5 Simple Ways To Improve Your Family’s Immune System This Monsoon By Riddhi Deorah

Riddhi Deora  is a parenting blogger and expert on family health for the Activ Living Community. In this video she provides some great tips on how you can keep yourself and your family safe and healthy during the rainy season. Watch the full video for simple ways that you can prevent monsoon diseases while you enjoy the respite from the summer heat.

What You Should Know:

• Why We Need to be Careful During the Monsoons
• 5 Ways to Improve Your Immune System this Monsoon

Why We Need to be Careful During the Monsoons

Many of us love the rain because it clears the air of pollution, it makes the earth smell nice, and it makes our surrounding look fresh and green. However, the monsoons also being with it food, water and mosquito-borne diseases that can affect the whole family. Diseases like malaria, dengue, cholera and other gastrointestinal infections can often require hospitalisation and can get serious if not treated correctly and on time. For this reason, it is important to prevent these illnesses through maintaining a healthy immune system and taking care of our homes.

5 Ways to Improve Your Immune System this Monsoon

1. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water which is why it is important to make sure that no puddles or pools of water for in and around your home during the rains. Keep your house clean and dry and keep any potted plants you have in your balcony or outdoors if possible.

2. You can also keep flies and mosquitoes away by using natural insect repellents. Natural oils like eucalyptus, citronella, neem and peppermint have insect repellent properties and are safer to use than chemical repellents. You can use these in a diffuser or add a few drops in water to a spray bottle and spritz you home with them.

3. The humid air can also cause coughs, colds and the flu. While it is better to see a doctor if you have a viral infection and are running a temperature, a simple home remedy can help prevent these ailments. You will need:

• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 clove
• 1-inch stick of cinnamon
• 5 tulsi leaves. 

Dry roast the pepper, tulsi, clove, and ginger in a pan. In another vessel bring the water to a boil and add the roasted ingredients. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then add the honey and cinnamon. Boil for another 5 minutes, strain and serve. Drink this kadha every day to improve immunity and prevent coughs and colds.

4. It cannot be stressed enough how important eating home-cooked food is during the monsoons. Avoid outside food as far as possible as you don’t know if it is fresh and if it has been protected from flies or other disease carriers. Fresh, hot meals can also keep your immune system healthy. 

5.  As the weather drops, it is a good idea to get your kids to wear long-sleeved tops and long pants to keep them warm. These clothes can also protect against insect bites thereby preventing mosquito-borne diseases and keeping the kids safe.

These 5 simple ways can improve immunity and help to keep you and your family healthy this monsoon and prevent having to take a trip to the hospital. This is especially important at a time like this when we are in the middle of a pandemic. While you take these measures to keep your family safe, do ensure that you protect them in case of hospitalisation too with Activ Health – Platinum Enhanced Plan. For more diet and wellness tips check out the Nutrition and Fitness sections of the Activ Living Blog.