Fruits to beat the summer heat
It isn’t unusual to get stricken by dehydration and heat stroke during the summer. Symptoms of dehydration include headache, nausea, high blood pressure and fever. To alleviate this condition, you need to drink water and eat fruits, which also provide vitamins and minerals.
Other practical tips:
Prepare herbal iced tea from common plants such as pandan, lemongrass, tarragon and basil. Boil the leaves, add sweetener and ice. It heals as it refreshes. These plants have medicinal benefits that prevent cancer, reduce bad cholesterol and fight bacteria.
Make your own fruit popsicles. Buy popsicle molds and fill them up with blended mango, papaya, pineapple or melon.
If you find popsicle-making laborious, cut up some fruits (pineapple, melon, papaya, jackfruit) and freeze them. Don’t store all the fruits in one container, because if you only need a few pieces, thawing them out will ruin the rest. Papaya has a cleansing effect on the colon.
Some food products are better refrigerated than frozen, like watermelon, singkamas, mangoes and sugarcane. Chew on them and feel a surge of energy. Watermelon flushes out uric acid from the body, relieves arthritis and gout, and improves the skin.
Make smoothies using a blender. A good combination would be mangoes, bananas and some water. Mangoes increase iron absorption and improve eyesight, and their pulp is an excellent colon cleanser.
The water of the coconut and its flesh are a superb source of energy and provides the balance of electrolytes necessary for nerve transmission and muscle contraction.
If you crave for naturally flavored water, slice up a lemon and drop the pieces into a pitcher of water. Antioxidants found in the rind help keep the skin clear and protect it from skin cancer. Lemon juice stimulates bile production.
