Avoid These Foods During Monsoon: Rujuta Diwekar's Guide To Healthy Eating During The Rainy Season

The lovely season of monsoon seem to finally arrive in Delhi as well. After days of scorching and sweltering heat, the soothing rains bring much joy and relief with them. One thing which is synonymous with rains in India is chai and pakodas or bhajia. Crispy pakodas along with hot chai is a favourite of many. But the health and weight loss does strike us while indulging in such comfort food. But need not worry as celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar took to Facebook to especially tell fad diet followers that monsoon is the best time to enjoy chai pakaodas. Monsoon is also the time when we experience lots of hair and skin problems. In her Facebook live, Rujuta tells everything to eat and avoid during the rainy season. She mentions that pakodas taste best when they are deep fried, cooked with all your favourite vegetables and masalas. Do not opt for air frying them simply to prepare a healthier variant.
  Also read: This Monsoon Eat Right And Stay Healthy

The weight loss industry is constantly telling us that we should eat less fat and calories in order to avoid weight gain. Rujuta says in her Facebook live that if we keep on listening to the weight loss industry, we will end up eating the same food throughout the year. Eating the same foods throughout the year is not going to be beneficial for us because in diversity lays the wholesomeness of living a good and healthy life.

Also read: These 7 Amazing Foods Aid In Quick Weight Loss: Must Include In Your Diet

But there are also a lot of apprehensions about which oil to fry pakodas in. Rujuta suggests that the choice of oil should depend on the region you belong to. If you are from west part of the country then you should use filtered ground nut oil, if you are from the east then go for mustard oil, if you are from the south side then opt for coconut oil.

Everything about chai pakodas should be completely regional and local. Cook them with whatever is local to your region in order to enjoy the maximum benefits during the season of monsoon.

During monsoon, the soil gets quite mushy. This is not a very good time to grow green leafy vegetables. Rujuta suggests that during the rainy season, we must avoid consuming green leafy vegetables. This might not be the best time to consume salads, green juices and probably everything else which is coming from green leafy vegetables.

Also read: 6 Ways To Stay Away Monsoon Related Stomach Infections

During monsoon, vegetables which are grown on creepers must be consumed. Vegetables like karela and pumpkin should be eaten during monsoon. These vegetables are going to be the sources of your required vitamins and minerals as well.

Also, monsoon is the best season to consume pulses, sprouts and legumes in your diet. These are good source protein, Vitamin B12 and various other minerals essential for body. People with diabetes, hypothyroidism and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) should be consuming pulses during this time. They are a good source of fibre and will help in maintaining insulin sensitivity.

There are as many as 65 varieties of pulses in India. Avoid sticking to 1 or 2 varieties and explore the diversity of pulses during monsoon. Rujuta suggests that we should work towards consuming at least 12 different pulses every month. Target 4 in the beginning and aim for 12 eventually, she suggests.

Also, kulith dal or horsegram and the Arsani or the Goa bean dal are the two healthiest varieties of dal. These two pulses can help us have great hair and a healthy skin, which are otherwise difficult to maintain during monsoon.

Other grains like ragi, jowar, maize or corn are good to be consumed during monsoon. When it comes to corn, avoid the American corn variant which is practically available everywhere these days. American corn is the one which is mass-produced and should be avoided. The idea is to eat more local and regional varieties of these grains.
 

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