Nutrients & more...

I've taken numerous trips with my parents from our city to my paternal town where most of our relatives lived. I used to look forward to them as it meant listening to good music, no homework and eating a lot of munchies. Road trips often involve eating foods which we do not consume on a daily basis-candy bars ,toffees, packs of chips, bhujia(a salted savory snack), sodas & cold drinks. However, A few simple changes can make this trip a healthier one. How to eat healthy on the road? Plan ahead -stock up on eatables according to the mode of travel and the kind of food you might get on the way. Here are a few healthy options you can carry along: a) Whole (uncut) fruits like aam (mangoes), apples, amrood (guavas), litchis, narangi (oranges), bananas, nashpati (pear) etc. are easy to carry and consume. b) A mix bag of nuts, roasted peanuts (unsalted) or roasted chana (whole gram). c) Hard boiled eggs. d) Packaged tomato juice and other fruit juices (without added suga...

source of image I hail from Rajasthan which lies in the western part of India. It is a very dry area with low rainfall and a desert to boast for landscape. The temperature variations are extreme; ranging from -2 degrees in winters to 40 - 45 degrees in summers. I can confidently say that I really know what is meant by “hot”. The heat, length and dreariness of summers is not limited to Western India which also struggles with low rainfall but extends to other parts as well, where high heat and humidity make summer afternoons unbearable. The data regarding the incidence or prevalence of heat related illnesses in India is not available, but most Indians have read about or known deaths due to heat waves (common in summers). In 1998 about 81 cases of heat stroke were recorded in the city of Chennai (former Madras) during a 23 day long spell of very high heat and humidity [1]. Some of the common conditions which are prevalent in summers and sometimes prove to be life-threatening are: • Hea...