The colour of summer

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Sunday , May 18, 2008 at 2031 hrs They are packed with vitamins and minerals, have virtually no fat or cholesterol and are your best bet in summer. Fruits, yes. Indulge in them to feel and look great and keep yourself hydrated and replenished as the mercury rises …

Keeping a count of the number of servings of fruits you have each day is definitely a good way to ensure that you are meeting the standard dietary recommendation. You can even try colour coding. “Just include richly coloured fruits in your diet,” says Sharon Arora, dietician, G M Modi Hospital.

Each group provides a distinct nutritional benefit. Red fruits, for instance, are rich in the carotenoid lycopene; Red/purple, including red and blue grapes, blueberries, strawberries, plums and red apples, are loaded with powerful antioxidants that help delay cellular aging; Orange/yellow, including peaches and papaya, provide beta cryptothanxin, which may help prevent heart disease.

Mango

The king of fruits really doesn’t figure in the good books of those who are extremely calorie conscious. Most people wonder why do brands bother making mango juice with added sugar. But would you really mind a tasty fruit with just 65 calories (considering that an average mango weighs about 100 gm)? ... “Unless you are on a weight loss diet or suffering from diabetes there’s no reason to avoid it,” says Dr Saloni Kakkar, dietitian and nutritionist, Paras Hospital, Delhi. “You can always indulge yourself with two slices — that would be around 40-60 gm,” Kakkar further adds. The fruit is richest in beta-carotene i.e. vitamin A, essential for the eyes and the skin. Just half a mango a day can take care of your daily vitamin A needs! “And while vitamin A dominates the content of a mango, there’s potassium, vitamin C and fibre as well,” she adds. And if you don’t suffer from lactose intolerance having mango with milk is a better idea. Why? Mango may, at times, cause acidity and milk being alkaline in nature helps.

Watermelon