Watch what you eat!

As temperatures soar, it is important to watch what you are eating and drinking. That's because summer brings with it certain seasonal challenges.

Here's how to cope: Food spoils easily in hot weather, particularly dairy products that can carry deadly bacteria. So it's more important than ever to avoid outside food if you are not certain of its hygiene. This happens frequently with fruit juice, where vendors tend to add partially spoiled fruit to the juice.

Going out on an empty stomach increases the chances of dehydration and heat stroke. So make it a point to eat light meals at frequent intervals as they provide energy and necessary salts. You must maintain your body's hydration levels.

Drink at least 1.5 litres of water more than you usually consume. That's because water maintains your body's temperature. Paradoxically, many people tend to suffer from a 'summer cold', complete with coughing, sneezing and blocked noses. This is because our bodies tend to be exposed to extremes of temperatures - for instance, we walk into an air-conditioned environment from the blazing heat outside, or pour chilled water down our throats when it is very hot. You must acclimatize your body to prevent this. You need to allow your body to sweat, so wear loose cottons in the heat rather than tight or synthetic clothes.

Drink beverages that have a cooling effect on the body, such as raw mango panna, gulab sherbet (also, apply gulab jal on the face and eyes); lassi, buttermilk and cold coffee (but make sure you make all dairy drinks only at home); liquid barley sattu drink; khus sherbet that also contains kharbooz seeds; kheera and lauki juice; and home made watermelon juice.