Dr Maria Ridao Alonso, Medical Director, Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre, shows us ways to maintain a good health during summer.
What are some of the common concerns of people when they come to Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre (DHTC)?
Some people come to DHTC with no concerns at all. They visit us just to get advice on how to generally maintain health and well-being, which we call preventive healthcare/ medicine. Others come with a variety of complaints such as cold and flu; headaches and migraines; digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease and food intolerances; hormonal issues like irregular periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause and fertility concerns; musculoskeletal problems such as back, neck, knee or shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia; diabetes; high cholesterol; thyroid problems (hashimoto); and skin issues including eczema, dermatitis, acne and psoriasis.
What kind of diet should we follow to stay healthy and fit during summer?
With light and easy-to-digest foods, an ideal summer diet should help you stay hydrated and cool throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, herbal teas and soup to maintain the fluid balance of your body. Also, choose cooling fruit and vegetables rich in water, such as watermelon and cucumber. Fresh and healthy salads are the perfect go-to meal for hot days. Try to avoid spicy dishes or foods that create heat in the body, such as shellfish, lamb and mangoes.
Drink plenty of water, herbal teas and soup to maintain the fluid balance of your body.
How can ayurveda help people deal with common summer health issues?
In ayurveda, pitta is the energy that can get aggravated or imbalanced during summer. People who have an unbalanced pitta can get more problems such as migraines, skin rashes, sunburns, acidity, indigestion, frustrations, irritability and hot tempers.
Could you suggest a few ayurvedic therapies that can help people maintain wellness during the hot summer months?
In ayurvedic medicine, Abhyangam with pitta calming oils such as chandanadi thailam — oil prepared with sandalwood — and kshirabala — oil made from cow’s milk and Sida cordifolia herbs — can help address most summer health issues.
Additionally, advanced treatments such as Ksheeradhara, using medicated milk, and Takradhara treatment, using medicated butter milk, are highly recommended for summer.
Regardless of our body types, we all need to keep cool in summer. The best option is to follow a pitta pacifying diet that can calm pitta dosha.
Hydrate your body at regular intervals with cooling, nourishing beverages. Meditation and yoga are also helpful in calming emotional imbalances.
Heat rashes, acne breakouts, dry and irritated skin are some of the common skin issues that concern people during summer. Could you suggest some remedies to deal with these?
Avoid sun exposure as much as you can, drink enough fluids, moisturise your skin well and follow a healthy diet to prevent these issues from happening in the first place.
However, if you get heat rashes, use aloe vera gel to hydrate the skin, soothe irritations and reduce itchiness. Tea tree oil and oregano oil can help you deal with acne spots. Always consult a skincare expert if these home remedies don’t work.
Have you launched any new wellness treatment recently at DHTC?
At DHTC, we take pride in being a very holistic and individualised medical centre. After individual assessments, we make tailored treatment plans for our patients, keeping in mind their unique requirements. This line of treatment has proven to be very successful.
The latest addition to our treatment offers is Intravenous Laser Blood Irradiation with five different laser colours. It is a safe and effective treatment for pain relief, inflammation, protection of immune system and skin issues as well as for insomnia, mood disorders and anxiety.
For more information on DHTC’s departments and treatment options, visit Dubaihtc.com or call 04 335 1200
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