Reminders and Cues for a healthy rainy season

Nutrition is not only limited to what you eat …but also concerned with how you eat…

• We are nearing monsoon season and here are some tips for enjoying the magical monsoon in a healthy manner.
• Eat hot or warm food.
• Wash your veggies and fruits thoroughly.
•  Soak and wash your greens ( spinach , methi , coriander ,etc) in warm water.
•  Avoid eating food which is cooked and kept for long hours in open or outside the refrigerator .
•  Cover you food to avoid contamination by tiny insects , flying and sitting on your delicious meals.
•  Eat lighter meals .Avoid overdose of spicy , oily or raw food. Anything in moderation is fine.
• Purify or boil the water to avoid the water borne diseases.
• Drink warm water squeezed with lemon and honey to cleanse your system early in the morning.
• Pack your tiffins properly to avoid rain droplets entering it.
• Don’t cut and keep fruits and veggies for a longer time.Chop them, at the moment you need.
• Include spices like pepper, cinnamon, turmeric , jeera ,ginger and garlic in your diet.
• Fruits like apples, pears and pomegranate are good for digestion.
•  Avoid too much of dairy, however curd or buttermilk seems to be a good option.
• Include bitter and pungent vegetables like bitter gourd and onions.
• Drink plenty of water and warm soups .
• Avoid ice-creams , ice-colas and street stall lassi or juice.
•  Clean your refrigerator shelves and compartments monthly.
•  Avoid keeping loosely –fitted jars with caps.
•  Avoid reusing the used cartons.
• Wipe the outside of the jars, bottles, vessels before you keep or store them back in its place.
•  Place everything in order.Ex food with shorter life span must be placed in front and the one with longer shelf life must be placed behind to avoid these food stuffs from being stale or waste.
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• Infections spread very fast in monsoon leading to cough and cold. By having fresh radish juice, pipli and rock salt in warm water, you can prevent and reduce mucous formation. 

• Monsoon diseases can be cured with these natural cures. 

-Turmeric: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric improves your immunity too. So include some in your food to keep that cold at bay. 

-Garlic: Add a little bit of garlic to your soups, stir fries and curries to build up your immunity this monsoon. Garlic helps you fight viral infections . 

• Stay hydrated It is extremely important to drink lots of water during the monsoons, so that your system is clean. Boil your drinking water and put chloride in it (for one litre of water put 3-4 drops of chloride) to kill the harmful micro-organisms and other impurities, which might cause diseases. You can also have herbal teas like ginger tea,jasmine tea, chamomile tea or green tea. It keeps you healthy and builds up your resistance to fight against infections. Avoid drinking too much tea ,coffee during the monsoons, as it tends to dehydrate the fluids in your body.
•  If you are having cold , cough or viral fever , boil water with dry ginger , honey , lime and tulsi leaves . 
• In case you have a sore throat or throat pain, gargle with lukewarm water with salt and turmeric added. Increase your intake of vitamin C to help build resistance against infections and diseases.

To sum it up , remember  wash , cook , steam ,roast , bake or grill and avoid raw , uncooked , semi -ripe , cold food stuffs during rainy season.Remember good digestion means good mood , which in turn leads to a productive day.

By Pooja Foria in association with Mitalee Mehta from Oomph Nutrition