With temperatures soaring, Bigg Boss 17 fame Soniya Bansal believes in keeping her body cool through proper hydration and eating home-cooked food. She said, “When the temperature starts rising, I try to keep my diet as simple and cooling as possible. I make sure to drink a ton of water throughout the day, but I also rely heavily on fresh coconut water for those natural electrolytes.”
“I usually switch to lighter home-cooked meals, focusing on things like curd rice, salads, and juicy fruits like watermelon or mangoes. Avoiding heavy, oily foods is key because they just make you feel sluggish when it's 40 degrees outside. It’s all about keeping the internal system cool so the external heat doesn't hit as hard,” she added.
She tries to get all her outdoor errands done early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid peak sun between 12 PM and 4 PM. She added, “If I'm home, I keep the curtains drawn to block out direct sunlight and keep rooms naturally cooler. I also make a conscious effort to slow down my pace; there’s no point in rushing when the humidity is that high. Taking a quick cool shower in the evening is also non-negotiable for me to reset after a long day.”
Soniya relies on traditional Indian summer staples like aam panna, buttermilk (chaas), and nimbu paani during summer. She said, “Aam panna is a lifesaver because it’s specifically designed to prevent heatstroke and keep digestion on track. I also love a tall glass of salted buttermilk with a bit of roasted cumin; it’s incredibly refreshing and way better than any soda.”
“These drinks have been used for generations for a reason; they actually work to regulate your body temperature. Plus, they taste like childhood and bring a bit of nostalgia to those sweltering afternoons,” she added.
She also stressed that small, consistent lifestyle changes can make a massive difference in how we handle extreme weather. She said, “Simple things like wearing breathable cotton fabrics and adjusting your sleep schedule to get more rest can help your body recover from heat exhaustion. Eating smaller, more frequent meals instead of heavy feasts also prevents your body from generating too much internal heat during digestion. We also need to be more mindful of our environment, like planting more indoor plants or using energy-efficient cooling. It’s about adapting our habits to fit the new reality of our climate.”
She agrees that summers feel significantly harsher and more unpredictable than they used to and says, “The heatwaves seem to last much longer, and the cooling periods in between are becoming shorter and less effective. I’ve noticed that even the nights don't cool down as much as they used to, which makes it harder to get good quality sleep. There’s also a different kind of intensity to the sun now; it feels more stinging than it did a decade ago. It’s a very visible reminder that our local environment is under a lot of pressure.”
She mentioned that unseasonal snowfall in places like Himachal and Kashmir is quite alarming and a bit surreal. She said, “It’s a glaring sign that our global climate patterns are shifting in ways that we aren't fully prepared for. While snow in April might look pretty in a photo, it wreaks havoc on local agriculture and the natural ecosystem. It’s a wake-up call that climate change isn't just a future threat; it’s happening right now in very visible ways. It makes me feel a mix of concern for the planet and a sense of urgency to do something about it.”
Asked what role she feels individuals can play in reducing global warming, she said, “While big corporations have the largest impact, I believe individuals can still make a significant difference through conscious everyday choices. We can start by being more mindful of our energy consumption, like switching off lights or using ACs more sparingly.”
“Reducing waste, recycling, and cutting down on single-use plastics are also small steps that add up when millions of people do them. Choosing public transport or carpooling whenever possible helps lower our collective carbon footprint significantly. At the end of the day, it's about being more intentional with how we consume the Earth's resources,” Soniya ended.
