When the weather switches from hot summers to rejuvenating monsoons, your body requires you to make a little switch in your diet as well. During monsoons, your metabolism slows down and you may experience a loss in appetite. The body needs a diet change to acclimatize to the alternating sun and rain.
To keep up with this bittersweet weather, here is a list of seven food types you can gradually adapt -
Fluids and herbal decoctions:
Rains can bring over mild infections like cold and cough, and severe ones like dengue or malaria. To keep your immunity strong during this weather you can consume herbal concoctions prepared from medicinal herbs and spices like holy basil, ginger, cloves, pepper, cumin, cardamom, and fennel, among others. You can also add warm soup and dal to your diet. These foods hydrate your body and keep your immune system strong.
Ginger and garlic:
Ginger enjoys the reputation of being the best buddy for tea, and garlic punches flavour to all kinds of food. Both these ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties and help build the immune system. They also aid in digestion and are effective against microbes and fungus. You can use them in a wide variety of food preparations.
Turmeric:
Turmeric contains a component called curcumin. Curcumin enables your body to fight against inflammation and has antioxidant, antimalarial, and antimicrobial properties. Being a regular condiment in Indian households, turmeric is used in many food preparations. It can also be consumed as a concoction, with milk or honey.
Moong beans:
Moong beans are evergreen. They are nutritionally balanced; abundant in vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Moong beans aid your digestive health, maintain blood glucose levels and preserve heart health. It should be consumed in the form of dal, soup, dosa, or pancakes.
Honey:
Often referred to as liquid gold, honey assist in antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. During rains, it combats cold, cough, and sore throat. It builds your immunity and keeps bacterial infections at bay. It also keeps your digestion healthy. Honey can be consumed raw, as a herbal concoction, as tea, or with lukewarm water.
Flour:
High fibre flours can be obtained from banana, ragi, Indian corn, barley, and rajgeera (amaranth). Wheat and rice, however, can be consumed throughout the year. These flours are rich in soluble and insoluble fibres and improve gut health, improve immunity, and aid nutrient absorption. The soluble fibres are beneficial for digestion and the insoluble fibre aids in bowel health.
Fruits and Vegetables:
This monsoon, choose seasonal fruits like plums, cherries, jamun, pomegranate, bananas, and oranges. It is best to avoid summer fruits like mangoes and watermelons, even though you may still find them in the market. For vegetables, refrain from eating leafy vegetables. Instead, add creepers like gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers; suran (yam), sweet potatoes, lingdi (Indian fiddlehead fern), and beans to your diet. They aid in gut health and improve immunity.
