As mercury touches 46°C in parts of India, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recommends three traditional, science-backed remedies to cool the body from within without relying on air conditioners.

With the India Meteorological Department recording temperatures soaring past 46°C in the national capital region, the search for effective cooling solutions has become a matter of daily survival. While air conditioners and coolers provide temporary relief, they cannot address the fundamental issue—cooling the body from the inside out.

On May 26, 2026, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, known for her work with Kareena Kapoor and other Bollywood stars, took to social media to share three traditional Indian remedies that have been used for centuries. These ancestral practices, she emphasised, offer sustainable, nature-based methods to manage dehydration and maintain physical wellness.

The first recommendation is to add two or three wala or vetiver roots to your daily drinking water. The roots naturally add a mild sweetness and, more importantly, bring a cooling effect that works from the inside out. You can reuse the same roots for up to three days before tossing them into your bathing water.

Diwekar pointed out that in peak summer, most people genuinely struggle to drink enough water because plain water doesn’t feel appealing. The vetiver roots solve that problem naturally. Interestingly, the traditional hand-held fans used in India before electricity were often woven from vetiver, and the grass curtains behind coolers in North Indian homes also came from these roots.

The second hack is applying natural henna or mehndi on the hands. Diwekar stresses that this age-old technique, which many grew up with but have now forgotten, not only cools the body naturally but also gives a sense of a slow life. Henna has properties that actively draw heat out through the palms, which is one of the body’s key heat-release points.

The third recommendation is consuming buttermilk or chaas two to three times a day during the summer season. The whey in buttermilk contains protein, calcium, and B12, and works as a prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic. Adding a little salt, asafoetida, and cumin powder to buttermilk corrects electrolyte imbalance caused by dehydration, aids digestion, and prevents loss of appetite.

While these are things individuals can do at home, Diwekar also noted that the need of the hour is for policymakers to step in and protect homes from getting overheated. As India continues to grapple with extreme weather events, a combination of individual action and systemic change will be crucial.