Foods You Should Completely Avoid During Monsoon

The best time of the year is here. With dazzling raindrops, monsoon awakens nature from a deep slumber and refreshes the parched land with lush green meadows.

It also is the time of beautiful memories. Getting wet while on your way back home and then making excuses to parents is something we all have done or still do!

Nostalgia creeps in when we see kids playing and dancing in the rain exclaiming the joy of monsoon.

The ultimate joy of eating favourite pakodas with a cup of hot masala chai while it's raining outside cannot be compared with anything.

However, there is always a flip side of the coin. With the joy of rain dance, comes the fear of flu and other water-borne diseases.

Outbreak of diseases which spread through contaminated food and water are common in monsoon. Flooded sewage systems and low temperatures create a perfect breeding ground for germs and insects.

A little bit of ignorance to health and we can easily fall prey to some deadly diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, pneumonia, malaria, dengue, etc.

Before we start making a list of things we want to do this monsoon, here is a list of foods we must avoid:

1. Fried Foods:

The humid weather slows down the body's metabolism. So fatty, oily and greasy food trigger IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) a gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting. With microbes responsible for water-borne diseases like dysentery and cholera at the peak of their reproductive phase, these foods should be avoided.

2. Foods Sold In The Open:

A site of yummy chats and fruit salads makes our mouth water instantly. We never think twice about how and when they are prepared before taking a mouthful of these sweet and sour delicacies. Street vendors prepare these foods well in advance and there is a high chance of contamination of these foods with increasing population of flies and other insects in the air. These foods are nothing but disease bombs.

3. Sea Foods:

During monsoon, waterbodies like rivers and seas are highly contaminated with all types of waste thrown from the land. This polluted water affects the health of aquatic organisms. Moreover, it is also the breeding season for fishes. Now, we have 2 excuses why seafood must be avoided during rainy season.

4. Chinese Fastfood:

Chinese fastfood comes with a high salt content and is mostly made up of refined flour. With a slow metabolic rate, these foods give a tough time to our tummies to digest them. It results in a bloated tummy with pain and vomiting. Its better to go for some dry and crunchy snacks like roasted or steamed corn and chickpeas.

5. Leafy Vegetables:

Yes. Your read it right! Though it sounds highly confusing, we must give these awesome vegetables like spinach, cabbage or cauliflower a ditch as the high moisture content in them makes it more susceptible to germs and microbes. It is always advisable to wash thoroughly all the vegetables before cooking.

6. Soda:

Monsoon makes our digestive system sensitive. Fizzy aerated drinks reduce minerals in our body which leads to a slow and weak digestion with gastrointestinal disorders. Instead, go for warm beverages like soup, shorba or tea. It balances the body's temperature and gives immunity a boost.

7. Highly Salted Food:

Salty foods increase water retention and give a bloated tummy. An upset stomach with a weak digestive system makes it home for diseases like cholera or diarrhoea.