It’s raining and pouring. It’s the ‘purrfect’ weather to snuggle in with a plateful of delectable bhajjis—but if only all the unwanted germs were somewhere else other than your digestive tract. So, before that brings you down physically and mentally, swing into action and rally the rainbow nutrients into your food index to celebrate a healthy constitution. Bring in the extra power from these five quarters to stay protected:
Yummy Yogurt
Healthy gut flora is what you need essentially to combat the rigours of the germs and the infections floating around. Says Chef Amrita Raichand, “Curd is a natural probiotic and helps in strengthening your immunity.” For best results, consume twice a day. “Curd works as an active probiotic, bringing in good bacteria that aids in the digestion of your food, produces Vitamin B12 which improves immune response and creates favourable conditions for pre-existing gut flora to combat diseases,” explains Sunjay Ghai of Hello Green by Revofit, a range of products tailored for healthy living. “It is better to consume it in a fasting stage (on an empty stomach or two hours after lunch) since your gut flora is nourished, which in turn nourishes your body through the day.
2G Rules
Nope, we are not talking about cellular technology. Let’s hark back to the days of your grandma: Each time you got a chest-rattling cough, she strung together freshly peeled pods of garlic to sit on your chest at night and the phlegm quietly made an exit the following morning. Lesson: Never underestimate the goodness of the two ‘G’s—ginger and garlic. “Keep large knobs of ginger, and pods of garlic handy to use liberally to lace your soups, broths and hot sips during monsoon,” says Chef Rakhee Vaswani. Their anti-inflammatory properties make them a powerhouse of nutrition. So toss freely, toasted, into your chicken soup for the day and the soul.
Shilpi Madan for New Indian Express