Nowadays, the only news we see in the media is related to Covid 16. The news basically is about the number of cases and deaths in the country, in the state, or in your city. I have never understood why the media has to always portray negative news. In my way, the better way would have been to inform about the number of cases added in a day, the number of people who have recovered’ and the number of remaining positive cases. But no, our media will always project the bad things in bold letters, which in turn lead to fear in the people’s mind, and fear is not at all good for the human psyche, but who is going to explain this to these journalists. For these type of journalist, the news is only creating a sensation, and instil fear in the public mind. The media will not present the news in the manner by which the public feel happy.
Now coming to my health-related topic of the day:
We are in the middle of the summer season, and we prefer to consume such types of food which do not generate further heat in the body. It has been said that there is no better way to beat the heat than to have cucumber slices or even a glass of cucumber juice. However, there really are many other vegetables, that are meant to be eaten in the summer season. They provide relief from the heat, many common ailments, increase immunity and also satisfy the body’s need for water. The fruits and vegetables with high water content are said to replace the body’s natural sugars, amino acids, mineral salts and vitamins that are lost. Here are few vegetables that can be consumed in summer:
Bottle Gourd– It is also known as ‘Lauki’ in Hindi, and is full of water content and also belong to the cucumber family. This can be cooked into many different dishes, or even had raw as a juice spiced up with mint and coriander leaves. Just make sure that the bottle gourd is not bitter before making the juice. It provides a whole lot of benefits like prevention from summer-related stomach issues, satisfies thirst, prevents loss of sodium, and helps a person to stay hydrated and not feel fatigued during the summer.
Ridge Gourd– IT is also known as ‘Turai’ in Hindi, this too is extremely good for summer, and can be cooked in many simple ways. It is good for summer stomach ailments, purifies the blood and even regulates blood sugar.
Ash Gourd– it is also called white pumpkin. It can also be had as juice or cooked as side dishes for rice and Rotis. This vegetable provides relief from acidity and ulcers and is also said to be beneficial for diabetics, It comes loaded with nutrients and vitamins like B1 and B3 as well as potassium. The famous sweet ‘Agra Petha’ is made from this.
Cucumber– It is one of the best sellers in summer. This comes with 96% vegetable contents. It quenches your thirst and helps to regulate the body temperature and keeps you hydrated. In addition, it also has potassium and magnesium content and helps flush out toxins from the body. The fibre content is also helpful in digestion.
Pumpkin– also called ‘Kaddu’ in Hindi. Most people love this for its unique taste and flavour. It contains a lot of fibre and helps regulate the digestive system. It is widely used to prepare a variety of dishes including sweets. However, owing to its sugar content and pancreas stimulating abilities, diabetics are advised to stay away from this.
Bitter Gourd– known as Karela in Hindi. Most people do not prefer to eat this because of its bitter taste, especially children who avoid this. However, the truth is that the bitter gourd is an extremely good vegetable, that helps our body in many ways. it helps regulate diabetes as well as hypertension. You can drink this in form of raw juice or cook some dishes with some tricks to cover up its bitterness. It also increases your immunity.
Greens– They are something that can be had at any time, and more so in summer. The green leaves too have water content and a cooling effect. They are also good for health. One can pick a different variety such as Palak, Methi, Lettuce, Radish leaves, Turnip leaves etc.
Apart from these vegetables, cauliflower, brinjal, tomatoes, carrots, green peas and potatoes too have high water content. Combine this with summer fruits like watermelons, grapes, strawberries etc to keep you well hydrated.
Waiting for your view and comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
13th May 2021.
R. N. Mungale.
I like Karla.