TLI Staff
New Delhi: After the scorching summer heat, monsoon is much awaited as it brings some relief in the form of pleasant rains. But the season also brings its own set of diseases and problems along. After rains, it becomes easy for mosquitoes to breed that raises the risk of various mosquito-related infections, such as malaria, dengue, viral. This time the season is even more dreaded because of the Coronavirus scare as the weather is conductive to the growth of viruses.
In addition, the unbearable moisture can result in numerous skin diseases and bacterial fungal infections. Persistent skin conditions such as acne, fungus tend to intensify during the monsoon season. Apart from this, many diseases are also air-borne and spread easily by infected water and food. It becomes mandatory for all of us to consume a healthy and nutritional diet in order to stay fit.
Actress, Nutritionist and Emcee Pavleen Gujral gives us tips on the Do’s and Don’t during monsoons.
1. Have plenty of water: The first and the foremost thing to do in monsoon is to keep your body hydrated. Because of the high level of humidity, we tend to sweat all day long and as a result, our body gets dehydrated. It is very important to drink plenty of water as it will help to flush out the harmful toxins from the body and give you a boost to fight from infections.
2. Always adhere to home-cooked food: Monsoon means more moisture in the air which may give rise to bacteria so better to have home-cooked food in this season. As it is the healthiest option to have. Avoid dining outside. The lockdown period has habituated most of us to consume food cooked at home, and we must continue with this healthy habit.
3. Consume as much fresh food as possible: Fresh fruits and vegetable salads are highly recommended during monsoons as it helps in boosting one’s immunity levels which is also important to ward off Coronavirus, but make sure these are freshly cut and served following hygiene. Avoid fruits which have been pre-cut or peeled and kept in the open as it contains many bacteria.
4. Say no to street food: Irrespective of whether the lockdown is relaxed or not, try to avoid street food during monsoon as it promotes bacterial growth. Most of the street food vendors keep their food outside, which makes it more exposed to contamination. You can easily make this sinful food at home. A good alternative is to use hing and plenty of jeera in your chaat to keep the digestive system healthy.
5. Washing hands should be on priority: Always and always stick to the basic habit of washing hands before having anything. Coronavirus has taught us to follow this healthy habit and we should continue it even post the disease.
6. Try to avoid leftover fridge food items: Stay away from the foods kept in the refrigerator for longer periods. It can result in vomiting or diarrhea. Stay away from the food items that are moldy, discolored or decayed.
7. Let’s keep the fried food at bay: Fried food always looks tempting but it is the most unhealthy option to have in monsoon due to humidity in the weather. It results in increasing your body weight. So it is always advisable to avoid fried and oily food and make sure that you are determined enough to hold out against these temptations by opting for some healthy and tasty food options.
8. Healthy vegetables are the best: Include Bottle Gourd (Lauki), Bitter Gourd (Karela), Indian Squash (Tinda), Pointed Gourd (Parwal) in your diet as they are rich in dietary fiber and helps in maintaining a healthy digestive tract. Also, it keeps your tummy light.
9. Sea Food: Seafood should definitely be avoided during monsoon. The reason being, monsoon is the breeding season for fish and other forms of sea creatures. Fish contain eggs inside their bodies which when consumed can cause stomach infection or severe food poisoning.
10. No more mushrooms: As we all know mushrooms grow in the moistened areas which require proper cleaning before consumption. But in monsoon season, it is highly advisable to not having mushrooms as they become more prone to bacteria during rains.
11. Seasoning ingredients that you should include: Ingredients such as turmeric, pepper, ginger, garlic are the ones that improve the immune system and helps you to get rid of indigestion. Consumption of such ingredients can prove to be very useful in the monsoon.
Apart from such tips, it is very important to keep yourself clean and hygenic. The more you keep yourself healthy, the lesser the chances of getting an infection. The best way is to immediately head to washroom as soon as you enter the home, wash your hands thoroughly, and face as well; have a bath if possible and dry yourself completely. This will help you in preventing all kinds of bacterial infections.