( Shaista Faheem, Gujranwala)

Routinely cooked food should not be left over for the next meals in summer, as they are stored in the fridge; they are a cause of food poisoning which result in diseases like dysentery or cholera.

It is a famous saying: “ prevention is better than cure and health is a blessing” which are factual statements because if we balance our eating, sleeping and waking up routine, life becomes blissful but if dietary restriction and caution is practiced man can be saved from many infectious and  seasonal diseases. Pakistan’s plains are engulfed in heat in the months of May, June, July and August. If safety measures are not adopted to deal with this severe heat, a person can be a target of many symptoms of psychological disturbance, tension, and anxiety and mood changes.
Summer, along with intensity, is also a season of healthy foods, especially the king of all fruits, mango, becomes ripe in this season. Besides it melon, watermelon, banana, loquat, plum and prune are also fruits of this season. Similarly many tradition vegetables are harvested in this season. Eating these fruits and vegetables can suffice for the deficiency of inner defense mechanisms and decreased energy. Nature has given more watery content in these fruits and vegetables which is a source for a strong fight from the harshness of the season. Diarrhea or cholera, intestinal diseases, dengue, typhoid, malaria, dehydration and sun stroke are the diseases which are prevalent in summer. Majority of these diseases have a link with inadequate preventive measures which has been observed from eating low quality eatables from markets. It has been noticed that the places where eatables are being sold, are in fact, the location for breeding of houseflies and mosquitoes. In children, the disease of gastroenteritis and measles is rampant. The preventive measures are, to drink boiled and then cooled water for drinking purposes, refrain from commercially available foods, washing hands before having meals and gargling after meals, cleanliness of home, usage of mosquito nets for sleeping in open air, spraying of insecticidal sprays etc for prevention from insects.