Vegetables and fruits in
our daily lives act as a bonus, as they are the storehouse of all the essential
nutrients right from antioxidants to a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Besides being a storehouse of nutrients, fruits and vegetables also provide us
with lots of water to replenish the water losses during the hot summer season.
Almost 85 percent of fruits and vegetables is usually water. Some of the summer
fruits and vegetables that help us to bear the rising mercury during summers
are:
· Watermelon:
It is considered an ideal food for summers due to its high water content (90%)
and sugar content (8%). Besides these, watermelon is a rich source of lycopene
(disease protecting nutrient) and vitamin C. It also provides good amount of
potassium that is required to maintain water balance especially during summers.
· Summer
Squash: It is 95 percent water and low in calories. Its juice is found to
be useful for hyper acidity and cholesterol reduction.
· Dry
Fruits: Raisins, figs, apricots are high fibre foods, containing more fibre
than most other fruit and vegetables.
· Berries:
Jamun, phalsa, shah-toot contain pigments (anthocyanin) that have beneficial
effects on connective tissue and inflammation. Berries are also good sources of
fibre, potassium and vitamin C.