Presenting the top 5 summer foods that you could have to beat the heat and add to your diet.

1.     Pineapple. This sweet, tropical fruit is the perfect ingredient for smoothies, raitas , kashmiri pulaos and fruit salads. It’s packed with vitamin C and manganese; a mineral which helps build muscle tone and boosts bone health. It contains an enzyme called  bromelain which  breaks down protein and helps in digestion and even help to reduce inflammation.
 

2.     Blueberries. Which we are also available in the canned format now in India also has concentrated amounts of flavonoids, the natural substances responsible for giving blueberries their deep blue colour. They help in inhibiting cancer, preventing urinary tract infections, improving eyesight and inhibiting short-term memory loss and other effects of ageing. Toss them into your cereals, salads or top with a little natural yoghurt.
 

3.     Seafood. Fresh fish which is easy to cook and delicious to eat is provided you get them fresh. Take any of your favourite local  fish available and marinate them for an hour in your typical salt,pepper and lemon mix and  then grill them and eat. Seafood is a great source of protein and a source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
 

4.     Tomatoes. They are high in vitamin C, beta-carotene and potassium, their high lycopene content puts them in the nutritional spotlight. There is actually more of this prostate cancer-preventing antioxidant in the more concentrated tomato products like tomato puree and tomato juice. But since it is summer, go for the fresh whole fruit, with only 25 calories per tomato which makes it agreat low calorie option in your soups and salads.

5.     Cantaloupe melon. It’s the season of the fragrant cantaloupe melon . It has more vitamin A than apricots, more potassium than bananas, a full day's supply of vitamin C, and it's lower in calories than most fruits - 57 calories per serving. A good cantaloupe beats a glass of orange juice any day. However, cantaloupe is high GI Glycemic Index and may not be suitable for people who are prone to high blood sugar levels.