During the Monsoon, Eat healthy

It's that time of the year you've been eagerly waiting for - the monsoons. Be it the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops or the lashing fury of the rain gods, the monsoon is a time of hangout, music, and magic. The smell of the rain-soaked earth, children getting wet in the rain, guzzling hot cups of tea and pakoras or even enjoying a rain dance can gladden many a heart and recharge your batteries. But beware, the rain also brings with its dirt, disease, and disarray. Yes, believe it or not, the monsoon does have an impact on your health. Watch out for these health hazards. 

It's your cleanliness (both personal as well as environmental) and eating habits that are the two main factors you need to keep in mind. Be careful, malaria is one of the biggest fallouts of the monsoon. Also, you need to pay closer attention to your eating habits. Keep in mind the following tips:

Drinking-Water: It is essential that particularly during the rains, you purify your drinking water and store it in a closed vessel, as there are greater chances of contamination. You can purify water by boiling it, filtering it or using a water purifier. But make sure the water is not stored for too many days. Always drink fresh water. And remember drinking six to eight glasses of water will flush out all the toxins from your system.

Eating from outside: You need to be particularly careful about what you eat from outside. Avoid eating cut fruits, junk food or drinking juice from roadside vendors. You do not know how and when they were cooked or what kind of water was used in their preparation. As a result, these could be highly infectious and you may land up with viral, an upset stomach or serious diseases such as cholera. If you just can't control that urge to eat from outside, make sure the place you choose is neat and clean and conforms to some basic standards of quality and hygiene. Remember the monsoon is a great time to experiment and enhance your culinary skills!! Make what you want to eat at home and enjoy it with friends and family.

Limit Fried Foods: Doesn't the monsoon give you a ravenous appetite? Especially cravings for fried food such as pakoras and bread rolls increase. Here you need to keep in mind two things: firstly, avoid eating them from outside and secondly, restrict their intake even at home. Pakoras are highly fattening and will result in a feeling of satiety and add on unnecessary calories, without giving you proper nutrition. Your meals should be well balanced and nutritious, so if you stuff yourself with pakoras one day, compensate by eating fruits and salads the next day.

Foods to eat: Every season brings with it some foods that are particular to that time of the year. The monsoon brings with it the magnificence of mangoes, the aroma of roasted corn and the sweet-tasting berries. You can feast on a variety of mangoes and corns are the other specialty of the monsoons. What's more, it's low in fat and can be eaten in abundance.

Now that the monsoons are here, enjoy the mangoes, the corns, and of course, the rain -- but make sure you observe the above-mentioned precautions. After all, you are what you eat.