Monsoon is here and humidity levels within the atmosphere are at its peak, which could end in poor digestion and reduced immunity. Thus, it's important to eat the proper foods to spice up your immunity and stop yourself from contracting water borne diseases like indigestion, diarrhoea, jaundice, etc., so as to stay us safe during this lockdown.
Sheryl Salis, Registered Dietician, and authorized Diabetes Educator shares five easy steps towards eating healthy along side consuming proper nutrition, so you'll enjoy the monsoon while maintaining together with your fitness goals:
Sip on warm Moringa Green Teas and Green Coffees
Nothing beats the sensation of drinking our favourite hot beverages during the monsoon. you'll switch to healthier alternatives like super food Moringa tea which may be a nutrition powerhouse, crammed with minerals and vitamins like vitamin C . Super foods like Moringa are infused with antioxidant properties that boost immunity also as help regulate the metabolism. With numerous flavors available like honey, lemon, lemon grass and mint, it can bring relief from cold and phlegm which may be a common occurrence during the monsoon.
While moringa tea satiates the tea enthusiasts, coffee lovers can try the healthier Green coffee which may be a health booster and high in antioxidants. The unroasted cousin of coffee, the healthier version is loaded with immunity boosting properties and thus has 3 times the antioxidant potential which is otherwise lost during the roasting process. It not only makes for a very healthy alternative but also tastes great.
Don't forget your dose of proteins
For the simplest of immunity during this season, it's vital to consume an honest quantity and quality of protein in our diet. 1 / 4 of your meal should include the proper protein. Nowadays, instant-ready high protein soups infused with superfoods like quinoa, amaranth and turmeric are available which are really nutritious and have up to 4x protein content v/s regular soups. it's a convenient and nourishing choice to keep you warm and active while cleansing your body of bacteria and waste products. one among the simplest things about soups is that once you are hungry within the evenings, this plays out as a really good evening snack. For people also soaked in rain water, it helps achieve instant relief since its warm base clears up phlegm within the nasal cavities and general throat area.
Besides soups you'll also include seasonal delicacies like bhutta which may be became spicy and tangy grilled corn for light snacking along side steamed muthiyas, boiled groundnuts and warm salads that are super healthy and supply instant respite to our monsoon snack cravings.
Consume select fruit, veggies and cooked foods
As our bodies find it harder to digest food during the monsoon, one should dine in moderation and eat only hungry. Practice thorough washing of fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables and cauliflower with salt or bicarbonate of soda . One also can choose non-leafy vegetables like snake gourd (pawal), calabash (dudhi), apple gourd (tinda), bitter gourd (karela), cluster beans, French beans, etc. in their diet. However, avoid uncooked food, raw salads and sprouts. Steam those veggies and sprouts well before consuming them to avoid contracting water borne illnesses. Seasonal fruit like mangoes, bananas, apples, litchis, cherries and pomegranates should be eaten because the non-seasonal ones could also be infested with disease inducing worms.
Maintain your salt and water levels
Salt is one among the ingredients that complete our food along side adding a touch of edge to our fancy dishes, but more than it causes water retention and bloating within the body especially in monsoon. Thus, avoid excess salt in your diet while also going slow on pickles, papads, chutneys, especially packaged and canned foods. Maintain your hydration and proper flushing out of the toxins by drinking adequate amounts of boiled and filtered water within 24 hours.
Revisit those 'Dadi ke nuskhe' monsoon home remedies
Every household has their own version of home remedies to cure cold , indigestion, etc. that are passed down from generation to generation. Home remedies like 'kadhas' and other traditional tonics are often consumed regularly to always stay your A-game. Concoctions prepared out of ingredients like virgin copra oil (10 ml), garlic (2-3 freshly chopped cloves), fennel (2-3 teaspoons), ginger (1-2 inch), cloves (3 -4), cumin seeds (2-3 teaspoons), and turmeric (4 pinches) are often consumed frequently since they're anti-viral in nature that help in boosting our body's system functioning.