By: Shraddha Thakur
Monsoon Do’s & Don’ts For Good Health
Monsoon is a beautiful season that makes nature bloom, brings relief from the scorching summer heat, and makes you open the window to enjoy fresh breezes. But, like most things in life, this beautiful seasonal change comes at a cost.
This cost comes in the form of an increased risk of infections and diseases. Drops in temperature make people prone to infectious diseases, and the added risk of water contamination becomes a prime enabler for waterborne diseases.
It’s important to know the various rainy season problems and precautions in order to stay Monsoon safe. Thankfully, some simple diet tweaks and lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Let’s get started!
Monsoon Do’s for Good Health
1. Be Light on Your Digestive System
Our digestive system gets slow during Monsoon season, so make sure to take it easy on it. Add Indian spices like mustard, asafoetida, coriander, fenugreek, cloves, pepper, and cinnamon while cooking food, as they improve digestion.
2. Enrich Your Diet with Immunity Boosting Food
Monsoon is the perfect time to make the most of nature’s wondrous basket. Food like ginger, garlic, black pepper, turmeric, basil leaves and honey are wonderful natural immunity boosters, so make sure to include them in your diet.
3. Eat Food to Better Fight Infections
The better your body can fight infections, the easier it will be for it to keep Monsoon health issues at bay. Some natural foods full of antibacterial properties that help fight infections better are:
- Honey: A natural antimicrobial that can kill germs.
- Turmeric: A wonderful spice loaded with medicinal properties that’s a natural antiseptic and antibacterial that not only heals cuts and wounds but also keeps the internal system clean. This natural immunity booster will not let your body fall prey to Monsoon infections.
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil can deactivate several types of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses. Either applied topically or used for cooking, it can also combat both skin and internal infections.
- Garlic: Garlic is best acclaimed for its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. It has allicin, which fights a wide range of bacteria, but the cooking process may destroy it. As such, it’s better to have garlic in its raw form.
- Berries: Tasty and tiny berries are full of antioxidants and antibacterial properties; raspberries and blueberries are among the best to fight infections.
- Pineapple: What’s better than having fresh pineapple juice to say goodbye to infections? Fresh pineapple juice has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties because of an enzyme called bromelain that can fight infections and colds, improves digestion and relaxes muscles.
4. Maintain Good Hygiene
The moisture-filled monsoon air provides ideal conditions for germs to multiply, and stagnant waters further serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Maintaining good hygiene is of utmost importance, and one of the most basic things to do is washing the hands more often. Apart from that, keep an eye out for mosquitoes!
5. Regular Exercise
Physical activity flushes out bacteria, makes the body strong and improves blood circulation and the body’s ability to fight infections.
Monsoon Don’ts for Good Health
1. Avoid Heavy Foods
Hot and humid weather slows down digestion, and eating heavy foods can act as a major reason for uneasy stomachs, bloating or excess gas.
2. Avoid Eating Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are exposed to water and mud in the Monsoon season. This, paired with a lack of sunlight, makes them the best place for germs to develop.
3. Avoid Having Roadside Food
Roadside food is prepared in unhygienic situations. They care little about washing hands, water contamination, etc., so it’s better to avoid them if water is used during the preparation.
4. Avoid Tap Water
Water intake should be high in humid conditions, as our body sweats more. But, intake of contaminated water is the primary source of germ spreading throughout the body. Therefore, drink a lot of filtered or boiled water.
5. Avoid Fizzy Drinks
Though fizzy drinks are not good in any season, in Monsoon they can make digestion even worse.
6. Avoid Water Stagnation
Clean surroundings are of utmost importance during Monsoon season. Don’t let water get accumulated anywhere in your surrounding area, and don’t come into contact with dirty water.
Final Thoughts
Enjoy the beauty of Monsoon season and pair it with good health by following these simple do’s and don’ts to stay Monsoon safe. Until then, keep enjoying the beautiful weather!