During the monsoon season, it’s enjoyable to savor hot chai and snacks, but it also brings the risk of infections like diarrhea and colds. While it’s fine to indulge occasionally, sticking to our usual habits is essential.
Ayurveda advises adapting our diet and lifestyle to the changing seasons. Here are some straightforward tips from Ayurveda to maintain health during the monsoon.
Let’s start by understanding the rationale behind Ritucharya. Ayurveda divides the year into two solstices based on the sun’s position relative to the earth’s equator.
- During Uttarayan, which spans six months, the intense sun and winds deplete the earth’s cooling qualities, leading to reduced energy. This period encompasses Shishir (late winter), Basant (spring), and Grishma (summer), each lasting two months.
- During Dakshinayan, also lasting six months, the descending sun and dominance of the moon cool the earth with rain and cold winds. This phase includes Varsha (monsoon), Sharad (autumn), and Hemant (winter).
Here are the top three Ayurvedic tips for monsoon wellness:
- After the draining heat of summer, the monsoon rejuvenates life on Earth. However, this season, known as Varsha ritu, is transitional, and creatures remain weak. Ayurveda identifies it by vata aggravation and pitta accumulation, impacting digestion and immunity. This can lead to issues like body aches, acidity, joint pain, indigestion, and colds.
- The damp weather creates ideal conditions for germs to thrive, causing diseases like diarrhea. Boosting immunity and following Ayurvedic guidance on diet and lifestyle (Varsha ritucharya) are crucial. This helps us stay healthy and combat monsoon-related illnesses.
Food:
- Digestion slows during the rainy season. Avoid overeating and heavy, spicy, oily, sour, or acidic foods like pickles and chutneys to prevent indigestion and bloating. Consuming a few pieces of ginger with rock salt before meals aids digestion.
- Skip cold, raw foods like salads and juices. Opt for lightly cooked or steamed foods to aid digestion and avoid stomach infections. It’s advisable to avoid leafy vegetables, meat, and fish during this time. Stick to home-cooked meals for safety.
- Warm foods like soups and warm water throughout the day boost metabolism and hydration. They also enhance immunity. Buttermilk is preferable to curd during the day, while hot turmeric milk before bedtime aids in sleep and digestion.
- Use light vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, or ghee for cooking instead of heavier oils like mustard, groundnut, or butter.
- Bitter vegetables like bitter gourd, fenugreek, neem, and turmeric help balance pitta and prevent related issues. They also possess antibacterial properties to fight off illnesses.
- Start your day with a tea made from boiling neem leaves, fenugreek seeds, grated fresh turmeric, lemon juice, and honey for an immunity boost.
Lifestyle:
- Stay dry to prevent infections. Change clothes if you get wet and use Parama Naturals’ Turmeric Essential Oil in water after bathing for added protection.
- Use Parama Naturals’ Turmeric Essential Oil on scratches or injuries to prevent infections. Keep it handy for emergencies.
- Be cautious while walking on rainy streets to avoid contaminated water. Wash feet with Parama Naturals’ Neem-Turmeric soap and apply Solid Deo Butter between toes for fungal infection prevention.
- Relax with a massage using warm herb-infused oils. It nourishes cells, flushes toxins, and strengthens muscles, bones, and joints.
Remedies:
- Perform self-massage with natural oils daily. Try Parama Naturals’ Turmeric Moisturizing Hand & Body Oil for nourishment and protection. For a mood boost, use the Turmeric-Lavender Hand & Body oil. Use the ginger-infused Zingiber Body Oil to re-energize and stay active.
- Ease joint discomfort by massaging with Parama Naturals’ Zingiber Body Oil before bed. It relaxes joints and muscles, providing relief from stiffness and pain.
- Treat colds with ginger. Drink herbal tea with ginger, tulsi, turmeric, and black pepper to ease cough and congestion. Apply Parama Naturals’ Zingiber Body Oil inside your nostrils for congestion relief.
- Use ginger paste or powder with sesame oil and medicated ghee for nasal therapy to clear nasal congestion. Inhaling Parama Naturals’ Turmeric Essential Oil in boiling water can relieve sinus congestion and headaches.
Prevention:
Prevent mosquito bites by keeping surroundings clean and avoiding water collection. Cover your skin with long-sleeved shirts and trousers. Use Parama Naturals’ Turmeric Essential Oil or Lavender-Turmeric Moisturizing Hand & Body Oil for added protection. Add citronella oil for extra mosquito repellency.
In summary, adapting our dietary and lifestyle habits according to Ayurvedic principles helps us stay safe and healthy during the rainy season. With a few adjustments, we can enjoy the rain without worry.
