Monsoon Health Kit: A Mini Diet Guide For a Healthy and Filling Rainy Season

Seasonal changes call for changes in lifestyles, adjustments in dietary habits, and more. Food illnesses and seasonal changes happen every time. Come monsoon, chai-pakora, maggi and bhajiye come to the front

Seasonal changes call for changes in lifestyles, adjustments in dietary habits, and more. Food illnesses and seasonal changes happen every time. Come monsoon, chai-pakora, maggi and bhajiye come to the fore. Against the romantic background of rains and baarrish ki boonde, food and music are elements that enhance the moment, the season itself. The monsoon is also the time when bacteria and fungi thrive in humid weather, leading to an increase in infections. During this time, what should we eat and what not becomes a big question.

The choices of food, spices, herbal drinks also differ according to the season. Here’s a mini guide to what should and shouldn’t make the cut on your monsoon diet.

MONSOON DIET: FOODS TO EAT AND AVOID

1. Make seasonal fruits your friends
2. Probiotics like buttermilk, yogurt, and soy are packed with good bacteria that can help with digestive health during the monsoon
3. Foods with vitamin C: Foods rich in vitamin C have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help fight infections.
4. Sprouts – Sprouts are good for health and should be included in your diet, especially during the monsoon. Protein-rich sprouts not only make a healthy breakfast or snack, but they also boost your immune system, helping your body fight off germs.
5. Turmeric Milk: Turmeric is a miracle herb. Its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antibacterial extracts can help you fight infection and boost immunity. Dense in vitamins and minerals, this magical spice promotes general well-being. So, drink a glass of warm turmeric milk every night before going to bed to stay fit during the monsoon.

MONSOON DIET: HERBS AND SPICES TO IMPROVE HEALTH DURING THE RAINY SEASON

• Tulsi: Indian Basil or Tulsi is considered a sacred herb. Helps relieve stress and increase energy levels. Tulsi also contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties that fight harmful free radicals in the body.
• Ginger: Ginger is packed with gingerols, paradols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols, and zingerone, all of which have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In addition, ginger improves the assimilation and transport of nutrients to the body’s tissues, much needed to keep colds and flus away.
• Black pepper: Available whole, crushed, or powdered, black pepper contains carminative qualities that reduce the likelihood of intestinal gas and other gastrointestinal problems. Not only does it have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and fever-reducing qualities, but it also boosts the immune system.
• Turmeric: Turmeric is a miracle herb. Its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antibacterial extracts can help you fight infection and boost immunity. Dense in vitamins and minerals, this magical spice promotes general well-being.
• Garlic: Garlic is a miracle food that you should add to your diet, especially during the monsoon. Allicin is a compound present in garlic that helps strengthen the immune system and thus protect our body against various infections.

MONSOON DIET: FOODS TO AVOID

• Street food, delicious as it is, one should try to stay away from it. Humid, bacteria-ridden air can contaminate food. Also, during the rains, rainwater often seeps into street food, the vendor’s cart, and more.
• Raw vegetables should also be avoided. It is best to heat them and then consume them to avoid the risk of infection.
• Although carbonated drinks are not that healthy in general, you have to be careful especially during the monsoon as they reduce our enzyme activity.
• The monsoon is the breeding season for fish and some marine animals. There are chances that the seafood being sold is stale.
• Avoid fried food.
• Avoid eating anything that is heavy to digest