Cool cuisine

It's instinctive. You return home after a couple of hours in the sweltering heat and the first thing you do is head for the refrigerator,...

It8217;s instinctive. You return home after a couple of hours in the sweltering heat and the first thing you do is head for the refrigerator, grab a bottle of chilled Coke and gulp it down in a jiffy. 8220;Soft drinks are just calories and gas. While they do bring relief, they don8217;t quench thirst,8221; says Dr S K Thakur, officiating principal of Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College. 8220;While I would say water at room temperature or just slightly cold is the best way to beat the summer heat, lemonade, nimbu pani by any other name, is also very good. Lemon is the best source of vitamin C in summers, and this is one time that the body needs it the most. But remember, don8217;t have it chilled.8221;

He says one reason why he8217;s against chilled drinks is that they are responsible for severe dry coughs, which make sleep impossible. 8220;It so happens that blood circulation is fast in heat. So when you come home, there is a variation in temperature, especially if you take something chilled; the body temperature falls and bacteria gets an opportunity to attack. This leads to sore throats, congestion and cough. Likewise, when you buy fruit, mango for instance, don8217;t consume it as soon as you get back; first bring it to room temperature8221;.

Talking about food best suited for this season, he says: 8220;Summers see mango, melon, water-melon and lichi in bulk while banana is available all round the year. I agree when our elders say that mango is hot;8217; they used to have mango and to negate it8217;s hot8217; properties, they normally washed it down with some lassi. But I think mango is fine as long as it is neither under-ripe not ripe. This goes for all fruits. Most diarrhoea cases are due to over-ripe fruits. Besides having a cooling effect, water-melon eases constipation also. But here again, avoid drinking water after having it. Also have lots of salads.8221;

For GMC dietitian Madhu Sodhi, water-melons are the only salvation in the otherwise God-forsaken summers. 8220;While water-melons are not very nutritious, they have an amazing ability to make you feel cool. Besides a snack or even a full-fledged breakfast, they can be made into a refreshing drink. Mash water-melon in a mixie, add milk, no sugar, and refrigerate. Take it as a shake whenever you want. People in other parts of the world know it as Sorbet. Same with nimbu pani. Make a concentrate, add water and have it whenever you want. Another of my favourite low-calorie drink is homemade jal jeera. High in vitamin C, it also keeps your spirits high. Mango shake is good as it contains vitamin A and carbohydrates.8221;

She says these drink are much better than the squashes available in the market. 8220;While they contain preservatives, they also have a lot of sugar which is why a lot of us gain weight in summers. So even if you do take Roohafza or squash, don8217;t add any sugar at all. Lassi is another cool drink. But make with toned or double-toned milk or even curd. And don8217;t add sugar or salt. Try and develop a taste for phiki lassi. Kachhi lassi, made of milk and water is also healthy. For flavour, add a spoon of Roohafza.8221;

About numerous juices in market, she still says it8217;s better to have homemade stuff. 8220;Even fruit cocktails are nice, especially for evenings. Take lots of mango, grapes and mix them well with water. Add sugar if required, refrigerate and serve.8221;

Food, she says, should more or less be the same. 8220;Just try and have curd three times a day if possible. Include vegetables like ghiya, kadu. If you don8217;t like them as dishes, make raita. But remember, these vegetables are light and high in nutrition. Even pudina chutney raita or onion and tomato raita is good. Salads are a must while have lots of fruit chaat as snacks. Don8217;t forget to add lemon to it.8221;

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A word of caution here. 8220;Decrease your intake of spices in food. They just make you feel hot and bothered. The most important thing: drink lots of water; minimum 10 glasses every day.8221;