Healthy and safe monsoon
You might wonder what precautions to take during the monsoon season. We need to be careful about the food we eat and the water we drink. During this season digestion is weakened. Following these does and don'ts will help us enjoy the rains without worrying about diseases:
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, particularly leafy vegetables and cauliflower, which not only contain larvae and worms, but also collect dirt from the streets.
- Eat in moderation as the body finds it harder to digest food during the monsoon.
- Drink warm beverages; add mint or ginger or dry ginger powder to tea.
- Moong dal is easy to digest and should be the dal of choice for the season.
- Garlic, pepper, ginger, asafoetida (hing), jeera powder, turmeric and coriander help enhance digestion and improve immunity.
- Non-vegetarians should go in for lighter meat preparations like soups and stews rather than heavy curries.
- Stick to freshly cooked food, but if you prefer to store cooked food in the fridge, heat it before eating.
- Drink only boiled and filtered water, and make sure that it is consumed within 24 hours of boiling.
The grub for the season
During the rains if you eat when you are not hungry, it is an invitation to indigestion and illnesses such as jaundice. Vegetables recommended during the rains are the non-leafy ones such as -- snake gourd (turi), gourd (dudhi), pointed gourd (parwal), yam (suran), cluster beans (gavaar), apple gourd (tinda) and bitter gourd (karela). It is better to stick to seasonal fruits because non-seasonal ones tend to get infested with worms during the monsoons. Among fruits, stick to pomegranates, mangoes, bananas, apples, litchees and cherries.
The diseases of the season
Malaria and jaundice are common due to stagnant water and contaminated food. Use mosquito repellants, creams and nets if you live in mosquito prone areas or places with stagnant water. Wash vegetables with clean water and steam them well to kill germs. Avoid eating uncooked food and salads unless they are organic and cleaned well. Do not allow your children to play in puddles. Dry your feet with a soft, dry cloth whenever they get wet.
Safety first
Avoid eating chaats, fried items such as pakoras, precut fruits and juices from roadside vendors. When eating out, choose restaurants that conform to basic standards of quality and hygiene, in order to avoid contracting serious infections such as viral fever, diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases.
Monsoon checklist
Here are some monsoon checks for your body and mind:
- Avoid getting drenched in the rain. Do not leave your wet clothes and footwear on for long. Change and dry yourself.
- Drink boiled and filtered water.
- Be careful about what you eat. Avoid eating roadside and junk food; instead eat nutritious home–cooked food. Cover food to prevent it from getting infected by flies, which are germ carriers. Keep your kitchen clean.
- Hot broths, soups and hot herbal tea can be soothing.
- Take care of your skin and feet. If you have cuts and bruises do not walk around barefooted.
- Diabetics need to take special care during this season.
- Beware of respiratory tract infections in children.
- Individuals having asthma should be careful of asthma triggers.
- Take care of hygiene and sanitation; do not allow water to accumulate around your home. Use protective measures to keep mosquitoes at bay and keep your surroundings clean.
- Hair care problems like stickiness and dandruff, which leads to hair falling, can be controlled by using shampoo and conditioner.
- Continue with your regular exercise or yoga.
Remember prevention is better than cure. Enjoy the monsoon season with your family and friends and keep all ailments at bay.
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