Every change in weather brings its own set of challenges and the monsoons are no different. The season is especially known for its digestive concerns that arise as a result of compromised immunity. That apart, the season is also ridden with issues related to your hair like dandruff and hair fall, and dullness of skin. But, don’t worry, there are enough natural solutions to counter these challenges. And these come in the form of a healthy daily diet and other lifestyle changes.
The Channel 46 has collaborated with Dr Anjali Kumar, MBBS, MD & Former CEO at Just Diabetes, who advises you on the essential food sources and lifestyle changes essential during the monsoons.
9 Essential Foods For The Monsoon
1. Turmeric Milk
The time-tested turmeric milk has a special place in the Indian tradition. Turmeric, the wonder ingredient that is readily found in every kitchen, is renowned for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a great friend of your immune system, driving away infections. So don’t miss out on drinking a glass full of turmeric milk before you go to bed every night. Especially during monsoons.
2. Probiotics
They specialise in warding off bad bacteria developing in your bodies – ones that are responsible for causing various diseases.
Probiotics refer to good bacteria that form in the intestinal tract or the gut. They specialise in warding off bad bacteria developing in your bodies – ones that are responsible for causing various diseases. So make sure to include enough probiotics like yoghurt, pickled veggies, and buttermilk in your daily diet during this time of the year.
Read: 8 Foods To Improve Gut Health, According To Nutritionist Dr Anjali Kumar
3. Sprouts
These are known for boosting your immune system, thus, enabling you to fight harmful germs.
Enriched with protein, you should include sprouts in your daily diet throughout the day – as a part of your meals and as a snack. Just experiment with the vegetables and other ingredients that you are throwing in with the sprouts to avoid the repetition. These are known for boosting your immune system, thus, enabling you to fight harmful germs. Sprouts are beneficial throughout the year, but its importance grows even further during the rainy season.
4. Soup
…it is easily digestible, saving you the digestive problems that people are often susceptible to during this season.
A bowl of hot, steaming soup is exactly what you need to pack in the nutrition that you need during the monsoons. Not just that, it is easily digestible, saving you the digestive problems that people are often susceptible to during this season. Garnish the soul with pepper, ginger, and garlic to add to your health benefits. A bowl of hot vegetable or chicken soup also hydrates you thoroughly and kills your hunger in a healthy way, keeping you energised throughout the day.
5. Herbal Tea With Honey
Yet another immunity booster, sipping on herbal tea like ginger tea and tulsi tea every now and then throughout the day is essential to beat the cold and flu, which are typical to this wet season.
Yet another immunity booster, sipping on herbal tea like ginger tea and tulsi tea every now and then throughout the day is essential to beat the cold and flu, which are typical to this wet season. Skip the sugar and opt for natural forms of sugar like honey that are powered with anti-bacterial properties that are again of great help to your body during this season.
Read: 7 Food Sources For Endometriosis Diet, According To Dr Anjali Kumar
6. Vitamin C-Rich Fruits
These fruits like berries, pears, litchis, and peaches are laden with antioxidants that are not only great for boosting your body’s immunity but also give you a radiant, wrinkle-free skin.
This cannot be emphasised on enough. However, the importance of the intake of fruits rich in vitamin C isn’t restricted to the monsoons, although their benefits grow multifold during this season. These fruits like berries, pears, litchis, and peaches are laden with antioxidants that are not only great for boosting your body’s immunity but also give you a radiant, wrinkle-free skin.
7. Dry Fruits & Nuts
Nutritionists recommend including a handful of dates and dry fruits like walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts every day all round the year. But this is especially more beneficial during the monsoons. Empowered with niacin and riboflavin, they help in enhancing your immunity. What’s more, they are a great food source for your cells and also a beneficial antioxidant.
8. Veggies From The Gourd Family
Apart from boosting immunity, these help in keeping infections at bay and power the health of your skin.
Vegetables like bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pumpkin, zucchini, and others from the gourd family are powerful sources of antioxidants and other essential nutrients. Apart from boosting immunity, these help in keeping infections at bay and power the health of your skin.
9. Coloured Fruits
They reduce the greasiness of your skin, controls acne, and leaves your skin looking healthy.
Not just your body, your skin also needs extra TLC during the monsoon to save it from dullness. And bright coloured fresh fruits like banana, apple, pomegranate, mango, and berries help you with exactly that. They reduce the greasiness of your skin, controls acne, and leaves your skin looking healthy.
3 Lifestyle Changes For The Monsoon
1. Changes To Arrest Hair Fall
…include protein-rich eggs, omega 3-rich fish, methi dana (fenugreek seeds) that are powered with vitamin E, and berries and spinach that are laden with iron.
Hair fall is one of your worst nightmares and it only increases during the rainy season. The increasing humidity during monsoon is the reason behind your increased hair fall. This also manifests in the form of dandruff and an excessively oily scalp. Toh karein toh kya? There are some ingredients jo aapka madad kar sakte hai. These include protein-rich eggs, omega 3-rich fish, methi dana (fenugreek seeds) that are powered with vitamin E, and berries and spinach that are laden with iron.
2. Eat The Right Foods
…it is essential to incorporate foods that are not only easily digestible but also boost your immunity.
During monsoons, digestive issues are commonplace, as mentioned earlier in the article. To top that, diarrhoea, water-borne diseases, and jaundice are also usually on the rise. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate foods that are not only easily digestible but also boost your immunity.
3. Follow A Daily Fitness Routine
Ensure to follow a regular fitness routine to get your digestive juices flowing and also improve your immunity.
Ensure to follow a regular fitness routine to get your digestive juices flowing and also improve your immunity. Choose a fitness form that catches your fancy – one you know you would be able to sustain over the long-term. It can be anything like yoga, brisk walking, running, aerobics, weight training at home or at the gym, a dance form. If you still lose interest while pursuing one fitness form, try alternating between two or more options to hold your interest.
Health problems during the rainy season can be overcome easily provided you include a few essential food sources as listed above. It is also necessary to incorporate a few other lifestyle changes for maintaining your overall health. So get started right now and welcome a healthy version of yourself. Here’s the complete list of monsoon fruits and vegetables you should consider buying this rainy season.
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