The showers of monsoon provide relief from the intense heat of summer. However, it also brings some health issues that can cause harm your body. It also brings an increased risk of various allergies, digestive problems and water borne diseases. It is important to support your body with the right food and build up an impermeable immune response to various bacteria and viruses. You can do this by keeping an eye on the kinds of food you should consume and kinds of food that you must avoid.
Food To Be Consumed
- Eat Seasonal Fruits: Fruits like apple, jammun, litchi, plum, cherries are some best addition to your diet.
- Garlic: A hint of garlic here and there in your food will help in improving your immune system. Garlic help clearing up in clogged sinuses and help fight respiratory diseases.
- Bitter Is Better: Neem and bitter gourd as addition to the diet can especially help in prevention of infections.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is a rich source of probiotic. However many people do not consume yogurt thinking it could cause cold and cough. Yogurt enhances body’s resistance against infection and viruses.
- Hydration: One of the most important yet forgotten things is water. The climate is humid and most people do not feel thirsty. But we should not drop our water intake as it helps to clear the gut and also to prevent bacterial overgrowth in our digestive system. You can keep yourself hydrated with water, buttermilk or coconut water.
Food To Be Avoided
- Salt: Try to reduce the salt intake as it causes water retention and high blood pressure which may cause additional health problems.
- Avoid Spicy/ Fried Food: If you are prone to allergies, avoid spicy food as it increases body temperature. Eating too much of high calorie stuff can lead to acidity, bloating and other digestive issues.
- Avoid Street Food: Pre-cut fruits or any street food should be avoided due to microbes.
- Limit Meat: Bacteria and pathogens are at a high during monsoon as the damp conditions favor their growth and spread. Immunity falls at the lowest level. Also the meat should not be reheated because the protein –rich food get denatured or broken down when cooked.
Our Expert
Dr. Gopika Puri, is a nationally recognized registered dietitian nutritionist, healthy cooking expert, and captivating communicator inspiring millions of people to eat and live well. In addition to her nutrition expertise, She enjoys using her culinary skills to develop recipes and teach patients how to make healthful changes in their lives starting in the kitchen. She graduated from Government College of Women, Jammu with a Bachelor of Science in Home Science and completed her dietetic training at PGI, Chandigarh. Dr. Gopika Puri received a Masters of Science in nutrition & Dietetics from Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar and Ph.D. in Food & Nutrition from Punjab Agriculture University(PAU), Ludhiana.