With the monsoon set in, health-wise we have to deal with a change in our diets and due to the erratic weather fluctuations, it is an important time of the year to take more care of your health.
According to the classical principles of Ayurveda, the body tends to weaken during the summer due to the heat and during the monsoons, one will experience a further decrease in its metabolic capacity and will be more susceptible to digestive discomfort and even disease.
Dr. Subash S. Markande, Consultant Physician, SwaSwara, spoke to IANS about dietary recommendations for the monsoon.
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The monsoons cause a progression of the altered digestive fire. Therefore, all measures, medications, foods and therapies should be geared towards alleviating and expelling the imbalanced doshas to rekindle the digestive fires.
You have to adapt to diet and lifestyle changes to keep your digestive fire in balance. CGH Earth SwaSwara is a verdant 30-acre space, it’s as much a sanctuary as it is a resort. The flora and fauna of the north coast of Karnataka are in abundance here.
Add to these activities designed to let you enjoy your stay at a leisurely pace – from boat rides to bird watching, yoga to meditation sessions, art and pottery to cooking classes.
The aim is to ensure that you experience a more connected and grounded vacation that re-energizes you for your return to the routine of daily life where the classic principles of Ayurveda are imparted for holistic rejuvenation.
A few key steps to lessen the effect of low metabolic activity and improve gut health would be:
Food
The food should be mainly composed of unctuous (fats and oils), (slightly) acidic, less sweet, salty, and simple and easy to digest foods.
Ancient grains and Rice harvested and stored for over sixty days, wheat, legume soups and even goat meat are beneficial. While ghee and milk should be taken with food to support and balance metabolism.
Vegetables such as pumpkin, bottle gourd, drumstick, ridge squash, garlic and fenugreek etc. are beneficial and support the maintenance of body tissues.
Dal preparations such as khichadi, kadi, rice porridges, plain jeera rice and upma are also good to consume daily.
Food should be eaten hot.
Chew and eat a small piece of ginger and Jaggary or rock salt before each meal – to aid your digestion.
Drinks
Boiled water (preferably), ginger water, cumin water and lukewarm or even slightly hot coriander water are recommended as they help ignite the digestive fire.
Preparation:
Boil about 1 liter of water thoroughly in a container and add about ½ teaspoon ginger/cumin seeds or coriander seeds and bring to a boil.
Cover the water with a lid. Let the preparation rest 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
As the metabolism slows down during the monsoons, foods and preparations that are difficult to digest should ideally be avoided, for example ice cream, dairy products, fatty foods – fried, etc.
Potatoes, leafy vegetables, tubers, raw foods and salads, prepackaged foods, curds, red meat, excess water and liquids and complex food preparations such as biryani, chole, rajma, etc. These foods should be eaten in moderation.
Way of life
A healthy diet must be supported by a healthy lifestyle to gain the desired benefits.
Therefore, avoid sleeping during the day and also avoid exertion and overtraining.
Keep your environment 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 and dry your head as soon as possible. Keep your body warm.
Dry clothes with loban and dry neem leaves to ward off the fungus. The use of perfumes is recommended during this season.
Body cleansing procedures such as Basti (enema) are recommended as they reduce the harmful effects of increased “Vata” in the body. Abhyanga (oil massage) & Padabhyangam (foot massage) with warm sesame oil is recommended, to regain strength and stamina.