8 health and diet tips for a healthy and sickness free monsoon season

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Monsoon season is that time of the year when we are tempted to binge on piping-hot pakodas, chaat, samosas, bhajjiyas and much more. The street food may taste delicious and look attractive, but the chances of it being contaminated are much more. Your body becomes more susceptible to certain health risks, as the immune system becomes weaker. Monsoon also brings along with it an array of diseases and infections that may take a toll on your body and overall health. Most of which depends on the kind of foods that you consume during the rainy season. Eating wrong foods may result in diseases like dengue, malaria, typhoid, viral fever, jaundice, and leptospirosis. So, if you are confused about which foods to pick and which to avoid, worry not as we list down a few monsoon health and diet tips to ensure that you do not get sick and enjoy it more.

Here are a few monsoon health and diet tips that you should always keep in mind:

• Consume more fruits during the rainy season as they help to build the body's immune system and restore energy. Apple, pomegranates, mangoes, and pears are some of the best fruits you could eat. Try avoiding watermelons and muskmelons as they can lead to digestive problems.
• Its always best advised to carry a bottle of water or your own drinking water wherever you go. Make sure that you build a habit on not depending on other sources to drink water as they may not be safe. Do not eat ice from outside and avoid drinking beverages like juices, buttermilk, etc from roadside vendors.
• Swipe your cup of morning tea with milk, sugar, and cream with herbal teas. Chamomile tea, green tea, or even ginger or lemon tea are great options to opt for during monsoons. These teas help to improve digestion and also boost immunity. Along with herbal tea, drink lots and lots of water as it helps to flush out toxins from your system. Drinking water also helps to boost the digestive system.
• Wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly as soon as you bring them home from the market. You can even boil veggies such as green leafy vegetables as they are said to be the bearers of bacteria. Avoid buying fruits and vegetables that are pre-cut. As vegetables which are cut and kept in the open for a long time can easily catch bacteria and germs. Make sure they are cooked well before you consume them.
• Make sure you wash your hands frequently and carry a sanitiser with you always. Your hands are the biggest infection carriers. Most diseases and illnesses spread easily due to poor hand hygiene. Sanitisers that include natural ingredients such as neem, coriander, lemon, and other natural products are your best bets as they are not harsh on the skin. Hand sanitisers will help to keep your hands clean and germ-free as well.
• Rainy season brings with it a lot of infections. So, it's best to keep a check on any early symptom that occurs to ensure that you do not fall sick. If you experience symptoms such as a cough, cold, or fever then its best to meet your doctor and seek medical attention immediately.
• Make sure that you engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity or exercise every day. Yoga, walking, jogging, or indoor gymming; do whatever you like but make sure that you sweat out the extra moisture and potentially harmful bacteria.
• Personal hygiene during the rainy season is a must. If you get home drenched, get rid of the wet clothes immediately as keeping them on will increase the chances of catching a cold. Add disinfectants such as Dettol, Savlon, or Betadine to wash your hands, feet, and legs; as they help to keep germs and bacteria away and also to keep your skin clean and healthy.

Seafood: Monsoon is considered as the breeding season for sickness and diseases. So its best to avoid eating fish at least this time of the year. Instead, opt for chicken and mutton to satiate your cravings if you are a non-vegetarian foodie.

Fried foods: Fried foods are complete 'No' during the rainy season. While we all crave for fried foods during the rainy season, there is a reason we must stop. The highly humid weather during this season causes our digestion process to slow down and fried snacks, as it is, takes a lot of time to digest. Consuming fried foods can cause bloating, gas or acidity. These foods also contain a lot of sodium, which can cause water retention.

Fizzy drinks: Fizzy drinks are known to reduce minerals in our body, which leads to the reduction of enzyme activity. A weak enzyme activity is undesirable when your digestive system is at an all-time low during the monsoon season. Keep a bottle of water or lemon water whenever you feel like drinking any soft beverage. Avoid drinking beverages, juices, and dairy products like milk as they take time to digest and are heavy on your system.

Leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables may be superfoods, but should be avoided during monsoon. The dampness present in them makes them highly susceptible to bacteria and germs. Avoid leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, cabbage etc and use organic foods like cucumbers, oranges, mangoes, tomatoes for the daily required nutrition.

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