immunity tea
Photo: Freepik
by Nikhita Arora Health
June 6, 2020

Delicious drinks that also boost your immunity during monsoons

Food is medicine

Staying in when it rains has a tonne of perks – no mud splatters on your new jeans, no potholes to give you a discounted Essel World experience, and not having to chase your umbrella when it goes rogue in the middle of a busy street. But there still is that inevitable plus one that threatens to come in the way of your hassle-free, cosy evenings in – your dwindling immunity during monsoons.

Those relentless and unforeseen sniffles promptly come knocking the second it begins to pour. And that’s just the beginning of the uninvited mehmaan (sore throat, flu and upset stomach) that follow soon after.

We asked trusted experts to draw out the perfect plan to dodge infections that threaten your immunity during monsoons

Ingredients that boost your immunity during monsoons

foods that boost immunity during monsoons

Nutritionist and food coach Anupama Menon lays out a shopping list that will help you work towards building your immunity during monsoons.

  • Sweet potatoes are one of the greatest sources of beta-carotene. One sweet potato is more than enough to meet your daily requirement of vitamin A.

That keeps the mucous lining in the nose healthy to function as the first line of defence against harmful viruses and bacteria. It also helps in the production of white blood cells, which fight off infections.

  • Garlic is another ingredient you should include in your diet. It envelopes sulphur-containing elements that can fight off the viruses that lead to common cold and flu. The way you cook and prepare the garlic also plays a crucial role – crushing or slicing it and letting it stand for 10 minutes before consumption increases the allicin content. Allicin is the compound that helps fight infections off.
  • Bell peppers have a higher Vitamin C content than citrus fruits. Vitamin C increases antibody and white blood cell production, in turn boosting your immunity during monsoons.
  • Stock up on turmeric for its incredible healing properties. It also has anti-inflammatory, anti-
    fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

Mix turmeric with pepper and cold pressed or virgin olive oil to ensure adequate absorption of the nutrients.

  • Foods rich in zinc must feature on your grocery list as well. These include lamb, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, cocoa powder, yogurt and mushrooms. The body needs zinc to activate T-cells, which facilitate proper immune function.
  • Probiotics such as yogurt, beet kvass, fermented vegetables, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi keep a check on inflammation in the gut. An inflamed gut, in some cases, can result in flu and chronic infections.

5 recipes that can help you build immunity during monsoons

Menon along with nutritionists Viddhi Dhingra (Puujaa Kukreja), and Ayurvedic researcher Dimple Jangda opened their Pandora’s boxes to help us stay healthy during monsoons.

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Photo credit: Mae Mu/Unsplash

Try out this spicy fix

This drink doesn’t just pack in a spicy kick perfect fora gloomy monsoon morning, but also ensures that you get your required fill of essential antioxidants that help build your immunity.

“Antioxidants are important to scavenge free oxygen radicals and keep your body from ageing quickly. The antioxidant potential of any product is measured in its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and spices have a very high ORAC,” explains Menon.

The spice mix used in the drink also has anti-inflammatory properties that help with acidity, bloating, and gut health at large.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 tsp clove powder
  • 1/3 tsp raw turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 200ml organic milk

Directions:

  1. Bring the milk to a boil.
  2. Add the spices to the boiling milk and mix well.

Recipe: Anupama Menon

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Photo credit: Jade Aucamp/Unsplash

Pumpkin soup for the soul and sniffles

The only thing better than a steaming bowl of soup on a rainy day, is one that takes care of your cravings and nutritional requirement all in one go.

This pumpkin soup is delicious and all kinds of good for your immunity. Pumpkin is packed with vitamin A, an immunity boosting agent, while the bay leaves help maintain respiratory health.

“The cashews are healthy fats that help increase the efficiency of the pumpkin since Vitamin A is fat soluble,” explains Dhingra.

Ingredients:

  •  300g pumpkin
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 2 to 3 bay leaves
  • 2 whole black peppercorns
  • 5 to 6 cashews (soaked in water)
  • Salt as required
  • Black pepper powder as required
  • 1 tsp butter
  • Pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a pressure cooker, add butter. Then add the chopped onion and bay leaves.
  2. Sauté till the onion turns pink, then add pumpkin pieces, black peppercorns, and water.
  3. Pressure cook for seven to eight minutes.
  4. After opening the pressure cooker, allow the soup to cool and then blend it all together using water from the pressure cooker to attain desired consistency.
  5. Turn the soaked cashews into a paste and blend it with the pumpkin purée.
  6. Heat the purée, add salt and pepper, and garnish with pumpkin seeds.

Recipe: Viddhi Dhingra (Puujaa Kukreja)

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Photo credit: Lisa Hobbs/Unsplash

Sip on this three-in-one miracle worker

This recipe won’t just help you build your immunity, but will also keep digestive problems in check and boost your metabolism.

The digestive teas is said to work especially well with those who are governed by vata dosha (those whose personalities are governed by air or wind energy). People with a vata personality are believed to have exceptionally low immunity, and this concoction more than manages to deal with that.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 cardamom (elaichi)
  • 1 pinch of carom seeds
  • 500ml water

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients and boil for five minutes or till the tea reduces to about 250ml.
  2. Filter and drink warm in the morning, on an empty stomach or before every meal.

Recipe: Dimple Jangda

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Photo credit: Sarah Gualtieri/Unsplash

Jaggery, spice, and all things nice

This recipe is the overachiever of remedies that boost immunity –turmeric keeps gut inflammation in check and bacteria at bay, black pepper improves digestion, cardamom makes the stomach alkaline and does away with coughs, colds and other respiratory disorders, cinnamon and cloves are antibacterial as well as, and rich in antioxidants, and finally, jaggery, which makes sure that your iron intake is on point.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 black pepper corns
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1 cardamom
  • 1 clove
  • 2 pinches of cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp jaggery
  • A pinch of salt
  • A few drops of lime

Directions:

  1. Crush all ingredients except the turmeric, salt and lime, in a mortar and pestle.
  2. Add the water and turmeric, and boil the mixture.
  3. Simmer for five to seven minutes after covering it with a lid.
  4. Strain, add a pinch of salt and few drops of lemon. Stir and serve hot.

Recipe: Viddhi Dhingra (Puujaa Kukreja)

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Photo credit: Freepik

A drink to calm the tummy before the storm

Start your day by having this drink on an empty stomach to wave goodbye to digestive discomfort.

The vitamin C in the form of lemon juices takes care of any inflammation, while the aloe vera calms your digestive system to ensure proper functioning.

Ingredients:

1 cup filtered water

3 tbsp aloe vera

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp powdered ginger

1 tsp honey

Directions:

  1. In a glass of water, add the aloe vera, lemon juice, and ginger powder, and mix.
  2. Finish the drink off by drizzling the honey and stirring the drink well.

Recipe: Anupama Menon