Keep your stomach safe this summer

With the temperatures soaring as high as 38 degrees in the city, loss of appetite is extremely common this summer. This combined with dehydration and diarrhoea can be responsible for a host of gastric and indigestion problems.

Eating anything that’s oily or spicy during the summer can further add to your woes. Nutritionists believe that your food choices during summer could be a major indicator of your health. Read on to know how often you should eat and the portion size of your meals, to avoid poor digestion this summer.

The common symptoms of summer sickness include loss of appetite, dizziness, weakness, frequent headaches and chest pains. Water and food contamination are the main reasons behind people falling sick during summer season. Therefore, it is important to focus on your diet and keep yourself hydrated to maintain adequate levels of fluid in the body.

Avoid refrigerated and cold juices to keep yourself hydrated as it may aggravate stomach and spleen problems. Instead opt for whole fruits like watermelon, guava, orange and mango as these seasonal fruits supply necessary nutrients in the body to boost immunity.

Read on some simple tips to keep your digestion working smoothly as the temperatures rise:

Eat less

Avoid heavy meals as the digestive system becomes sensitive during summer. It is best to eat smaller meals at shorter intervals as it goes easy on your digestive system and keeps you from feeling hungry as well. Also, switch to green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits that are easy to digest and will help you stay hydrated for long.

Keep yourself hydrated

It’s very common to lose your appetite during the summer season. Therefore, make sure that you include enough fluids like water, milk, buttermilk, coconut water, mango panna to prevent dehydration. Also, include fresh fruits as they will not only provide vitamins and minerals but also regulate water content in the body.

Include herbs in your diet

Include herbs like coriander, fennel seeds, cilantro and ginger in food preparation as these are good for digestion. These will help you improve your digestive capabilities as well as absorb gases, reduce stress and help blood flow to the digestive system. Also, make sure you include sufficient salt in your diet, as you can lose body salt through sweating during summers.

Avoid spicy and fried food

Stomach inflammation is a common problem during summer season. Therefore, avoid eating spicy and fried food as it makes your spleen weak, leading to stomach inflammation. You can include beans, lotus root and carrots in your diet to help strengthen the spleen and stomach.

By Pavithra N Raj