SOME SEASON-SOME SPECIFIC TIPS FOR SUMMER FOOD

SOME SEASON-SOME SPECIFIC TIPS FOR SUMMER FOOD

1.   Always consume natural foods that have disease fighting, healing and regulatory properties like fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds while grains etc. There are rich in antioxidants required to cleanse and nourish the body.

2.   Opt for seasonal food like berries and water-based foods like melons sprouts, salads etc. Squashes and fruits like berries and citrus fruits etc ideal for this weather. These foods are also a better alternative to junk foods, ice cream soft drinks etc.

3.   Keep yourself cool with buttermilk, coconut water, lemon juice, vegetables juices and pure water. Avoid hot drinks and hot water.

4.   Snack on apple, melons, cucumbers etc instead of unhealthy chips, biscuits, cookies as soft drinks.

5.   Ensure that you eat five to six meals a day. These can include fruits, nuts, vegetables juices, sprouts and salads as fillers in between meals. Women who eat diets high in fruits, certain vegetables, pasta and red wine, are less likely to have hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, a newly study from Australia suggests.

6.   Avoid cooking heavy meals with liberal use of spices and oil, refind or white flour products like breads, pasta, white rice etc. Have more of steamed vegetables khichdi salads and sprouts are pittapacifying foods.

7.   Avoid salty, sour pungent, greasy foods, heavy spices, junk foods and sugar.

8.   Avoid starvation. Eating everything in moderation is the key to mental and physical health as starvation and deprivation can lead to mood swings and irritability.

9.   An emphasis on flavors that balance body’s dashes, bonding with nature, laughter and positivity keeps you rejuvenated and free from stress, to keep our bodies in balance and create a better harmony in the body, adopt a life style with a blend of yoga, meditation right breathing techniques and sound nutrition with focus on vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and white grains.

SUMMER VEGETABLES………………………………………………..FITNESS MANTRA

SUMMER VEGETABLES………………………………………………..FITNESS MANTRA

After enjoying vegetables like sarson da saag, spinach, fenugreek leaves, peas, carrots etc in winters, summer comes with its own bounty of vegetables and fruits. The nature basket of winter gives us ample micro nutrients like iron, folic acid, potassium, calcium. Vitamin A from green leafy vegetables carrots, peas etc.

 A winter fruit like apple has a good amount of pectin; citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene. Overall, all winter vegetables and fruits are fiber rich and full of antioxidants. So how can these nutrients be bad in summer, which is almost devoid of all greens and colorful vegetables? There is no need to panic as summer has its own army of vegetables.

Pumpkins are rich repositories of beta carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber. In traditional medicine pumpkin is said to have cooling properties, is a diuretic and good for stomach upset.  Yellow pumpkin also has soluble fiber which helps fight constipation.

Bottle gourd (ghiya) and squash (tinda) contain iron and some calcium. Bitter gourd (karela) possesses food quantity of iron and Vitamin C. but do not boil it and throw the water away, have it steamed.

Lady’s finger has good amount of calcium, folic, acid and Vitamin C. It has soluble fiber, and is very good for controlling blood sugar levels. Summer vegetables, though low in the micro nutrients are compared to their winter counterparts, have better bio-availability of these nutrients. Winter green vegetables may be rich in calcium and iron. But these are not easily digestible as these vegetables have inhibitors called phytates and oxalates which hinder the absorption of these nutrients.

Luckily, summer vegetables do not have these inhibitors. Moreover, summer vegetables and fruits can be consumed in larger quantities as compared to winter ones, since there are light on the stomach and have a cooling effect. So God has created a perfect balance of nature’s bounty according to seasons.