Monsoon Health Tips

Monsoon Health Tips

Monsoon season is well underway, and it is essential to know how to avoid seasonal illness and stay well during the monsoon season. Getting sick can stress your immune system, and when the performance of our immune system is compromised, we face illness. Getting a cold or fever often leads to taking antibiotics, which are unnecessary and can damage your gut. Here are a few monsoon health tips for staying healthy this monsoon season.

Monsoon Health Tips

1. Diet

Giving your body the fuel it needs to function optimally will help your body stay healthy and fight off infections. Check out foods that fight infections.

  • Avoid carbohydrates in the form of sugar and refined grains.
  • Choose light, easy-to-digest foods such as soups with bone broth, cooked vegetables, or herbal teas (tea types) to help digestion.
  • Adequate hydration is the key to flushing your system. Fluids help your body flush bacteria and viruses from your system. When it comes to water, drink approximately half your body weight in ounces daily. Green and black teas are potent immune system boosters and antioxidants.
  • Look for ways to include garlic and onions, as both of these vegetables help boost immune function.

garlic and onions

2. Vitamin D

Optimizing your vitamin D levels is the single most important and least expensive action that you can take to help strengthen your immune function and protect against getting sick during the monsoon season. I highly recommend getting your Vitamin D level checked to maintain your levels at 50-70 ng/ml year-round.

Vitamin D

3. Vitamin C

Many studies have found that people who eat diets high in Vitamin C have better protection against diseases. Eat a variety of vitamin C rich foods each day. Some of the foods most abundant in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, red peppers, berries, kiwi, tomatoes, guava, mango, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peas, and potatoes.

Vitamin C

4. Exercise

It is a well-known fact that exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. The job of these cells is to neutralize pathogens throughout your body. The better these cells circulate, the more efficient your immune system is at locating and defending against viruses.

Exercise

5. Wash Your Hands Well

According to UN reports, in India, over one lakh people die of water-borne diseases annually. Water-related diseases kill several people in monsoon, in both urban and rural areas. Hand washing helps minimize the spread of influenza, prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections, and more.

handwash

6. Mosquitoes

Monsoon is the time of the year when there is an increase in the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases. Protecting yourself from mosquito bites will lessen your chances of contracting several mosquito-borne illnesses such as encephalitis, yellow fever, malaria, or dengue.

Naturally, the best way to avoid mosquito bites is to prevent coming into contact with them in the first place.

  • Avoid most chemical repellents and try some natural alternatives instead. Neem oil can help kill mosquitoes. It is also fantastic for fighting fungal conditions like eczema.
  • Planting marigolds around your yard also works as a bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance that bugs dislike.
  • Research also suggests that regularly consuming garlic may help protect against both mosquito and tick bites. 

For occasional mosquito bites, try some of the following: basil, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, lemon, and lime. Also, you can grow plant around your house that repel mosquitoes

mosquitoes

7. Drain

Mosquitoes require water to breed, so carefully drain any sources of standing water around your house and yard, including pet bowls, gutters, garbage and recycling bins, spare tires, birdbaths, etc.

drain

8. First Aid Kit

Having an updated first aid kit at home is very important. Check and make sure you have a first aid kit with bandages, antiseptics, sanitizers, a flashlight, an umbrella, and over-the-counter medications for cough, cold, fever, and diarrhea. Insect repellents and anti-mosquito lotion should also be included.

First Aid Kit

9. Vaccination During Monsoon

If you have children who are six months to 5 years old, make sure that they are up-to-date with their vaccines to protect them from influenza, typhoid, and hepatitis, common monsoon ailments.

vaccination

Following these simple best practices will go a long way in reducing your risk of falling sick.

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