THE heat is on but don't let it slow you down. During the summer, your diet should be lighter and made up of mostly fresh, raw foods with high water content to fuel your body. In particular, you need to ingest slightly less protein and fat and significantly reduce the amount of meat and animal derivatives in your diet. In this heat, eating rich foods that require too much cooking will leave you feeling heavy, bloated and lazy. Fruity freshness The juicy fruits which start to become naturally available during this season are best to eat because they have lots of water and vitamin C. The fruits to concentrate more on in the summer include: apricots, fresh figs, strawberries, grapefruit, watermelon, peaches, tangerines, mango, and pineapple. Apart from the freshness they exude, these fruits also contain simple sugars easily absorbed by the body to give an almost instant boost in energy. Water it all down To replenish your body's fluids that may be lost from excess perspiration ,drink at least 10 glasses of water a day. You may also drink fresh fruit juices, and try your favorite herbal tea and green tea - iced with a slice of lemon and some mint leaves - rather than drinking your tea hot. Cooler meals are the way forward Avoid foods like soups that will just make you feel even hotter. Instead, make a large fresh salad for lunch, with some breadsticks to fill you up. If you are bored with your regular lettuce and tomato salad try some of these recipes to add variety and flavor to your summer diet: • Spinach Salad: Fresh green spinach and watercress leaves should be chopped into large pieces. Finely chop some green onions and add it to the greens and mix in lemon juice, olive oil, one minced garlic clove, salt, and sumac. • Tabouleh: This famous Syrian/Lebanese salad is perfect for summer. Finely chop parsley leaves, tomatoes, some cucumber, and green onions. Soak a little fine bulgur in water for 15 minutes, drain and add to the salad. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and some crushed, dried mint leaves. • Low fat Coleslaw: Green and red cabbage, grated with carrots grated, and half of a small onion, finely chopped mixed with two tablespoons of mayonnaise, one tablespoon olive oil, two tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper. • Artichoke Salad: Chop some lettuce, tomatoes, and a small onion. Mix with one can of artichoke hearts cut into quarters and season with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. • Garbanzo Salad: Mix cooked garbanzo beans with chopped tomatoes and fresh parsley. Flavor with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and cumin powder. Important tips It is important to always carry with you a bottle of cold water when going out and drink it regularly. Now is the time to buy yourself a good pair of sunglasses if you do not already have one, and make sure that the sunglasses protect from UV rays since studies show that UV rays from the sun are linked with developing cataracts of the eye in older age that can ultimately lead to impaired vision. If your children will be out at the beach or pool make sure they put on a generous amount of sun screen to prevent sunburns and skin cancer. For children just playing in the sand by the shore but not getting wet, let them wear a wide brimmed hat too. The hat can protect against heat stroke and shade them since the skin on the face is particularly sensitive. It is advisable to keep children from playing out in the sun when the heat is at its most intense - from around 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - even if they are wearing sun screen. Nothing beats the heat and cools you off like cold popsicles straight from the freezer. Make your own popsicles at home by filling popsicle trays and freezing them. Tasty ideas for popsicles include chocolate milk and fresh orange, grape, and strawberry juices. – SG– Amal Al-Sibai holds a Bachelor's degree in Holistic Nutrition from the United States, and has previously worked as a nutritional consultant, helping women and teenagers with weight loss. __
