Folks, monsoon health care deserves a special place in our lives! Why do I say so? Well, because the season of romantic drives, hot pakodas and chai, and a soul-fulfilling rain dance—comes with a host of complications. For starters, the humidity can lead to discomfort and even dehydration from excessive sweating. It can also cause a steep rise in the spread of microbe-borne infections and diseases like flu and leptospirosis. Because guess what? Bacteria and viruses love the monsoon season just as much as we do. Additionally, rains create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which in turn can lead to malaria and dengue!
Monsoon Health Tips
Naturally, you need that extra layer of protection to keep yourself from falling prey to these monsoon adversities. There, there, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 monsoon health tips to help you enjoy the rains while staying in the pink of health. Take note:
1. Stay hydrated
One of the most important monsoon health tips is to stay hydrated. The humidity can get the better of you and make you sweat like there’s no tomorrow. So up your intake of water and healthy liquids like coconut water to make sure you compensate for the water loss through sweat. However, remember to stick to potable liquids in order to protect yourself from water-borne diseases like typhoid and jaundice. Having boiled or mineral water while on the go can really spare you the horror and keep you safe.
2. Ditch the salads
The cardinal rule of monsoon health care is to stick to cooked foods. Raw vegetables may contain microbes and give you an infection. Additionally, avoid cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and broccoli and leafy ones like spinach and lettuce as they may contain worms during the monsoon season. Instead, have hot, healthy, home-cooked meals for the win.
3. Eat right
The dehydration and the need for that extra dose of immunity calls for a healthy, well-balanced diet during this season. So as a part of your monsoon health care, make sure to incorporate whole foods instead of refined, packaged, or processed meals and junk food. Your diet must be a mix of whole grains like jowar, ragi, and whole wheat, pulses, and protein from cottage cheese and/orwell-cooked chicken.
4. Focus on immunity-boosting foods
Fruits such as berries and oranges are rich in vitamin C and can boost your immunity like no other. Apples are yet another immunity-boosting fruit that can keep diseases and infections at bay. Additionally, nuts and seeds rich in good fats can seal the monsoon health care deal and keep you feeling energetic and healthy through the season. Immunity-boosting teas and kadhas like ginger-garlic tea, turmeric shots, and green tea can help flush out toxins from the body and boost your immunity too.
5. Keep your gut happy
A healthy gut is the key to good health during any and every season. But you’ve got to take care of it even more during monsoon. Foods like yogurt and fermented dishes like idli and dosa can keep the good-bacteria count up in the gut and help you stay healthy. Folks, make a special note of this monsoon health tip as it can save you from stomach infections and dangerous flus.
6. Avoid getting drenched
Here’s rolling out a monsoon health tip that might just ruin your rain-dancing dreams. While you may feel tempted to walk or dance in the rain, getting drenched can worsen the situation. The pollutants, germs, and dirt in the water can make you particularly prone to infections. Worse still, you may catch a cold from getting wet. So it’s better to overcome the temptation and stick to enjoying the scenery instead of getting drenched. If you do get wet though, make sure to have a quick warm shower, change into fresh, dry clothes, and sip on some hot tea or coffee immediately.
7. Use mosquito and insect repellents
Like we mentioned earlier, the humid environment is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects. So in order to save yourself from dengue, malaria, and dangerous insect bites, make sure to use mosquito and insect repellents in the house. There are a host of mosquito-repelling patches, sprays, and creams in the market that you can count on for maintaining good monsoon health care for yourself and your fam.
8. Don’t indulge in street food
The sight of those spicy golgappas and hot pakodas on the roadside might make you want to indulge. But having street food during this season can negate the benefits of the other monsoon healthcare practices. Thanks to the dubious hygiene of street food, it can cause stomach infections, typhoid, and jaundice. So as a rule of thumb, stick to healthy, home-cooked meals. Make yourself a pizza or papdi chaat at home if the cravings are too strong.
9. Say no to seafood
Seafood like fish and prawns may be a very healthy source of protein and fat, but during the monsoon season—it can get contaminated by the rainwater and lead to infections and diseases. So instead of seafood, you can get your protein dose from well-cooked chicken, pulses, and cottage cheese.
10. Iron your clothes
The clothes on your drying stand may get wet or simply may not dry up properly due to the humidity. So always iron your clothes well before wearing them to kill any bacteria or germs on them. Following this monsoon health tip can save you from infections and diseases.
With these super-effective monsoon health tips, we’re sure you’ll be able to enjoy the season without falling sick. Happy monsoon, y’all!