Get Ready, Monsoon is around the corner

After the scorching heat in summer we long for the monsoon to arrive! But the rains also bring along with a cluster of infections, which can lead to food poisoning, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, hepatitis A and E. People with an already compromised immunity such as the elderly, diabetic and those with hypertension are more prone to catching these infections. Therefore, it is extremely essential to take care of the food we eat and the water we drink. 

Don’t we feel like going out in the rains and eating something hot while it’s pouring!

Following is the list of some of the foods you can choose to satisfy your taste buds during monsoon.

Beverages: Rasam, vegetable or dal soups, hot mild coffee, tea or masala milk, lemon ginger tea and green tea (best enjoyed without milk.)

Food: Butta, idli / dosa with sambhar, jowar/ bajra/ nachni roti served with well cooked vegetable of your choice and how I can keep you away from the piping hot bajiya and wada pav (whole wheat pav, to be STRICTLY enjoyed in moderation preferably at home)

You can take following precautions for a healthy monsoon!

At home

Wash vegetables thoroughly before cooking them especially leafy vegetables like coriander, methi, mint, cauliflower which may not only contain larvae and worms but also dirt from the streets. If possible, opt for non-leafy vegetables e.g turi, tinda, parwal, gavar, karela, dudhi etc.

Wash fruits before cutting and eating. Go for seasonal fruits, as they are less likely to be infested as compared to other fruits. You can choose from variety of exotic fruits like peaches, litches, cherries and jamuns.

Chicken, fish and eggs should be cooked to a well-done stage.

Have you ever thought why certain fruits grow only during certain times of the year? Apart from their peculiar needs of the temperature and weather they are also properly packaged by the nature to survive various external factors during that season to keep them free from insects and germs. After all the ‘mother nature’ does not want you to have anything less than pure. So go ahead and indulge in theseasonal fruits.

Drink as much water as you can at regular intervals rather than waiting till you become thirsty. The sign of thirst indicates that you are already dehydrated. During monsoon due to high humidity levels and cooler temperatures, sweat does not evaporate easily form our body. This interferes with body’s ability to release heat and you may not feel the desperate need to have water like in the summers. That does not mean your body does not need water. So remember to have water at regular intervals in monsoons even when you do not feel really thirsty.

Pasteurized and boiled milk should be preferred.

While eating outside…

During monsoon, bacteria easily breeds on cold foods due to high moisture content in air. Also in India most of our vegetable markets are on roadside with no proper storage facilities for the vegetables. Cars and people splash dirty water from puddles onto the vegetables of roadside vendors.

Caterers, restaurants and especially roadside food stalls may not wash them properly before using them. Therefore avoid eating the street-side foods like fruits slices, cold cut sandwiches and foods that have been cooked and stored for hours before they are dished out to you. Also avoid eating raw salads at parties and gatherings that have been kept in open for long. Have light and freshly cooked home meals or at hygienic places outside.

Exercise The cool weather outside during monsoon may derail your early morning exercise plans or it might be pouring when you are planning an evening walk. You can do the following to beat the lazy and relaxing weather to keep your fitness regime on track: Take your buddy along with you to gym. See to it that none of you drop out. Pick up an indoor activity like badminton or squash. Go to the beach for jogging. An early morning jog by the choppy sea under the cloudy skies is an experience worth getting up early for. The best thing to do might be for you and your friends to have a nice game of cricket or soccer on the beach. Nothing can beat a good game with your old buddies! Don’t forget to warm up and cool down before and after your exercise especially when the weather is cool like during the monsoon.