Monsoon superfoods: 4 wonderful immunity boosters to include in your diet this rainy season

Gut health can take a beating in monsoon if one is not prudent with their diet choices. High humidity levels during the season, unhealthy surroundings and contaminated water due to sewage overflow and microbial growth can make one susceptible to several stomach infections, cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea among other illnesses.

Vector-borne diseases too are common during this season from dengue, malaria, to chikungunya. A robust immunity can fight most of the infections. While taking other precautions during monsoon like boiling your water, washing your veggies thoroughly to cleaning your hands at regular intervals, one must also re-design their diet to make it more monsoon friendly.

Raw foods must be avoided in monsoon as they can put us at risk of gastrointestinal infections. Introducing healthy bacteria to your gut is another effective health strategy people must follow during rainy season. From yoghurt, buttermilk, pickles to kimchi, one must add these probiotic and fermented foods to the diet for giving a boost to immunity. Herbs and spices can also work wonders for your immunity. Neem, Ashwagandha, Lemongrass, Ginger and Giloy are some of the herbs that you must be consuming to beat all kinds of infections and diseases.

Avantii Deshpaande, Clinical Nutritionist and Gut Health Expert in an interview with HT Digital talks about immunity boosters that can help boost your overall well-being during monsoon.

1. Eat more of cooked foods

There is an increase in the microbial load during this season and hence it’s best to consume foods that are cooked rather than eating them raw. Raw foods may cause stomach upset, loose motions or weaken the gut. Have a combination of raw and cooked vegetables like stir fry vegetables, soups, cooked sabji and then a portion of raw salads. Fruits should we washed well before consumption and a combination of fibrous fruits like apple, pear and pulpy fruits like payaya or chickoo in the diet must be consumed.

2. Consume herbal tea

Herbal teas can be made from herbs like holy basil, pepper corns, haldi, lemon grass, ginger etc which will improve the digestive fire and also boost immunity. In case you want to enjoy chai then add spices like cinnamon, cloves, mace to it which will improve the immunity as well.

3. Include probiotics in the diet

Rainy season weakens the gut and hence it’s important to make it strong by consuming probiotics. Probiotics are the live good bacteria which will improve the gut health. Buttermilk with asafoetida and black salt, sauerkraut or any other fermented vegetables will improve the gut health. Make sure there is protein source in every meal – protein rich foods like dals, curd, nuts or non-veg foods (within limits) are important to improve the immunity as proteins are a part of the immune system. All meals should have protein. So, for breakfast include curd, nuts or oats with milk. For lunch dals, legumes and whole grains snacks can be includes. Dinner can include curd or non-veg foods as a source of protein.

4. Omega 3 rich foods

Omega 3 rich foods are powerful antioxidants that will help to improve the immunity. Flaxseeds, melon seeds, almonds, walnuts and fatty fish are sources of Omega 3. Make it point to have more of these in the diet.