Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Soaking up the Monsoon Spirit?

Soaking up the Monsoon Spirit?
Don’t let your health ruin all the fun.

The monsoon season is always a welcome relief after a hot, dry spell of summer. Almost every individual, irrespective of age, gender or geographical location, has fond memories associated with rains.

Some welcome them by cooking special food (in India, tea and pakoras are the hot favorites!), some get drenched in the showers, while many others celebrate at home with loved ones.


Why do diseases love monsoon?

While it is the time to enjoy the cool downpour, it is also the time to welcome a host of diseases – arthritis, asthma, sinusitis, diarrhea, indigestion, skin diseases, gastrointestinal infections like typhoid and cholera, etc. – that plague us during this season. As the rainy season progresses, long queues in front of hospitals and clinics become a common sight. Even though modern medicine offers effective treatment for most of these ailments, Ayurveda emphasizes on the need for preventive cure in order to keep the body healthy in monsoons.

In Ayurveda, the period between mid-June and mid-August is referred to as the Varsha Ritu or the Rainy Season. Varsha Ritu falls in the Uttarayan (northern solstice) and in this phase, the general body strength of most people gets weakened. Monsoons also reduce the immunity of our body and make us susceptible to diseases. In this season, the body’s digestive power or jatharagni gets impaired and, as a result, it is not able to properly digest the food that is consumed. This leads to formation of ama or toxins in the intestines, which happens to be the leading cause of disease in the body. If ama is not cleared, it will continue to build and can cause an imbalance of the doshas or the natural forces at work in the body. When the causative factors of the imbalance are not addressed, the ama can react with doshas and cause disease.

Maintaining Health in the Rainy Season

To maintain good health in this season, it is imperative that you eat the right kinds of food and lead an active lifestyle. This will ensure that your digestive system remains intact and the production of toxins is prevented.

Here are some excellent Ayurvedic tips to increase body immunity and prevent monsoon disorders:
  • Eat light foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, cereals, etc. To kill germs, make sure you wash green leafy vegetables and fruits properly before eating.
  • Reduce the consumption of fried or heavy foods as they impair the digestive power of the body. Especially avoid eating meat or fish.
  • Reduce consumption of dairy products like yoghurt, buttermilk and cottage cheese as the body takes a lot of time to digest them.
  • Avoid heavy and salty food items as they lead to water retention and bloating in the body.
  • Eat foods that are drying in nature, such as corn (makka), chickpea (chana), gram flour (besan), oats (jow), etc.
  • Avoid heavy oils like mustard oil, peanut oil, or sesame oil. They are known to increase Pitta (fire) and can lead to infection. Use corn oil or olive oil instead.
  • Avoid sour food items like tamarind (imli), chutneys and pickles as they cause water retention.
  • Consume bitter vegetables like bitter gourd (karela) and herbs like neem, fenugreek (methi) seeds, turmeric (haldi), etc. as they are known to prevent infection.
  • Drink lots of warming herbal teas, especially those with antibacterial properties such as holy basil leaves.
  • Massage your body with sesame oil twice a week as it helps in controlling the production of toxins in the body. And, to avoid skin infections and itching, add 1 or 2 spoons of Neem Oil to half a cup of Sesame Oil and use this for massage before bath at least once a week.
  • Do not indulge in heavy exercises; brisk walking along with yoga or stretching is better.

Necessary Precautions during Monsoons

  • Always keep your surroundings dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around you.
  • Keep your body warm as viruses attack immediately when body temperature goes down.
  • Do not enter an air-conditioned room if you have wet hair or are wearing damp clothes.
  • Avoid eating uncooked foods and salads. Definitely avoid roadside vendors as very few people take precautions to handle the bacterial overload at such places.
  • Drink plenty of water and keep your body well-hydrated.
  • Walking in dirty water during rainy season can lead to fungal infections which mainly affect toes and nails. Diabetic patients should take special care to keep their feet dry and clean.
  • Avoid walking in dirty water and keep your raincoats and shoes dry and clean. Drying clothes with fumes of dry Neem leaves is recommended as it helps kill bacteria.
  • Make sure your drinking water is clean and pure. Drink boiled water at home and only mineral water when outside.
  • In rains, puddles of water become breeding grounds for mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Fumigate your house with smoke of dried Neem leaves in the evenings for 1-2 minutes. This is an excellent Ayurvedic method to keep mosquitoes away.
  • If you are suffering from asthma or diabetes, avoid staying in a place that has wet walls. Wetness promotes the growth of fungus that can become the cause of infections.
  • Rains affect our level of outdoor activities; so, you need to take special care to indulge in indoor physical activities so that laziness does not grow on you.
  • If you are prone to joint pains, avoid sitting or lying down on the floor. The pain can get aggravated when the skin comes in contact with a wet or cold surface.
  • Avoid sleeping soon after lunch as it worsens indigestion problems.

Taking preventive care with regard to eating healthy food and keeping the body and surroundings clean will help you keep diseases at bay in this rainy season. By doing so, you can ensure that the upcoming winter proves beneficial in enhancing your health and vitality. Keep the above-mentioned tips and precautions in mind and you will be able to enjoy monsoons thoroughly.

Have a healthy and safe monsoon!

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