Raining good health

Monsoon platter

Come rains and everyone craves hot, spicy food with a steaming cup of ‘chai’. Tangy delights available outside become unavoidable and striking the right balance in nutrients becomes increasingly harder. Add to that, the amount of water consumed also goes down during the season. Bengalureans shed light on the health food that can be consumed during the Monsoon.

Sudha Rao, a senior administrator, says that she makes porridge at this time of the year. “Since it is a wet season, people tend to stay away from watery items and uncooked food. We prepare a porridge at home made out of millet or rice. If the preparation is rice based, we add coconut milk to it and have this for supper. It is garnished and served piping hot. It’s a nourishing comfort food,” she says.

A pepper soup is another hot favourite in her household. “The soup consists of varied flavours comprising ginger, pepper, ‘jeera’ and turmeric. These ingredients are boiled in water along with jaggery. Milk is added to this concoction just before taking it off the stove followed by a pinch of salt. Curry leaves can also be added as seasoning. This soup is supposed to ward off colds and infections and keep one warm.” 

Easily digestible food is actually the need of the season. “Since there is lesser sunlight and metabolism is slow during this season, whatever food is easily broken down is the best to consume. Spices like pepper, garlic, ginger and ‘heeng’ are used more during this season in dishes like ‘khichdi’ and ‘rasam’,” she says. She adds that the family’s diet generally comprises spiced rice items like ‘pepper rice’ and ‘puliogare’. “The tamarind in the rice aids digestion,” says Sudha.

Monsoon easily invites health challenges. Ranjani Raman, a dietician and nutrition consultant, says, “Though it seems like a task, drinking ample water is important during the season. Adding four to five drops of lemon in water and comsuming daily will help fight viruses and absorb nutrition better. A spoon of honey everyday also helps boost one’s immunity.”

Ideally, fruits rich in vitamin C like guava and pomegranate should be consumed. “Coloured fruits and vegetables should be eaten. Antioxidants are a must to fight any ailment. ‘Jamuns’, melon, purple cabbages, capsicums, tomatoes and carrots work best.” She adds, “For a stable haemoglobin count, having nuts, pulses, legumes, whole cereals, sprouts, fish, chicken and eggs is also a must.”

When it’s raining, most people feel lazy and just want to order food. “Eating outside food is a strict no. Even if someone craves a ‘chaat’, we just make it at home,” says Mithan Subbiah, a counsellor. Consuming fruits to substitute the lost water content is another option. “We opt for seasonal fruits like guavas and pomegranates. Soups are an integral part of the season. We indulge in tomato, corn and clear chicken soup,” she adds.

Regional and seasonal foods are the best choices for any season, says Dr Navaneetha R K, a consultant in naturopathy and yoga. “This season, foods based on kharif crops, gourds and corn are good. Fruits like papaya, litchi and banana should be eaten. In pulses, bajra and millets are perfect as they produce moderate heat in the body.”

Also, a better choice of oils boosts health. Moderate use of mustard oil improves digestion, fights germs and helps generate heat in the body. “It is also good in avoiding coughs and colds, skin allergies and eases inflammation. Coconut oil helps increase metabolism and the fatty acids in it fight the accumulation of cholesterol. Rice bran oil is also good for the skin,” she details.

Spices like pepper, mint, basil, rock or black salt and honey should be used in one’s diet. “Avoiding fresh or raw salads this season and having steamed or boiled salads is a wise decision. This is because there could be bacterial growth in raw salads,” she says.