Healthy drinks to have on empty stomach during hot summer days

To prevent gut health issues, dehydration and heat stroke, it's important to have the right drinks during summer instead of colas and ice creams.

Summer season can be merciless as intense heat can damage your appetite and upset your digestive health. At the root of most summer illnesses is not having enough hydrating and cooling foods that soothes gut and supply you with essential vitamins and minerals to keep up the immunity. While one may crave for sugary and frozen treats during summer, it is advisable to have foods that cool you from within. Buttermilk, yoghurt, mint, chia seeds, fennel seeds are considered cooling foods that can provide wonderful benefits in summer season. So, if you are having ice creams, aerated drinks, and sugary treats to make your summer bearable, just resist the temptation as they are only adding to the empty calories. (Also read: Intermittent fasting can prevent tooth decay, improve dental health; know all benefits from experts)

There are certain drinks you can have on empty stomach in the morning or during the day to have a disease-free and healthy summer,(Pinterest)

"The heat wave is scorching. And if you do not manage your appetite and your desire to keep having cold beverages or foods moving through your throat, you run the risk of consuming too many empty calories entrenched in sugars especially," Nutritionist Anupama Menon told HT Digital.

There are certain drinks you can have on empty stomach in the morning or during the day to have a disease-free and healthy summer, as suggested by Menon.

EMPTY STOMACH DRINKS FOR SUMMER

1. Lemon water and chia seeds

Soak 1 tsp chia in ¼ glass water the previous night. Next morning, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the glass of chia and water, top with 150 ml water and consume. The chia seeds are considered cooling agents that nourish Kapha (earth and water elements). They are meant to keep the body hydrated, motions smooth and the digestive tract healthy.

2. Cucumber juice

Cold pressed cucumber juice, chop in 4-5 mint leaves, add a pinch of chat masala or kala namak, grate 1 tsp of raw mango and consume. Cucumber is a coolant, easy on the stomach and has an exceptionally high water content that keeps the body hydrated.

3. Water

Water by itself is primary, during the summers even more so. Drinking two glasses of water first thing in the body rehydrates a body parched of liquids while it was asleep.

4. Yoghurt

½ cup yoghurt with a very small piece of ginger grated in, a pinch of raw haldi and pepper, mixed together and kept in the refrigerator. Consume this first thing in the morning. Yoghurt during summers provides the much-needed lactobacilli to maintain the apt ratio of microflora in the gut.

REFRESHING SUMMER DRINKS

Menon also suggests other drinks for summer season one can have during the day.

- Coconut water or watermelon/orange juice (squeezed fresh without water), 200ml soaked with 1 tsp chia seeds for ½ hour in the refrigerator and consume when your heart desires!

- Chopped cucumber and yoghurt make a great snack. Also try 100 ml cucumber juice mixed with a well done 100 ml buttermilk mixed together to make an uncommon drink fantastic for a hot summer’s day.

- Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water (plus minus, based on your height and weight) every single day to avoid the perils of dehydration, especially if you are out in the sun for longer than usual sedentary hours.

- Tomato juice made fresh from tomatoes (eliminate the skin) can actually help the skin with tanning less. It also delivers Vit C, A and some important minerals.

- Buttermilk/Kefir are great to cool the body and keep it feeling hydrated. It could be seasoned with curry leaves and mint or even crushed ginger.

- Mangos as cut fruits are wonderful summer fruits that rapidly satisfy sweet cravings or the need of that sweet-loaded ice cream. Mango milkshakes/smoothies are great summer drinks that need no sugar and yet satisfy your sweet carvings effectively.

- You could also freeze cut mangoes for about 5-6 hours and pulse it in the blended smooth with 2 tsps peanut butter to mock an icecream anyday. Mangoes also have a lot of fibre that maintain the health of the gut during summers.

"Maintaining a healthy digestive system is very important to prevent infections that you could easily catch during summers," concludes Anupama Menon.

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