Children Bharat is a land of diversity and we enjoy all seasons like winter, summer, monsoon and autumn. Every season has its positives and negatives. But if we take some precautions as per seasons we can enjoy all seasons to the fullest. We need to be careful about the food we eat and the water we drink in the monsoon. During the rainy season, our digestion is weakened and the dosha (the Ayurvedic term for the three basic metabolic principles connecting the mind, body and biological functions) most likely go out of balance. Ifwe take some simple precautions we can enjoy the rainy season.
Eat Healthy: Ensure you take a healthy balanced diet containing a good amount of fresh fruit and vegetables rich in Vitamin A, E, C, and B – Complex, phytochemicals, antioxidants and minerals that provide a lot of protective and nutritional value to your body. Wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating. Avoid eating from roadside food stalls, especially uncooked foods like sevpuri, panipuri, chutney, etc. for hygienic reasons. Avoid prior cut foods or uncooked foods like fruits and salads. It attracts severe stomach infections and cause digestion problems. Eat in moderation as the body finds it harder to digest food during the monsoon. Garlic, pepper, ginger, asafoetida (hing), jeera powder, turmeric and coriander help enhance digestion and improve immunity.
Improve Immunity: Make drinking a daily bowl of hot vegetable soup or herbal tea mandatory for your entire family which not only helps normalise their body temperature but also contains nutrients to boost their immunity. Drink warm beverages; add mint or ginger or dry ginger powder to tea. Provide yourself with all the nutrients which are required to strengthen your immune system. As your immune system improves, you will stay protected against rainy day illnesses. See to it that you eat healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish. Drinking milk with probiotics can also help your body’s defences.
Bathe if you get Wet in the Rain: Diseases develop when the body experiences a sudden and extreme drop in temperature, which generally occurs when you get soaked in rain water. Taking a shower after getting wet in the rain, helps the body by stabilising the cold temperature of the body and brings it back to normal by the time you dry off. While taking bath add a few drops of antiseptic liquid in the water.
Remain hydrated: Drinking clean, purified water helps fight against and prevent many illnesses, both directly and indirectly. Water cleanses your system and flushes out toxins such as germs and bacteria from your body. A well-hydrated body is better equipped to resist the cold and flu. Ensure that you drink clean, boiled or filtered water to your hearts’ content this rainy season. A number of diseases, like diarrhea, cholera, jaundice, typhoid etc are caused by intake of contaminated water. Always make sure that you drink water that is clean and safe to avoid infections.
Load up on Multi-vitamins: Build up your body resistance by having Vitamin C and E pills or foods rich in Vitamin C and E. Vitamin C reduces your chances of falling sick by charging up the antibodies to fight the common cold virus faster. Vitamin E, too, is said to protect the body by reducing the harsh symptoms and effects of the cold virus on the system, making it more bearable and easy to treat.
Wash Hands: Dirty hands are the primary route that the germs, viruses and bacteria take to enter your body and harm your immune system. Rain water causes outdoor things to get rusty, which is a breeding ground for bacteria. It is also important to wash your face often to prevent microbes from the hands entering the body via the facial route. Usage of antiseptic liquid hand washes, or sanitizers is recommended especially during the monsoons. Stop touching your eyes and face with dirty hands. It may cause eye and skin infections.
Prevent Wet Walls: Close your windows when it is raining heavily to prevent rain from entering the house. Walls take a lot of time to dry and may result in the growth of fungus, which is especially bad for children suffering from asthma or diabetes.
Avoid Stagnation: Empty unused tanks of stored water, water coolers, flower pots, etc. and clean them thoroughly. Ensure that there is no stagnant water either in your house or in your neighbourhood. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, parasites and anaerobic bacteria. It is the main cause of potent water-borne diseases such as Malaria and Dengue.
Electrical Appliances: Use electrical appliances with caution. Ensure you are wearing shoes or slippers while using them.
Fungal Infections: There can be fungal infections when we have to cross some road through the rainy water. Always put on your shoes and always try to keep the feet dry. Go to school with proper rain gear Having umbrellas, raincoats, and rain boots is a must for you during rainy days to protect yourself from getting soaked in the rain, and from being exposed to rain water flowing in the streets, which might be contaminated with various bacterias.
Repellents:Use mosquito coil, repellents creams and net to keep the mosquitoes away. Pesticide treatment is a good solution to solve the pest and mosquito problem during rainy season.
Always Wear Shoes:A rainy day clogs gutters and fills road craters with dirty water thereby leaving behind a dirt cocktail. Now your feet, if left exposed to all this poison, can cause unwanted, ugly, and irritating skin infections. Moreover, exposed areas of your body are a platform for water-borne diseases as well. So keep yourself covered and be sure to ‘shoe’ those bacteria and viruses away.
Eat honey: You should eat honey in this season as it’s a very good catalyst for digestion and it works as a tonic to keep the intestines sterile.
Always Keep Rain Gear: The most effective thing that you can do is to keep your rain gear always ready when you go out in the rainy season. A raincoat with hooded jacket and waterproof shoes are the best items.
Therefore, this year…instead of singing “rain rain, go way,” welcome the rains with open arms.
-Aniket Raja
