Your friends for summer 

Our bodies don’t always cope well with high mercury especially if we are not conscious of our need to hydrate continuously during the day. A combination of humidity and heat can stop the ever so important evaporation from our bodies which is the body’s mechanism for keeping it cool.

Without the ability to evaporate through skin, internal body temperature rises and brings about traumatic changes in our body such as-
Skin Irritation with small red spots on the face, neck and the chest Exhaustion. Syncope that is loss of consciousness caused by fall in blood pressure which is quite normal in summers.

According to Ayurveda, summer is the season of “Pitta Dosha” which is related to the Fire Element responsible for governing the metabolism and changes in the body including digestion. Many health problems related to Pitta Dosha are heart burn, excessive body heat and sweating, skin problems like skin rashes, prickly heat and acne, stomach over acidity and peptic ulcers, rough hair, irritability and anger.

Rising temperatures are also associated with huge mood swings and you need to relax your nervous system as well as stress related disorders. This can otherwise play havoc with your face, hair and body.

Over acidity and indigestion cause dip in your facial pH level prompting more allergies, tanning and loss in skin glow. Rehydration of skin and body through high intake of fluids, fruit juices, easy to digest salads and foods with high fibre content can help in bringing back the lost lustre.

Here are a few combinations that work wonder on your skin in summer, especially drawn from your own kitchen:

Lemon- lemon combats free radicals also it is rich in vitamin c so consuming it every day will help gives you a bright and healthy skin and it also helps in detoxifying. It also has bleaching properties so it lightens the skin tone. But try to avoid stepping out of the house in the sun after application of lemon as it may give you a burning sensation.

Aloevera - Consuming Aloevera in summers will help your body stay cool and its application gives your skin a soothing effect and also kills any kind of bacteria, fungi and viruses. If your skin is affected by sun, application of Aloevera will help your skin heal as fast as possible.

Curd - This dairy product is rich in calcium and magnesium content which helps to strengthen our bones, besides it is a great exfoliater when added with gram flour (Chana Daal) it acts as a whitening agent and thus helps remove tan.

Neem leaves (margosa) - Neem has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti –bacterial properties that not only benefit your health but also can help you get rid of many beauty problems. Neem contains Vitamin C, which helps in getting rid of skin problems like blackheads, pigmentation, dullness and aging, thus leaving the skin with a youthful glow.

Oat meals – Oats are healthy and nutritious food, it has amazing healing properties from inside as well as outside our body. oatmeal scrub is great for dry and rough skin.

Tulsi leaves - Tulsi leaves have high level of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C can help regulating your blood pressure. It’s also loaded with a lot of antioxidant.

Useful tips that you may follow in summers:
• Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated throughout the day, drinking plain water can be boring so you may add lemon and oranges for flavors or taste.
• Apply a sunscreen with minimum SPF of 30 or 50 which provides protection against the UV rays.
• Eat fruits which have high water content like water melon, grapes, oranges etc.
• Try not to expose yourself directly to the sun unless necessary.