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Precautions - Gut Health During Monsoon

As we all are witnessing, the monsoon has reached all parts of India. Throughout the country, it is showering at varying degrees. We all love the rainy seasonas it brings relief from the terrible heat of summer.But there is a huge downside to the monsoon season. We noticed that a number of digestive issues crop up when this season rolls in. It happens to us all.
Let’s first understand the link between monsoon and gut. Our entire digestive system becomes sluggish due to the humid weather during monsoon. If our digestive organs like the stomach, the pancreas, and the small intestine do not work at their peak capacity, problems like gas, acidity, bloating and the constant feeling of fullness arise. None of these conditions is pleasant! And since monsoon is when you feel like binging on snacks, the problems intensify because fast foods, sweets, and snacks are merciless on your digestive system.

Ayurveda describes aggravation of “Vata” and accumulation of “Pita” in the Rainy/Monsoon season. This is the major cause of various diseases occurring during the rainy season. The food and lifestyle should thus be such thathelp in balancing Vata and Pitta. The following changes in diet are recommended to maintain our Gut health during monsoon.

Include cow’s ghee in daily diet. Ghee stimulates the digestive juices and helps your body absorb nutrients. It is very effective in curbing gut inflammation. It will also ease constipation by smoothening colon muscles and increasing their contractility.

Consume a small piece of ginger with rock salt before every meal. For any digestive problem, ginger should be your go-to food. Ginger increases the secretion of saliva, bile, and gastric juices. It helps your body rapidly break down food and assimilate the nutrients. It can also fight gastric inflammation and is an excellent remedy for an upset stomach. Many people experience heartburn when they consume raw ginger. Rock salt prevents this heartburn.

Ayurveda encourages the consumption of natural foods. And the kind of foods that will help your digestion is water-laden fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, apples, citrus fruits, watermelons, strawberries etc.

These foods keep you hydrated. Water helps with the absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract. It also moistens your bowels and ensures easy passage of stool.

Drinking boiled is recommended. Avoiding curds, red meat, and any foodstuff, which takes a longer time to digest is good during the monsoon. One may have buttermilk instead of curds. Consume light and fresh foods prepared from barley, rice, and wheat. Consumption of ‘Haritaki /Harad (Terminalia chebula) with rock salt in the monsoon season is beneficial to health.
As per Ayurveda abrupt changes in diet and lifestyle suitable for a particular season should be avoided. The changes must be gradual over a period of 15 days by giving up the earlier lifestyle and adopting a new one for acclimatization. If abrupt changes are brought the bodymay not be able to cope with them and this could lead to other problems.

Stay Safe and Healthy This Monsoon. Happy Monsoon!