How to stay healthy this monsoon season?

 

After the scorching heat of summers, the monsoon is finally here, the most awaited season of the year. However, the monsoon also brings its share of troubles with the change in temperature. Poor digestion, cough, flu, cold, etc., are the common health problems during monsoon. Moreover, monsoon often accompanies by increased mosquitoes and flies, which can cause diseases like Malaria, Dengue, Cholera, Jaundice, Dysentery Typhoid, Leptospirosis, and to list a few. Therefore, it is important to take care of health and hygiene in monsoon. And with the world already fighting a global health crisis, it becomes a priority to take care of our health all the more. 

 

Therefore, RateYourTreatment.com brings you the healthy tips during monsoon: 

 

• Always try to eat easy-to-digest seasonal food. Wash fruits and vegetables properly after bringing them home and then eat and cook them. Moreover, it is advised to use creeper vegetables rather than green leafy veggies during the monsoon season. You can also include seasonal grains like ragi, barley, sorghum, rajgeera, kuttu in your daily diet in the form of Chapattis, bread, cereals, etc. Avoid refined flours which are accessible throughout the year and reduce your immunity. Avoid refrigerated foods. Oils like sesame, peanut, and mustard can induce infections, thus always prefer to use a light oil or corn oil. 

 

• As monsoon brings many impurities that might affect your gut health, it is essential to drink clean and fresh water and hydrate yourself regularly. You can also have infused drinks like tulsi-infused water, peppermint water, curry leaves the water, lemon water to hydrate and clean your gut. Plus, binge on herbal tea or homemade spiced tea (kadha), including zeera tea, ajwain tea, mint tea, lemon ginger water to prevent cough and cold. 

 

• To eliminate throat infection, gargle with warm water, adding a pinch of sea salt and turmeric every morning. Also, include khichdi (a dish made of rice and lentils) in your diet for better assimilation. It is also required to relax your liver by having light meals once a week. Use sautéd, steamed, boiled, or baked salads than raw to improve digestion. 

 

• It is better to avoid refined sugar as it may cause inflammation and promote the growth of harmful bacteria, further upsetting the gut flora balance. 

 

• Experts always advise avoiding street foods and cut fruits from outside, especially during the monsoon. Also, prevent fruit litchi in monsoons ad eat fresh and washed mangoes. You can also binge on and enjoy roasted bhutta (corn) or boiled with lemon and salt. However, avoid high salt, watery fruits, excess lemon, and tamarind during monsoons as these can cause water retention. 

 

• Try to keep mosquitoes and flies at bay that are first to come on the arrival of monsoon, even if there is a pool of fresh water. Use mosquito nets and mosquito net shields to the windows and doors instead of mosquito coils while sleeping. Apply mosquito repellent creams and do not expose skin as much as possible. In addition, avoid animal fat during monsoons as there are chances of harmful bacteria. 

 

• One of the primary responsibilities is that you should keep your house and surroundings clean and pest-free and check out for any clogging or leakage. In addition, keep observing stagnant water through the water coolers, flower pots, and other places and clean them regularly. This may prevent mosquitoes from breeding and protect you from mosquito-borne diseases. Further, do not allow rainwater to pool on surfaces or containers, especially surfaces underneath the tank outlets and surroundings, to avoid becoming a breeding site. This is because most of the mosquitoes stay very close to where they hatch and breed. 

 

• When it comes to skincare, skin mostly remains oily due to the humid weather. Therefore, you should wash your face twice a day and hydrate it appropriately with non-greasy natural products like aloe vera gel + vitamin E (capsule) added to it. 

 

• You should not skip your workout even if it is raining outside. Instead, do indoor activities, including yoga, breathing exercises, Pilates, or free-hand exercises to stay fit and healthy. Do breathing exercises daily for a cleaner respiratory tract. 

 

• During the rainy season, Typhoid and Hepatitis A outbreaks are prevalent diseases. There are several ways to help prevent and control these diseases like: 

1. Safe drinking water 

1. Improved sanitation 

1. Adequate medical care 

However, these measures may not be practical to achieve every time, so vaccinating high-risk populations is the best to control these diseases. Experts recommend getting vaccinated if you are accommodating or traveling to areas where the risk of typhoid fever and Hepatitis A is high. 

 

• If you get drenched in the rain, take a warm and freshwater bath to disinfect your body. It is because skin and fungal infections are quite common during this season. So, choose a herbal shower gel that can keep you infection-free. 

 

• Avoid wet walls as they are the breeding ground for fungus and can cause allergies. Moreover, if you are asthmatic, it can trigger asthma. Also, avoid going near a wet wall. 

 

Say No-No to these! 

 

• Strict no to roadside food or meals prepared with low hygiene. 

• Too much salt can cause fluid retention and uneasiness in the stomach. 

• Too much intake of caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee. 

• Eating seafood during the rainy season. 

• A high content of fats, specifically saturated and trans fats. 

 

Remember! The weather and environment can influence your food choices, so make monsoon a better experience with these monsoon safety tips.