Monsoons have begun in various parts of the country and so have the plans to binge-eat pakoras and enjoy masala chai while enjoying the fresh splashes of rainwater.
Do you decide your diet according to your mood and try to balance a healthy eating lifestyle? Make sure that you are well-informed about the foods you eat every season. As per research, spicy and dry foods must be avoided in monsoon, and that makes pakoras a part of it. This is because it is difficult to digest deep-fried foods and the digestive system is already at its low during the monsoons.
Here are a few other foods you must avoid in monsoons to stay healthy and prevent any allergies or seasonal infection, fevers, etc.
Leafy Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables have always been a part of a healthy lifestyle. Are you surprised that we are suggesting you say no to them during the monsoon? It is because air has excess moisture during this season and moisture is responsible for the breeding grounds of the bacteria and harmful microorganisms.
Monsoon already takes a toll on our immune system and consumption of contaminated veggies can further slow down our metabolism. The soil in which these vegetables grow is also highly contaminated, and harmful microorganisms can leech onto them from the soil. If you still want to eat them, make sure to wash them and cook them properly.
Seafood
According to nutritionists and research, seafood should be avoided during the monsoon at all costs. This is because the monsoon is the breeding time for the fish and the seafood being sold in the market might not be fresh. During the monsoons, you will get frozen or canned seafood. The seafood being sold in the fish market is often sprayed with preservatives that are extremely harmful and must not be consumed.
Moreover, the eggs inside the fish can cause infections and food poisoning. Prawns are safer to consume but also tasteless.
Fizzy Drinks
First of all fizzy drinks are harmful to the body irrespective of any season or weather but they are more harmful during the monsoons since they reduce the enzyme activity in our bodies and further slow down the metabolism and digestion.
Instead of milk-based beverages or fizzy drinks you can opt for coconut water, lemonade or simple water.
Raw Foods
It is easier to digest cooked and warm food. Moreover, cooked food is warm which is beneficial for gut health. Chewing is the first step of digestion and cooked food is easy to chew and digest. Moreover, cooking breaks down the cell wall and fibers in the food thus making it easier to get absorbed.
Cooked food also has more beta-carotene than raw food thus reducing the risk of heart diseases.
Curd
There is a conflict between modern medical science and Ayurveda when it comes to consuming curd during the monsoons. Curd has various health benefits but depends on at what time it is consumed.
Modern science says there's no problem in consuming curd during the monsoons but according to Ayurveda, vata increases in monsoon and also causes pitta accumulation. That is why it causes imbalance and increases the chances of allergies or infections. Curd has a cooling effect so it is not advisable to consume it during monsoons and it also aggravates digestion issues in people with weak digestive systems. You can have warm milk instead.
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