अंजलि तंवर
What You Should Eat and Avoid For Better Health During Rainy Season
Monsoons are here, bringing refreshing rains and much-needed relief from sweltering summer. But this season also brings along a spectrum of health woes. From seasonal cold, flu, typhoid, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and stomach infections are very common in monsoon. Moreover, in this time of COVID 19 Pandemic, which is already wreaking havoc on your health, monsoon related diseases could be even more distressing your overall health. Hence, you need to ensure that the food you eat strikes the right balance between nutrition and immunity.
Foods To Include In Your Monsoon Diet
Some of the food groups that should be incorporated in plenty in the meal plan include:
Fruits:
Adding seasonal fruits like jamun, pears, plum, cherries, peaches, papaya, apples, andpomegranates supports meeting the increasing demands of nutrients like vitamins A, C, antioxidants, and fibre. These fruits aids to improve digestion, maintain gut flora and triggers the immune response.
Fluids:
Drinking enough safe, potable water is as vital as consuming warm, freshly made kadha,concoctions, herbal teas, broths, and soups. These drinks are rehydrating that maintain electrolyte balance, detoxifies the system and essential for building a robust immune system.
Vegetables:
Monsoon is the time of gourds like bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ash gourd, ridge gourd, snake gourd, and other veggies that are available in plenty includes cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, okra and radish. Adding these veggies liberally to your regular diet plan aids to foster good gut health and immune activity.
Foods to Avoid During Monsoon
There are several unhealthy eating practices that one should avoid, as these food habits are more prone to increase your risks of contracting infections during the monsoon season.
Avoid Eating Fried Foods:
It is fine to have fried foods like samosa or pakoras occasionally during this season in moderate amounts, as having these foods in excess quantities can lead to several gastrointestinal woes like indigestion, bloating,diarrhoea. and other issues. Also ensure to avoid reusing fried oil, as it can be toxic to your health.
Limit Seafood:
The risk of water contamination is high during this season, which makes fish and seafood vulnerable carriers of infections. Hence, it is best to refrain eating seafood during the monsoon.
Eating Outside:
Avoid eating food at restaurants as well as street food stalls, as the temperature during monsoon is ideal for bacterial and fungal growth and there is an increased risk of food and waterborne infections.
Not Washing Vegetables:
The temperature and humidity of this season are favourable to bacterial and fungal growth, especially on green leafy vegetables. Thus, it is important to wash these veggies thoroughly and cook them on high heat before eating.
