The summer season is the main holiday season of the year. However our enjoyment is often disrupted with attacks of diarrhea and other diseases. Actually it's a cycle we need to be very conscious of. The main factor to be aware of is that food spoils easily in the hot weather. Micro- organisms seem to be thriving every where from on fresh fruits, juices, salads, to cooked foods etc. Milk, milk products and non-veg foods are specially prone to spoilage if kept outside a refrigerator for even 1 or 2 hours.

Another major problem is that summer season is also the season for flies to breed and multiply and they seem to be every where and any where. Please note they love to sit on dry foods like bread or biscuits and even there they can pass on infections so please see that all foods are kept clean and properly packed or covered.

Tips

1. Fruits and vegetables bought from the market must not be directly placed on kitchen counters as the germs on them will stick to the counter and then contaminate our hands or other foods placed on the counter.

2. All fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed and used immediately on cutting them.

3. Cooked food must be eaten immediately and left overs immediately refrigerated. Food left in a warm kitchen is the ideal breeding ground for micro-organisms.

4. Non-veg food if left over and you want to reuse please freeze and defrost when necessary.

5. Be very careful about milk and milk products and milk sweets - they spoil very fast in the summer. Normally after boiling milk we leave it in the kitchen to cool before refrigeration. Please put it in the refrigerator at the earliest. When eating out be very careful about, lassi, milk shakes, custards, ice-creams etc.

Children are most prone to stomach upsets. One major reason could be that their nails are not clipped as regularly as they are during the school times. Also we may be relaxed and not so strict about them washing hands before they eat.

Once a person gets an attack of diarrhea they get weak and run down. They are then prone to coughs, colds and other infections, even typhoid and jaundice are common at this time. If a person gets diarrhea the first treatment is to stop all milk, milk products, egg and non-veg completely for 48 hours. Only curd must be given 3-4 times a day along with toast, rice, marie biscuits and apple and banana may be eaten. If the diarrhea does not significantly reduce in 24 hours a doctor must be consulted and medication begun. Fresh clear water and tender coconut water must be given.

Another must is to start B-complex and C supplementation immediately and continue it morning and evening for the next 10 days to build up resistance against another infection. After the diarrhea attack see that you take all precautions against a cold and cough for the next two weeks as your resistance will be low and you can catch these infections easily.