Summer is already upon us and the mercury seems to be only rising. The sun is beating down with full intensity. Summertime brings with it a host of health issues like dehydration, sun-stroke, urinary burning and infections and also loss of appetite and indigestion.

To keep these health issues at bay and have fun during your summer holidays, here are a few tweaks you can do in your daily diet.

Do's

1) Drink plenty of water. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 2-4 litres of water everyday. This will help replenish the lost body fluids due to excessive sweating, keep you safe from urine infections by diluting the urine and prevent heat exhaustion and cramps.

2) Drink locally available coolants like aam panna, kokum sherbet, buttermilk, sugarcane juice, coconut water, bael sherbet etc. to quench your thirst. These contain ingredients which are naturally cooling and energising.

3) Take small meals at frequent intervals. Small meals are easy on the stomach and keep the energy ball rolling.

4) Include seasonal fruits and veggies like raw mango,mango, cucumber, melons, bottle gourds etc. For snacking in between meals, salted and toasted seeds such as pumpkin seeds,melon seeds, sunflower seeds are a good option. These are a powerhouse of nutrition and also easy to digest.

5) Summertime does not provide us with a variety of veggies. To overcome this lack of variety in food choices, aam ras, shrikhand(homemade), raitas, freshly prepared pickles, chutneys (raw mango, tomato etc.) can be used as an accompaniment with roti/paratha.

Don'ts

1) Avoid all types of fried,spicy and oily foods.Food left in the open for too long is also best avoided.

2) Avoid taking chilled(iced) water or other drinks immediately after coming from the heated exteriors.

3) Avoid eating outside food. But when on a vacation you may not be left with an option. At such times,choose a place known to you,where food is prepared hygienically and where the temperature is well-maintained. Food sold at street-side vendors is best avoided as it may be contaminated and lead to diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, diarrhoea etc.

4) Too much heat also leads to food getting spoilt easily. So consume food only after a thorough check, even at home.

5) Avoid use of tea, coffee, colas, sodas, alcohol as thirst-quenchers, as these are severely dehydrating. 

These simple changes will surely help you stay healthy and fit as well as give you a chance to enjoy the summer holidays to the fullest with your loved ones.