Monsoon cravings are a thing! Choose the right food to eat this season.
Chai and pakora! Match made in monsoon heaven! While snacking away when it gets cosy and rainy seems to be a great idea, take a moment to pay attention to what you are eating. While rains give you instant respite from the scorching heat, it brings with it a string of ailments you have to be aware of. Chandni Shetty, Bangalore-based Nutritionist rightly says, “It is important to be aware of what kind of food is to be eaten during monsoons, in order to maintain a well-balanced diet for optimal health.”
We at Man’s Life want you to be on top of your health game and so here are our six foods to avoid this rainy season!
Oh, the irony of the situation! We have been told to have green leafy vegetables all our lives and here we are telling you to avoid them! Well, there is a very good reason for it. The humidity along with the grit on the leafy vegetables make it an active site for germ breeding. Say no to vegetables like cabbage, spinach or even cauliflower and broccoli this season. Salads with leaves can be avoided and replaced with other fibre alternatives. Always wash your veggies well with water before consuming them.
While guzzling down a coke may not seem like a bad idea, it does impact your health negatively. They reduce the mineral levels in your body, affecting your enzyme productions and making your digestive system weak. If you do want to quench your thirst, keep a bottle of water handy or even nimbu paani. A good way of boosting your health is to sip on ginger tea that is loaded with antioxidants, which makes your gut stronger!
This nutritious meat substitute is loved by all. During the monsoon though you should give it a hard pass. This fungi grows in the soil making it susceptible to insects and bacterial growth. Unless washed properly, mushrooms are best avoided. You do not want a runny tummy, do you? That’s a hard NO!
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the fried snacks you crave when it comes pouring, it’s also on this must-skip list! Monsoon slows down the rate at which our digestive system works. All that oil from the lovely monsoon platter of samosas and kachoris only just causes bloating and digestive problems. Worry not, you get to still enjoy your piping hot tea with a snack—just air-fry or bake them! No oil = no tummy troubles!
Like we mentioned before, our digestive system is very sensitive during the wet months. Drinking unpasteurised milk that contains bacteria might make your tummy go for a toss. Having milk in moderation is a good way to get through the monsoon season. Curd when sour can cause your throat to get irritated and also can be detrimental for those with sinusitis: It can aggravate your cough and cold.
While seafood doesn’t have a direct effect on your health during the monsoon, it’s best to avoid it during the rains. Fish breed during this season and states like Kerala ban commercial fish trolling keeping this in mind. This is not only good for the environment, marine life, but if you’re a pescetarian, and want to enjoy a meal of grilled fish and veggies every now and then. When it comes to shellfish and molluscs, wash them thoroughly before consumption.
Be conscious of what you eat and brave your health through this downpour and cravings. “Risk of water-borne diseases/infections are at an all-time high in the monsoon season. Hence, it is best to avoid eating fried foods, green leafy vegetables, and seafood in order to maintain the highest hygiene and cleanliness standards. The same can be achieved by including a lot of fluids, fruits, vegetables and spices to improve one’s immunity levels especially when people are more prone to cold and flu this season,” concludes Shetty.
[All Image Credits: Shutterstock]
Shraddha Shetty