Eating healthy this season

EASY POINTS

Avoid spicy, oily dishes and fried food. Don’t add a lot of chilli, pepper and garam masala to the dishes as these are irritating to the digestive system. Instead, season foods with small amount of jeera, fresh coriander and mint as these are milder and also act as digestives.

Include plenty of fresh juicy seasonal fruits such as oranges, sweet limes, strawberries, grapes, guavas, watermelons, jamuns, banana, papaya, in your diet.

Sprouts, salads, raita, curd rice, sandwiches, etc, along with the fruits, provide all the nutrients needed by the body — particularly Vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins that help build resistance against cold and fever that are very common during this season.

Summer fruits like mango and jackfruit are rich  sources of B-carotene. However they are heat-inducing and high in calories so they should be eaten in moderation.

Curd is a great summer food as it is cooling, contains proteins in the predigested form and is richer in B-complex vitamins as compared to milk. It also contains bio-available calcium, phosphorus and magnesium and a variety of probiotics or friendly bacteria.

Avoid porridges of ragi as they increase the body’s heat level.