Shield against sunstroke

With the current heat wave across India, it's the need of the day that I share with you how each one of us needs to alter the nutrition to keep it at bay. I am constantly changing the nourishment of my clients according to seasons so that they have the ability to 'whether the weather'.

One has to be careful to have the capability to maintain correct body temperatures high temperatures lead to heatstrokes due to the failure of the body's temperature control system. Dehydration is another reason where one can succumb to a heat stroke. Young people, older adults and overweight individuals are the most susceptible to heat strokes. Symptoms include exhaustion, dizziness, disorientation, muscle cramps and nausea.

Today, we are all the time moving in and out of air-conditioned rooms and cars these temperature fluctuations do cause dehydration as well as low tolerance to extreme heat and this can lead to the onset of heat stroke. If you are dehydrated your sweat slows down, which leads to your body trapping in the heat and when there is no way to release body temperature rises and the chances of a heat stroke rises.

Enough about the causes of heat strokes let's look at preventing it.

l Hydrate yourself by constantly drinking more water.

l Coconut water has a natural electrolyte and is rich in minerals salts and sugars.

l Sipping on lemon water with rock salt instead of normal table salt increases your salt as well as minerals as rock salt contains 83 trace minerals that are not present in table salt.

l Buttermilk with rock salt and cumin instantly recharges you keeping you well hydrated.

l Water-based foods like cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkins the entire gourd family are basically 75 per cent water along with its natural stores of fibre has three main benefits. It doesn't leave you deprived of water, with 16 calories per cup it is your best friend when on a diet and it is a toxin ridding agent.

l Watermelon is a cool and refreshing fruit. It is 90 per cent water and the natural sugars in it stimulate the release of excess perspiration, so heat stroke will not be on your radar so long as you have a slice of watermelon in your hands.

l Do you ever crave buttermilk with mint in the summertime? There is a reason why mint is the preferred flavour of choice during the hot summer months. Menthol is the culprit for your intense desire for buttermilk with mint. This mint-inducing compound triggers a protein receptor in your brain called TRPM8 that makes you feel cool. So, reach out for mint leaves and add them in your salads, buttermilk, lemon water and tea to cool you down.

l There is a reason why raw mango is a hot favourite in summer. You can add it in your drinks, salads, chat, pickles and chutneys. It's your shield against sunstrokes. Have it daily in some form or the other as a little way goes a long way in protecting you. The natural sugar in ripe mangoes instantly replaces the sugar loss during summer straightaway energising you.

l Having an onion a day prevents heat strokes. An ancient remedy and common practice to prevent the body temperatures from rising Celsius for field workers is to put a raw onion under their hats this absorbs the heat.