BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY THIS MONSOON

To ensure your immunity levels are in check, nutritionists recommend a few healthy drinks that will help you stay fit in the rains

Monsoon is not only about rains, they also bring high humidity levels, which means it is springtime for pathogens. Dampness and humidity during the season are fertile grounds for germs and infections, and can lead to diseases such as jaundice, typhoid, stomach infection, diarrhoea, and fever.

Considering the fact that there can be up to a million bacteria on just one square centimetre of our skin, it is wrong to expect that you can stay away from every single one of them. Pooja Duggal, nutritionist and founder, Healthhunt.in, says, “What you can do is make yourself immune to these nasty germs as much as possible. A strong immune system is the perfect shield against all kinds of disease-causing pathogens.”

During the monsoon, our body’s metabolism slows down, as there is less sunlight and its mostly cloudy. This affects our immunity. You also tend to drink less liquids because of the low temperatures. This could affect your metabolism and also cause severe infections. Hence, you have to be careful and meticulous with your liquid intake during monsoon. Naavnidhi K Wadhwa, coach for psychology of eating and NLP expert, says, “I have a mindful approach towards our food intake. Our body’s rhythm depends on the sun, which determines our metabolism. This is the reason why we are advised to eat a light dinner before 7pm.”

Wadhwa suggests the inclusion of seasonal fruit coolers, warm soups and herbal teas in your diet. She says, "Drink seasonal fresh fruit juices like kiwi, cherry, orange and guava which are rich in Vitamin C. Include tomato juice or tomato soup in your diet as tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C. You can add broccoli, bell peppers, a pinch of garlic to the soup, too.”

Payal Kothari, an integrative nutritionist and life coach, shares that ginger and lemon hot water are a must during this season. She says, “Sipping on eight to twelve ounces of warm water with five to eight one-inchlong ginger wedges and one to two lime disks allows the body to build immunity with natural antioxidants, vitamin C and many other immunity boosting compounds, thereby keeping the body warm while cleansing the lymphatic drainage system.”

Sipping on eight to 12 ounces of warm water with five to eight oneinchlong ginger wedges and one to two lime disks allows the body to build immunity with natural antioxidants.

PAYAL KOTHARI, INTEGRATIVE NUTRITIONIST AND LIFE COACH

PHOTO: ISTOCK