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Here’s how to stay safe and healthy during monsoon
The rain brings joy, but several health concerns too, writes Shikha Sharma.
The coming of the monsoon means the environment is changing, and summer’s heat combined with increased humidity affect your body. From an ayurvedic perspective, the monsoon is the time of pitta (fire) aggravation, leading to boils, fungal infections, bloating, hairfall, fever and lower immunity. You could even suffer body pain. But it’s possible to stay safe and healthy throughout the rains if you take these simple measures.
* To avoid water retention, eat only old grain such as rice, barley and oats, as they are low in water. Grilled or boiled corn also has a drying effect on the body. So indulge in the season’s fresh produce.
* Avoid gassy foods like rajma and white channa because the atmosphere in this season is already high in vata (air), which can lead to body aches.
* Meat, eggs, poultry, fish, garam masala and fried foods, all of which are high in pitta, should be eaten in moderation.
* Avoid skin infections by rubbing olive oil mixed with a few drops of neem oil on your skin just before your bath. Or boil a few neem leaves in water and, when cool, add the decoction to your bathwater.
* If you have a pitta constitution, watch for digestive problems. Ayurveda recommends panchkarma therapy as a remedy.
* Bring down the pitta element in your body by eating and drinking cardamom, coconut water and lassi.
* Avoid sour foods such as pickles and ketchup. Dairy products, especially milk and paneer, are prone to bacterial growth, causing infections during the wet season.
From HT Brunch, June 19, 2016
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