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Monsoon illnesses: 5 easy ways to not get sick in the rains
Smart eating and healthy habits can help keep monsoon maladies at bay
Come monsoon and the smiles soften, the soil settles and the clouds become unpredictable! But along with the rains come multiple infections and stomach problems – the digestion gets sluggish, the body begins to bloat and lethargy is rampant. Here’s how to keep yourself healthy and happy during this difficult season.
Eat smart: Switch to foods with low water content like besan and bhutta to avoid water retention. Also, stick to easy-to-digest foods (read: no fried foods) as the body’s digestion capability is compromised during the rains due to high humidity.
Boost your immunity: Expect infections to be at an all-time high and immunity to be at an all-time low. So, deliberately include foods like garlic, onions, haldi and methi seeds in your daily diet.
Corner some corn: Since digestion gets sluggish, it helps to stick to high-fibre foods like corn kernels and corn atta. These are loaded with both soluble and insoluble fibre.
Bet on bitter gourd: This humble gourd’s blood-purifying properties will help keep infections at bay. Plus, it’s a good digestive agent as it stimulates the secretion of gastric juices and keeps digestion humming along and constipation – a common problem during the rains – away.
Relish raw mangoes: Loaded with pectin, these keep insulin in check which helps bust monsoon-induced lethargy decisively. Raw mangoes help prevent and treat gastro-intestinal disorders like diarrhoea, dysentery, piles, chronic dyspepsia, indigestion and constipation too, all of which are rampant during monsoons.
Kavita Devgan is a Delhi-based nutritionist, Weight Management Consultant and author of Ultimate Grandmother Hacks and Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of thin people
From HT Brunch, June 16, 2019
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