Don’t let the heat get to you this summer

Dehydration can make you feel ill & lethargic, so drink a lot of water
The summer season is here and it is time to change our diet and fitness regimes. It is imperative to take precautions against the soaring temperature.

Keeping yourself hydrated by sipping water before and during workouts is essential. If you experience a drop of half a kilo or more of body weight after your workout, make it a point to replenish that loss by drinking water. Moreover, after a high-intensity workout, you can even consume sports drinks to prevent dehydration. Dehydration can make you feel ill and lethargic.

In summer, remember to increase the intensity of your workout slowly. Your body has to adjust to the rise in temperature. Any sudden increase in activity may leave you dehydrated and could also make you prone to illness. Your body will function to its best capacity if you make certain dietary changes as well. Load up on citrus fruits and those high in water content along with cool salads, coconut water and buttermilk. Fried foods that are loaded with fat are a strict no-no during this time as they are an additional burden on the digestive system.

Also, it is best to exercise during the cooler part of the day, like early morning or after sundown, to prevent any heat-related illnesses. If you do plan to exercise in the afternoon, ensure you work out indoors.

Staying awake at night should be completely avoided in the summer as it increases pitta. If, for some reason you have to stay awake, drink a glass of water every hour.

Steam and sauna baths are not recommended during this time. They are best avoided or their frequency can be reduced to less than once a month. Swimming is one of the safest and best ways to exercise in summer. However, ensure that you use sunscreen and do not expose yourself to the heat of the midday sun.
Tushar Ramanan, executive director, Tushar Fitness Studio

Avoid stepping out between noon and 3pm as much as possible
Drinks a lot of water during summer and if you find it boring to drink plain water, you can add glucose or lemon juice to it.

For your diet, avoid spicy food and load up on green leafy vegetables as much as you can. Drink fresh fruit juices or even sugar cane juice. If possible, try to include salads that contain cucumber, tomatoes, onions and beetroots for lunch.

More than two litres of water should be consumed to regulate body fluids. Avoid coffee and tea as far as possible. When you come from outside, try to consume juices instead of water.

Avoid stepping out between noon and 3 pm. Moreover, take precautions like applying sunscreen and wearing scarves while going out.

For healthy skin, regular cleaning using cleansing lotions is beneficial.
If lotions or creams do not suit your skin, make use of natural products like aloe vera, milk and so on.
Manisha Deokar, dietician

Load up on fresh fruits & veggies to help body cope with heat
Normally, sunlight makes all living beings active. The rays of the sun are considered to be protective. However, the same rays can cause damage if due care is not taken. Gentle rays of the early morning sun are safe, whereas exposure to these rays in the afternoon can prove harmful. Overexposure to the sun can cause sunstroke or heat stroke. To prevent this, we need to take certain precautionary measures.

Firstly, drink sufficient amount of water throughout the day. During summer, it is essential to drink 8 to 16 glasses of water daily. Instead of drinking plain water all the time, you can opt for drinks containing glucose, sodium and potassium, like coconut water, buttermilk, kokam juices, neera and panha. However, beware of artificially made bottled drinks that promote dehydration by their electrolyte draining effect. These drinks contain chemicals that provide colour, smell, sweet taste, apart from preservatives and carbon dioxide — all of which use up water reserved in the body, leading to dehydration. Therefore, preferably drink fresh fruit juices or water. Water stored in the refrigerator may also not be suitable as it becomes too cold and the body may react badly to it, thus leading to energy loss.

Choose the clothes you wear in summer carefully. Opt for light fabrics in cool shades. White is the best anytime. Red is a heat absorbing colour, whereas blue is cool as per the chromotherapy view. During the day, it is a good idea to wear a light-coloured cap as well.

Naturopathy has many preventive and remedial measures for sunstroke. Tub baths, wet packs, mud baths and packs are ideal for prevention and management of sunstroke. A person who has suffered sunstroke should be immediately shifted to a cool place with good ventilation. It is beneficial to sponge the body with a wet towel or put wet packs on the forehead and abdomen. A head wash can also be helpful in this case. Once recovered, the next step is a spinal bath, which replenishes the spine, brain and nervous system. The damage caused to the nerves or the condition of enervation can be overcome in this way. 

Juicy fruits, fresh vegetables and a vegetarian diet are the most suitable during this time. Spicy, fried and non-vegetarian food is acidic in nature and diminishes your resistance. On the contrary, an alkaline juice of cucumber, ash gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd and frequent intake of juices of fruits like watermelon, lemon with honey, musk melon and others will be preventive and protective.

Bad habits like smoking, drinking and drugs are definite risk habits for sunstroke. These habits lead to dehydration, drainage of electrolytes and finally poor immunity and low resistance to even sunlight.
Dr Babu Joseph, director, National Institute of Naturopathy

Aerated and sweetened drinks do not quench your thirst
Summer is the time when your body loses fluids. This is the reason you have to be careful while choosing your diet.

Three litres of water should be compulsory in a day, apart from coconut water, raw mango panha, lemonade and buttermilk. Do not fall for aerated and sweetened drinks as they do not quench your thirst.

In addition to juices and other liquids, make it a point to eat fresh fruits that have high water content. Watermelon, musk melon and papaya are good options as they keep your skin supple.

Salads and veggies help to neutralise the acids formed in our stomach and keep you cool. All these elements in your diet will help you remain fit during summer.

It is best to avoid spicy, oily and heavy food during summer as the digestive system does not function as efficiently.
Geeta Desai diet consultant

Swimming in unclean pools during summer can cause ear infections
Stomach infections due to eating out can cause vomiting. The vomiting results in all the acid coming to the throat, which can cause reflux laryngitis (irritation and swelling of the voice box caused by back flow of stomach acid) and at times also a change in voice.

Swimming in unclean pools during summer can cause ear infections and the chlorine in the water can also irritate the nasal mucosa making it itch.

Do not expose your body to sudden changes in temperature, like heat to an air-conditioned environment. This raises the susceptibility to infections. Dryness in the throat and dehydration can cause bad breath and infections of the oral cavity.

Do not drink cold liquids with ice as the temperature difference makes the throat prone to infections. Moreover, also avoid iced drinks and golas from roadside stalls. No one knows which water is used to make the ice.

Most importantly, drink a lot of water. Dehydration of the nasal skin lining can cause crusting. When you try to remove the crust, you nose may bleed too. Nasal crusting can also result in blockage and infection.
Dr Seemab Shaikh, ENT surgeon & sleep specialist