New Delhi, June 3: Ditch oily food and alcohol for cold soups, sorbets and fresh vegetables to combat the harsh effects of summer on your body, say experts.

Pooja Makhija, celebrity nutritionist, and Govindrajan, Head, Research and Development, Sugar Free, have suggested a few dos and don'ts to combat the harsh summer heat. 

Dos:

♦ Fresh fruits, vegetables and salads

Summer heat could lead to dehydration and dehydration could lead to electrolyte loss, which could leave you feeling lethargic, nauseous, exhausted and may even cause diarrhoea and constipation. Up your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables in ways that are creative and yum like finger foods or fun salads so that you beat the heat. 

♦ Liquids and sorbets

Invite divine drinks into your life like kokum water, coconut water, chaas, fruit slushes and also frozen iced sorbets - the healthiest way to make this is to simply slush your fruit by lightly beating it and then freezing it. These foods work well to restore electrolyte balance and also provide healthy and interesting ways to pack in those nutrients. 

♦ Water and infused water

Apart from increasing your water consumption to about 10-12 glasses per day, why not try killing two birds with one glass by infusing your water? Take care of both dehydration and nutrition by adding a small piece of fresh fruit like kiwi or strawberry or even basil to your water with a pinch of Sugar Free Green.

 Sauteed greens

Give a nod to sauteed greens this season because these are light, can be made very entertaining and always bring nice gifts with them like reduced cholesterol, cancer-fighting abilities, anti-ageing benefits, powerful vitamins and tons of energy.

♦ Cold soups

Team up fresh salads with the perfect escort: hearty cold soups that include gazpachos, cold cucumber soups, and tomato soups for that full flavour and for that feeling of being full.

Don'ts: 

♦ Excess protein

Photo: Carnivore Style

Proteins are harder to digest in general and coupled with heat and dehydration, could leave you feeling uncomfortable and possibly nauseous if consumed in excess. The recommended daily intake of protein is one gram per kilo of ideal body weight (the appropriate weight for your height). So, no matter what you currently weigh, if your ideal body weight is supposed to be 57-58 kilos, your protein intake should not exceed 57-58 grams per day.

♦ Alcohol

Nothing looks more tempting and refreshing than a cool cocktail, all frosty and pink, beckoning you to drink it. The harsh reality is that alcohol adds to more heat; alcohol is a vasodilator, which means that more blood gushes through your system leaving you feeling hotter and sweatier. Alcohol is also extremely dehydrating.

♦ Oily food

When bodies are not hydrated, they are not always able to expel all by-products of heavier, oilier foods through the kidney, which is why urination is not as frequent when you are dehydrated. To counter this, the load of excreting oily food comes on to the skin - the second largest excretory organ - which will make you sweat more, dehydrate you further, kick-starting a vicious cycle.

 

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Bhatkal: Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U. T. Khader visited Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday and attended a local cricket match being played as part of a tournament organised by the Cosmos Sports Centre of Bhatkal.

After attending a programme at Anjuman Hami-E-Muslimeen, Khader proceeded to the Bhatkal Taluka Stadium, where the tournament is underway. He was accompanied by office-bearers of the Cosmos Sports Centre and several local community leaders.

Those present during the visit included President of Majlis-e-Islah Wa Tanzeem and former JD(S) leader Inayathullah Shabandri, Vice President of Tanzeem Atiqur Rahman Muniri, General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb MJ, President of Cosmos Sports Centre Ismail Anjum, Managing Director of Mohtisham Complexes S. M. Arshad, former president of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation Imtiyaz Udyawar, among others.

Addressing players and organisers, Khader extended his best wishes to the participating teams and urged the players to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said such tournaments help promote unity and brotherhood among the youth.

The cricket tournament began on November 21 and will conclude with the final match on December 21. It is being organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Cosmos Sports Centre.

Cosmos Sports Centre is one of the member clubs of the Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation and is known for its active role in promoting sports in the town. Apart from sporting activities, the centre is also involved in various social and community initiatives, including efforts to promote education among students.