Healthy Food Items For Monsoons: What to Include in Your Diet During Rainy Season in India

Monsoons have officially arrived in India and so have the diseases to spoil the pleasing moments of the rain. We need to be extra cautious to avoid non-desirable health conditions like cough, cold, diarrhoea and flu. Many people fall ill during this season and one of the primary contributing factor is the food items we eat. The gloomy and cool weather tempt us to eat hot pakodas and other junk food accompanied with a hot cup of tea. While it is hard to resist the temptation, there are certain foods we must avoid at all costs if one wants to enjoy the weather thoroughly. Below we help you guide what to eat during monsoons and to have a healthy and joyful rainy season.

Foods to Eat During Monsoons

1. Soups: Consuming warm home-made soups or dal soup during monsoons can reduce inflammation and help fight infection. Adding spices like turmeric, clove, black pepper and saunf can boost immunity and aid digestion. A bowl of piping hot soup can come in handy as it keeps your body hydrated and can also be a good source of protein. Soups may also help to de-clog nasal passages and promote increased secretions which helps in flushing out bacteria and viruses.

2. Fruits: Fruits are rich in nutrients and keeps diseases at bay. Fruits to include in your diet are pears, apples and pomegranates. Pears are a good source of fibre and contains copper, vitamin c and vitamin B12. It also helps in cooling the body and thereby easing the fever during rains. Apples make sure that your digestive system is functioning properly. Pomegranates help in pepping up the immunity and helps in combating the various illnesses. Make sure that all fruits are washed and cleaned with warm water to remove all types of bacteria and microbes.

3. Spices: Black pepper and turmeric are must-have spices to be included in your diet. Black pepper is a natural antidote for fever, cough, cold, muscular pain and various respiratory conditions and is a must include rainy season food. On the other hand, turmeric is a spice that has been long vouched as an immunity boosting, natural antiseptic and antibiotic agent too. Turmeric is also known to keep the levels of blood sugar under control. To make a healthy monsoon drink, mix half a teaspoon of ground black pepper powder with equal quantities of turmeric powder and two teaspoons honey to milk.

4. Ginger & Garlic: Packed with anti-oxidants, garlic is rich with immunity boosting properties and help ease your digestive system while ensuring that your metabolic rate does not slow down. Garlic can be added to any food of your choice and can also be enjoyed in a hot bowl of soup. On the other hand, ginger tea is the first thing that comes to one’s mind when we think about rain. Ginger also verves up your mood and at the same time boosts your metabolism. For a daily dose of immunity boosting supplement, grate some fresh ginger into warm water and squeeze in a lemon.

5. Honey: It has high content of antimicrobial compounds and has potent antibacterial effects. Honey also helps to stimulate the immune system. Substitute sugar with honey in your herbal teas or have it with your breakfast cereal. Including honey in your diet is an easy way to avoid bacterial infections this season.

To keep diseases and infections at bay, it is imperative to eat right. Wash all the fruits and vegetable thoroughly before consuming them. It is advisable to boil water especially for children as their immune system is comparatively lower than that of adults. All one needs to do is to take small precautionary steps to enjoy the wonderful weather. If you do crave for junk food, prepare fresh at home. Happy and healthy monsoons to one and all!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2018 11:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).