Stay hydrated, stay happy this summer – the Kitchen Queens tell you how

Staying cool seems to be the mantra for summer. But torrid summers and frequent power cuts make it harder stay cool. Also staying indoors ensconced in AC the entire day is not a healthy option.

While wearing cotton clothes allow your skin to breath, activities like yoga and swimming helps to keep fit during summer.

One of the best and most important ways to stay fit and hydrated through the day is by eating and drinking right.

The correct diet helps to keep the body cool. For summer, seasonal fruits and vegetables should be a part of your diet.

We peaked into the kitchens of these Kitchen Queens to know what works best for this summer and how you can be on top of things by taking care of your body and staying cool. Here is what they suggest:

Amrita Raichand, celebrity, model, and chef, who runs her own TV show called Mummy Ka Magic, has some great advise especially for mothers. She says, “It is important to stay hydrated during the summers and for that one needs to drink a lot of water.” According to her often drinking litres and litres of water can be a bit boring for both kids and adults. Amrita suggests that one can add some cucumber slices, some lemon slices, and mint leaves to drinking water. “Refrigerate this water overnight and drink it the next day. You can also add sweet lime or an orange. This infused water is filled with vitamin C and antioxidants.”

“Eating raw mango is a good way to avoid a sunstroke,” shares Amrita, and the best way to consume it is to make aam panna, a summer drink made from the pulp of boiled raw mango. “As a child we used to eat ‘kachumbar’ a chutney of sorts that my mother used to make with raw mango, onions, jaggery and cumin powder. This helps prevents sunstroke. I have been eating this since I was a child and trust me it works,” she says.

Archana Doshi, a software engineer who has become the YouTube kitchen queen, says, “A great way to stay cool in the summers is to make use of the season’s summer fruits from tender coconut, watermelon, musk melon, mangoes, grapes, and sapota. Keep the melons cut in the refrigerator and eat them as it is or blend them into a juice with ice to make a refreshing drink.”

Talking about the goodness of Tender coconut, she emphasises that it should be a part of our diet in summers. “It is a wonder drink, which I believe should be had every day during summers. Tender coconut water is naturally sweet, low in calories, nourishing and super hydrating. It is fat-free, rich in electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate, chloride, sulphate. These electrolytes are essential to keep the heart, nerves and muscles strong and functioning efficiently.”

Vijay Haldia, who created an online platform Zayka Ka Tadka to make her recipes available to many Indians abroad and away from home, believes that, “The idea is to drink lots of liquids and stay simple to stay cool!”

Vijay lists out some of the evergreen items that should be a part of our summer diet such as coconut water, lemonade, green salad, Kairi (raw mango) Pani, Jo (Barley) raabdi with curd, minty butter milk, ango lassi, amla murabba, sathu panna or thandai.

For those who prefer more contemporary food and beverages, Vijay suggest green tea or any fruit flavored tea, peanut banana pops, zucchini bites or sprouts with fresh fruits, mix fruit mocktail with lemon, golden apple juice, cucumber cooler or Brazilian float present quality options.

For those who are conscious of putting on weight, she suggests a drink called Fat Cutter Drink! “I use fresh coriander, lemon and hot water for this drink. You can have any drink mentioned above or try variety of drink every day and stay cool for this summer.”

Eat small meals in short intervals. Drink plenty of fluids and follow some of the tips shared above to stay cool and fit this summer. Remember a healthy, body and mind is essential for your success.

Tell us how you are beating the heat this summer. Share your tips and recipes with us.