On the health front, with the arrival of monsoon, we have to deal with changes in our diet and due to erratic weather fluctuations, it is an important time of the year to take extra care of our health.
According to classical Ayurveda principles, during summer the body becomes weak due to heat and during monsoon one will experience further decrease in metabolic capacity and more prone to digestive discomforts and even diseases.
Swaswara’s consulting physician, Dr. Subhash S. Markandeya spoke to IANS about dietary recommendations for monsoon.
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Monsoon brings improvement in vitiated digestive fire. Hence all remedies, medicines, foods and treatments should be oriented towards reducing and neutralizing imbalanced doshas to rekindle the digestive fire.
To keep one’s digestive fire in balance, one must make changes in diet and lifestyle. CGH Earth Swasvara A 30-acre lush green space, it is as much a sanctuary as it is a resort. The flora and fauna of coastal northern Karnataka are abundant here.
Add to this activities that are designed for you to enjoy your stay at a leisurely pace – from boat rides to bird-watching, yoga to meditation sessions, art and pottery to cooking classes.
It aims to ensure that you experience a more connected, grounded holiday that re-energizes you to return to the monotony of daily life with classical Ayurveda principles imparting holistic rejuvenation.
Some key measures to reduce the effects of low metabolic activity and improve gut health would be:
Eat
The food should mainly consist of garishtha (fats and oils), (slightly) sour, less sweet, salty taste and such foods which are simple and easily digestible in nature.
Old grains and rice, harvested and stored for more than sixty days, wheat, pulse soup and even goat meat are beneficial. While ghee and milk should be taken with food to maintain and balance the metabolism.
Vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd, drumstick, ridge gourd, garlic and fenugreek etc. are beneficial and helpful for maintaining body tissues.
Foods made from pulses like khichdi, kadhi, rice porridge, simple jeera rice and upma are also good for everyday consumption.
Food should be eaten only after heating it.
Chew a small piece of ginger and jaggery or rock salt before each meal – to aid your digestion.
drinks
It is recommended to drink warm or slightly warm water of boiled water (preferable), ginger water, cumin water and coriander as these help in kindling the digestive fire.
Preparation:
Boil about 1 liter of water thoroughly in a container and add about ½ teaspoon of ginger/cumin or coriander seeds and bring to a boil.
Cover the water with a lid. Let it brew for about 30 minutes before drinking it. Important – Once these herbal waters are prepared, they should be consumed within 6 hours of preparation.
foods to avoid
Since the metabolism slows down during monsoon, one should ideally avoid foods and preparations that are heavy to digest, eg, ice cream, dairy, oily foods – deep fried etc.
Potatoes, leafy vegetables, tubers, raw foods and salads, pre-packaged foods, yogurt, red meat, extra water and liquids, and complex foods like biryani, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. Such foods should be consumed in moderation.
lifestyle
It is essential to support a healthy diet with a healthy lifestyle to achieve the desired benefits.
Therefore, avoid sleeping during the day and also avoid hard work and excessive exercise.
Keep your surroundings dry and clean; Do not allow water to accumulate. Avoid walking in dirty rainwater and getting wet in the rain.
If you get wet, put on dry clothes as soon as possible and dry your head. Keep your body warm.
Dry clothes using frankincense and dry neem leaves to keep the fungus away. The use of perfume is advised in this season.
Physical cleansing procedures such as Basti (enema) are recommended as they reduce the adverse effects of increased “Vata” in the body. To regain strength and stamina, abhyanga (oil massage) and padabhyangam (foot massage) with warm sesame oil is recommended.