The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Beat the heat with fruits and vegetables

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 26, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Beat the heat with fruits and vegetables

The sun is shining fiercely, temperature is soaring high, perspiration level is at its peak - summer has come. The hottest season brings various illness and disorders like dry and hot skin, headache, nausea, dizziness, heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, dehydration and stroke at the end along with it.

Summer's fiery heat as a result encourages people to eat lightly, to support the healthy functioning of the body, especially the heart and the digestive system. Fruits and vegetables are the body's best friends in summer as they help in maintaining the nutrient level in the body to compensate the loss of minerals from body due to excess sweating.

There is no better time of the year to make fruits and vegetables like cabbage, beans, cauliflower and spinach the star of every meal and snack. Summer doesn't last forever, and even though fresh produce is available in every large supermarket year-round, nothing beats the fun or the diet and health benefits of eating summer produce at its peak.

The starchy sweet corn, rich in Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and fibre is consumed the best in summer either boiled or grilled with butter.

The juicy watermelon is the best choice to beat the heat with its icy cold nature and yummy flavour along with the package of nutrition it provides. Two cups of diced watermelon contains only 80 calories, and you get vitamins A and C along with fibre.

Tomatoes and capsicums of all colours deliver large amounts of vitamin A and C. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce risk of prostate and other types of cancer.

The tasty yogurt eaten chilled is a favourite food in summer and it has lot of health benefits. Made by curdling milk with purified cultures, in addition to protein and calcium, it is high in live active organisms called probiotics. These boost the immunity, prevent yeast infections, and keep the gastrointestinal tract healthy. Yogurts make a great dip for fruits and vegetables and a delicious dessert topping instead of ice cream.

Summer treat would be incomplete without tasting the delicious mangoes that the available only in this season. Packed with loads of nutrients like vitamin A (mangoes are the greatest source of beta-carotene), Vitamin C, bioflavonoid - the powerful antioxidant, potassium and fibre, mangoes are very good for a healthy immune system, help repair cell damage that can lead to cancer, and regulates blood pressure and heartbeat.

Though a numerous variety of fruits and vegetables help maintain the body nutrients in summer, the most important ingredient required in maximum quantity in summer is water. Water may not have any nutritional value but it is necessary for every diet as it acts as a catalyst for a majority of bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and cell function.

Human body consists of at least 60% water and lot of water is lost from the body in summer, which may lead to dehydration. To maintain the water balance in the body and help it remain cool despite the hot weather, it is essential to drink lot of water and fresh fruit juices, tender coconuts, cane juices in addition, to restore salt and minerals to the body.

However, there are a certain category of foods that should be avoided in summer. Alcohol and drugs, sugar and honey, foods with chemical additives like coffee, chocolate, and ice cream should be avoided as well as overeating of meat, cheese and eggs, as these put stress on the heart and small intestine, as a result heating the body to a large extent, causing various disorders.

Nanthini Dominique

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