The peak summer is now on. Do you step out of our house without any protection in the summer? It is true that summer brings not only extreme heat but also several health problems in us. Therefore, it is highly necessary that we must take enough precaution during the summer season to be free from these health problems. Various health issues that we could get during summer seasons are Heatstroke: We could get symptoms like dizziness, fever, nausea etc if our body heats up and doesn’t have the opportunity to cool down. In such a scenario, it is a must that we must hydrate ourselves. Moreover, we must not go out in the hot scorching heat. Food poisoning: Food poisoning could be due to food getting spoiled because of excess heat during the summer season. By eating spoiled food, we could get issues like diarrhoea, stomach pain, vomiting etc. We must consume only freshly made food. Vegetables and fruits must be cleaned well before consuming. Dehydration: During the summer season, we could sweat more and due to this we would lose water and other electrolytes from the body. This could make us feel weak also. Mouth dryness and giddiness are important signs of dehydration in us. It is essential to drink atleast 8 to 10 glasses of water throughout the day. Sunburns: There are chances of getting sunburns if we go out in the sun without protection. There are chances of skin redness, irritation, skin peeling off etc also due to sunburns. It is necessary to use sunscreen every day before going out. Wearing full sleeves clothes would be superb. Waterborne diseases: There are high chances of water borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea etc affecting us during the summer season. This could be due to the contamination of water. In such a situation, it is important to drink boiled and purified water only. Conjunctivitis or Madras eye: Excessive heat, poor hygiene etc would contribute to an eye issue named conjunctivitis. Here, our eyes could swell, become reddish coloured, irritation etc. We must be careful and not rub our eyes with our hands. Wearing sunglasses while going out would be good. Urinary tract infections or UTI: There are more chances of UTIS especially in the summers due to excess sweat and dehydration etc. Symptoms of UTIs are frequent urination, burning sensation while urination, foul smelling urine etc.  It is necessary to stay hydrated and maintain hygiene to prevent UTIs in us. Dust allergies: The allergies would worsen during summers due to pollen and dust etc. It is worthy to note that those with asthma etc must be very careful. It is important that we must keep away from dusty places. Using a facemask is a must.

Who likes to have frizzy and dull hairs? Especially when humidity increases, our hairs would turn frizzy. Having frizzy hairs would also cause us to lose our self esteem also. It is possible to get smooth silky hairs with the help of chemical based products but using herbal based ones would be superb for hair health. It is true that herbal products would gently restore hair`s moisture balance, seal the cuticle layer and prevent hairs from drying. One main cause for hairs to be frizzy is dryness.  Herbal products would also promote a healthy scalp plus reduce split ends etc. Hair texture would get better over time. Herbal hacks for silky and smooth hairs are Applying aloe vera gel leave in: The proteolytic enzymes present in this gel would repair dead skin cells on the scalp. It would be good to apply aloe vera gel directly to damp hair. This would make our hairs smooth and silky without making hairs oily and greasy etc. Applying fenugreek soak: Mucilage present in fenugreek would act as a natural hair conditioner. In the first step, it is necessary to take 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds and ground it as a paste and apply it to the scalp and hair. In the second step, it is allowed to stand for 30 minutes. This would make the hairs smooth and soft without any frizz. Apply neem and yoghurt pack: The antifungal properties present in neem plays a huge role here. Not many of us would know that yoghurt is a natural emollient. If frizz is because of scalp irritation or due to dandruff etc, then this combo would be superb. In the first step, neem leaves are taken and ground as paste by mixing with yoghurt. It is then applied on the scalp and hairs and then left for 20 minutes and then hairs must be washed well. This would make hair soft and smooth. Bhringraj oil massage: It is noteworthy that bhringaraj or king of herbs would be great for the hairs. It does superbly by nourishing scalp plus strengthens root and improves shine etc.. In step one, it is necessary to warm the oil and then apply it to the scalp. By this, blood flow would be increased, relaxes the mind plus prevents frizz in the hairs. Green tea rinse: The antioxidants in green tea would improve the hair`s elasticity. Hair cuticles would get smsmoothen, roughness would be reduced and adds gloss to hairs. Humidity induced frizziness would be reduced.

There are many who consume sprouts for breakfast and as a snack as sprouts are nutritious and they are powerhouses of proteins. Other nutrients that are present in the sprouts are fibres, calcium, potassium, phosphorus plus vitamins like A and C etc. The bitter truth is that though these sprouts are rich in nutrients our body would have a tough time while breaking them down. It is worthy to note that sprouting is a natural process by which pores or seeds germinate and put out shoots. Sprouts intake can harm these persons: It is learnt that those who have autoimmune conditions in them and children and elderly persons etc must avoid eating sprouts in uncooked or raw form as it could cause food poisoning in these persons. Not only these persons, but also those with weak kidneys must refrain themselves from consuming sprouts and this could be due to the presence of fibre and protein in the sprouts. Persons who have a sensitive gut must be very careful regarding eating sprouts as they could be hard to get broken down and digested. This might even result in a few digestive issues like abdominal pain, gas, diarrhoea or constipation. Point to be noted is that any raw food would cause vector borne diseases in us and it is the same with sprouts too. It is said that persons with piles problems must refrain themselves from eating sprouts. Benefits of eating sprouted vegetables: Intake of sprouted vegetables can improve heart health by lowering blood cholesterol levels. There are low chances of getting affected with heart diseases if we consume sprouts. Regular bowel movements are provided by intake of sprouted vegetables. Our blood sugar levels would get regulated also. Certain sprouted vegetables we must avoid are: Onion sprouts: It is better not to eat sprouted onions as they might harm our health. Sprouts would appear on onion if stored for a longer duration. Point is if the onion smells bad and mushy then sprouted onion must be avoided.  Sometimes, sprouted onions are confused with spring onions. Garlic sprouts: Garlic would sprout when it is stored in poor condition. The sprouts could be bitter in taste. Mold formation on the onions is revealed by blue coloured sprouts. Potato sprouts: Not only onion and garlic can sprout, but even potatoes can sprout. Intake of potato sprouts can produce digestive problems such as stomach pain, nausea etc. Kidney beans sprouts: When kidney beans sprout and if we consume them then we could get digestive distress.  It is believed that sprouting would increase the compound phytohaemagglutinin. Intestinal linings might also get affected by the intake of sprouted kidney beans. Raw alfalfa sprouts: We could get food poisoning if we consume raw alfalfa sprouts. This could be due to the growth of harmful bacteria.

The name itself would bring huge happiness on our faces. Our tongues would relish the sweetness of the drink. We are now talking about the fantastic bael juice or bael sharbat. This is the summer season and there is no drink that can beat bael sharbat that would be available in different flavours. The advantage of bael sharbat is the ease with which it can be prepared plus the health benefits it would provide. Bael sharbat contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants etc. How to prepare bael sharbat: In the first step, bael fruit must be washed well with water. Then, bael must be broken open and pulp must be scraped out. In the third step, water must be added and allowed to stand for some time. Pulp must be mashed while it is in water. The juice is then squeezed out and strained with a strainer. Finally, add sugar plus a few drops of fresh lemon juice and serve the drink in cold condition.. Important benefits of drinking bael sharbat are Keeps us hydrated: During the summer season, it would be better to drink bael sharbat due to its hydrating properties. We would be able to compensate for the fluid loss from our body by drinking this sweet drink. Boosts energy levels: We would feel totally drained due to the unbearable heat during the summers. By drinking bael sharbat, we could feel energised and refreshed. The reason for this is due to the presence of calcium, iron and vitamin C in this bael sharbat. Boosts digestive health: It is noteworthy that bael sharbat is rich in fibre content and would help in regulating bowel movements. When we drink bael juice regularly then we could be free from digestive issues like bloating, gas etc. Boosts immunity: Not many would know that this juice contains vitamins A and C plus antioxidants etc and hence consuming bael juice would boost the immunity. This would help us to avoid infections and diseases etc. Anti-inflammatory properties: The anti-inflammatory compounds like Tannins, flavonoids and coumarins are present in bael juice. It must be noted that these anti-inflammatory compounds inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators in the body. Controls diabetes: Our blood sugar levels would get regulated by the presence of compounds like ferulic acid and rutin etc in the bael sharbat. It is worth noting that insulin sensitivity would get better due to these compounds and blood glucose levels would get lowered. Improves respiratory health: Our respiratory tract would get soothed if we drink bael sharbat. The conditions such as bronchitis and asthma etc would be lowered by drinking this. Improves skin health: Our skin would get protection from oxidative stress due to the presence of antioxidants and vitamins present in the bael sharbat. Collagen production would get promoted and skin elasticity would get improved. These would prevent us from premature ageing. Supports heart health: By drinking bael sharbat, our BP would get regulated and this is due to the presence of potassium in this juice. Bad cholesterol levels would reduce. This would improve the heart health to a huge level.

Managing periods is not that easy!! It is worth mentioning that during periods women usually are in huge discomfort and find it very difficult. It is known that periods or menstruation refers to monthly loss of blood in a woman after she reaches puberty. Various symptoms a woman would experience during her periods are abdominal cramps, bloating, mood swings, fatigue, digestion problems etc. Therefore, it is obvious that a woman would try many ways to overcome the discomfort during periods. By avoiding these, a woman would be able to manage her tough periods. By avoiding caffeine: When women in her periods consume caffeine in the form of coffee or tea then her blood vessels might get constricted. This could increase stress hormones causing more cramps, anxiety etc. It is noteworthy that intake of caffeine could also make a woman dehydrated (as it is a diuretic) and by this she could get bloating etc. Drinking herbal teas could be superb for a woman during periods. By avoiding salty foods: Intake of foods with excess salts can cause water retention and finally bloating and puffiness etc. Instead of consuming processed snacks, canned foods etc women could consume whole fresh foods. By avoiding sugary foods & drinks: It would be good if women during their periods avoid intake of sugary foods. The reason is intake of sugary foods would spike her blood sugar levels and then crash down. This could aggravate mood swings, fatigue etc. Inflammation would get triggered by sugary foods and by this abdominal cramps would get worse. It would be good to opt for natural sugars from fresh fruits intake. By avoiding heavy greasy foods: It is worth mentioning here that prostaglandins would get secreted by consuming fried and fatty foods during periods. By this, women could have uterine contractions and cramps. Heavy fatty foods can lead to digestion based issues also. Hence, a woman in her periods must consume lighter meals with healthy fats. By not eating meals or skipping meals: Point is that women during periods could get more irritated if she doesn`t eat meals or skip meals. This can lead to destabilisation of blood sugar levels. By avoiding intense workouts: Body would be subjected to additional stress due to strenuous workouts. By this a woman in her periods could get abdominal cramps and dizziness etc. Low or less intense activities would be better. Various examples of less intense activity are walking, stretching etc. By avoiding tight clothes: Bloating and cramps would become more if a woman wears tight fitting clothes around waist and lower abdomen. Women would feel more comfortable especially during periods if she wears loose fitting clothes as her body would feel relaxed.