, people of all hot countries in the world, include onion in their diets because of ability of onions to beat the heat and provide relief from summer ailments. Ideally your salads can contain onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. with a dash of fresh lemon juice to add the tang, you can also include some mild spices and the salad will surely be a family favorite.