Our environment has never been so toxic. There are many things working against us. Dr Keyoor Gautam, chairman of Samyak Diagnostic Pvt. Ltd., a pathology lab, says over 80 percent of those with fever are testing positive for dengue these days. Covid-19 is still a threat. Then there’s the trash dumped on the roadsides, giving off a foul stench and polluting the air, adds Dr Binjwala Shrestha, assistant professor at the department of community medicine at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University. Prevention aside—like wearing full-sleeved clothes to protect against pesky mosquitoes and masking up to stop the spread of Covid-19 and to save ourselves from the harmful effects of air pollution—we must also keep our immune system in top shape. One of the easiest ways to do that is by tweaking our food habits and eating right.

“We can’t control external factors. But our diet is one thing we can fix. Our food choices also need to change with the seasons so that our bodies can adapt to the environment,” says Aarem Karkee, a dietician at Patan Hospital.

The most basic thing we can do is eat at home and limit junk food and takeaways. In this hot weather, says Karkee, chances of dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, food poisoning and stomach flu are high. Eating at home drastically reduces that risk as we can control what goes into our food as well as ensure maximum hygiene. Then, we must also eat foods that are in season (for example, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, bell pepper, and cucumber in summers) as these contain the highest amounts of water and nutrients. Our diet mostly consists of dal-bhat-tarkari. It’s generally what we eat throughout the year. The meal is laden with garam masala, ginger and garlic, all of which are heat-generating and thus not ideal for hot summer months. Anushree Acharya, dietician at Venus Hospital, Mid-Baneshwor, Kathmandu, says Kathmandu was once a lot cooler than it is today. Our staple diet was then ideal throughout the year. Not so now. She recommends cutting down on spices especially if you have digestive and sleep issues. “Have cooling foods like salads and other leafy vegetables. Include fruits like watermelon, papaya and pineapple in your diet. Curd is another great option to cool your body in this heat,” she says. It’s also not necessary to drink copious amounts of water. Bhupal Baniya, nutritionist at Nepal Police Hospital, says you must ideally consume 30 to 40ml times your body weight of water every day, which is roughly eight to 10 glasses. Many people tend to go overboard with their water intake, which is actually counterproductive. Overhydration can lead to as many problems as underhydration or dehydration—from electrolyte imbalance contributing to weakness and nausea to loss of water-soluble vitamins. Karkee says checking the color of your urine will give you a good idea of how much water you need. If it’s dark yellow or stains the toilet bowl, you need to drink more water. Whereas, if it’s transparent, almost like water, you need to cut down. In many parts of India, people mix sattu (roasted gram flour) with water, ice, black salt and lemon to make an extremely rehydrating drink to replenish lost electrolytes. Mint-infused or lemon water, Glucose-D, and even ORS can also be consumed on a daily basis to give your body that essential supply of electrolytes, says Acharya. Experts agree that people need to be conscious of what they are eating as that can have a profound impact on how they feel. This is especially important as your mind and gut are connected, determining your overall wellbeing. As the temperature continues to fluctuate, making the environment an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and all sorts of viruses, it’s become all the more important to give your body the internal boost it needs. And that can only come in the form of good, nutritious, season-specific food. Karkee’s advice is to consume whole foods in place of the polished, refined grains. Instead of white rice, he suggests brown rice or grains with the husk still intact. Replace your regular packaged dal with unpolished versions of the same from the local bulk store. Adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables can help regulate your body temperature and digestion, two crucial aspects for the system’s proper functioning. There is also no need to be hyper conscious of your salt intake unless you suffer from conditions that require you to monitor it. Our diet, he says, is deficient in iodine. Iodine deficiency can lead to growth and development issues in children as well as pregnancy-related problems in adults. The salt we consume is fortified with iodine and should be considered a dietary requirement. “There is actually no need to swap your regular salt with pink salt and such. In fact, I suggest you don’t,” he says. The crux of ‘beating the heat’ and being your fittest, healthiest self lies in what’s happening in your kitchen. Keeping a food journal—where you jot down everything you eat and drink—can help you get a sense of what you are doing wrong and fix it. Even better, take a photo of everything you eat and review it at the end of the day or week. Dr Shrestha says the key to eating right is understanding your food habits. That way you will be better attuned to the signals your body gives out when something isn’t working for you.