BEST TIPS TO PREVENT COMMON ILLNESSES DURING MONSOON!

Monsoon season is awaited by everyone as it brings some kind of relief from the scorching heat of summer. But this season also has its share of woes on our health due to sudden change of weather, fluctuation in temperature and the highly humid air. The non-stop spell and the stagnant water also give rise to the formation of mosquitoes and several types of illnesses during this time.

The most common monsoon diseases are:

Malaria

Cold and flu

Diarrhoea

Food infection

Water infection

Typhoid

Leptospirosos – is a bacterial disease that affects both humans and animals. Its severe form can cause organ failure, meningitis and respiratory failure. 

However, with proper care and precautions, you and your loved ones can keep these diseases at bay. 

Below are the best tips to help you stay fit during the monsoons:

- Cleanliness is the most important thing during rainy season. Wash your hands regularly using soap or hand wash. Use a sanitizer after that.

-Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins from your body. This will also help you stay fully hydrated throughout the day. 

-Poor hygiene practice causes diarrhoea. Maintain good personal hygiene to protect yourself from it. Fruits, vegetables and other eatables should be washed thoroughly with clean water before consuming. Parents should see to it that their kids wash their hands properly before eating.

-Increase intake of Vitamin C either in natural form or as food supplements as it helps in fighting colds. 

-Take hot drinks such as vegetable soup, hot milk, ginger tea, etc to help you from catching cold. This will also save you from getting any kind of infection occurring due to sudden change of temperature of the body.

-Limit intake of coffee during monsoons as it tends to dehydrate the fluids in your body.

-One should not enter air-conditioned room with wet hair and damp clothes to prevent getting viral fever or cold and cough.

-Go for a shower immediately if you got wet in the rain to protect yourself from infections.

-Keep your house clean and pest-free during the monsoons.

-Use bed nets while sleeping to prevent malaria due to mosquito bites. Mosquito repellent creams are often recommended as it is the most effective bite preventive treatment.

-Avoid eating street-side food or water to guard yourself from getting typhoid. Also drink lots of healthy fluids. Try consuming foods prepared in good hygienic conditions while travelling. 

Have a healthy monsoon.

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MONSOON SPECIAL: EASY HAIR CARE TIPS

We all love the good things that monsoon brings with itself, be it the cloudy weather, the cool breeze gently caressing you, the rain drops or the hot tea. 

But, don’t just get lost in this ‘dreamy’ picture, and also devote your attention towards the downside of this humid weather too. For, monsoon weather can wreak havoc on your hair and leave you with a feeling of cursing this blissful weather. 

Here are a few hair care tips to leave you with those beautiful locks that you would love to run your fingers down this monsoon season.

Wash your scalp properly: It is very important to wash your scalp properly and frequently as due to high humidity levels, we sweat more during monsoon season. This will not just help in cleaning the scalp and keeping it dust and debris free, but will also avoid further damage to the hair.

A hair conditioner is a must: To fight against monsoon frizziness, the best method is to apply a good conditioner each time you wash your hair. But make sure not to apply conditioner on your scalp but only on the strands of hair. This provides a shine to your hair and prevents them from breakage. Another important point is to choose a conditioner as per your hair type. Like, if you have dry hair, choose a conditioner that will restock your hair with essential substitutes needed by them.

Avoid using hairdryer and hair styling: Ideally, it is always good to let your hair dry naturally. If due to some reason, you are using a hairdryer, don’t over dry as this will hamper your hair badly and leave them frizzy and damaged. Another advice that will help you maintain healthy hair is avoid hair procedures like perming or straightening as they may harm your hair adversely and make matters worse.

Use a wide-toothed comb: Dump all your round and flat hair brushes and instead use a wide-toothed comb in the monsoon season to allow less breakage and damage to hair. Also, try not to tie your hair too tightly as this may lead to hair breakage, dandruff and fungal infections. Instead go for lose hair styles or just let your hair open.

Cover you crown: Love your hair? Then cover your crown ladies to protect your hair by avoiding stepping out when it’s raining-even if you are armed with an umbrella. Make sure to wash your hair thoroughly with a mild cleanser and use a conditioner thereafter, in case your hair gets wet in the rain.

Hair cut: Keep your hair trimmed and short during the season and avoid any hair cut that requires a lot of styling.

Stay hydrated: Drink ample amount of water and other liquids like coconut water and fruit juices as this will help your hair stay healthy and strengthen them from within during the monsoon season.

So, try these amazing tips for healthy hair that will leave you with a beautiful feeling to sail through this monsoon season.

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MONSOON SPECIAL: TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING

After the long blazing spell of summers, one fervently waits for the rains to descend upon the weary dry earth. Monsoon showers come as great relief and we all become overwhelmed by this beautiful gesture of nature. But in this heavenly weather we often forget about hygiene and later this carelessness spells doom for our health. 

Monsoons bring with them health irritants like allergies, infections and indigestion. But you need not worry because experts say that all these problems can be averted if we practice small variations in our eating habits and adopt a healthy diet. With monsoons, the heat subsides but the humidity surges and that proves detrimental to the body`s digestion. These problems can escalate if we don’t give heed to our dietary habits. 

Monsoon diseases are mostly waterborne hence it is of utmost importance to consume boiled and purified water during these days.

According to dieticians, humidity levels are high during the monsoon because of which the capability of the body to digest is at its lowest. In such a case, it is important to avoid heavy and oily food as the digestion becomes very weak and it might lead to an upset stomach. Street food should be strictly avoided, so well it’s time to resist all the advances from that nearby chaat stall and control your cravings.

In this season, we should try to concentrate on light food. This requirement can be fulfilled by the increased intake of green leafy vegetables which builds immunity besides being very light on the stomach. Fruits are the perfect food for this season as they restore energy. But before consuming vegetables and fruits we should remember to wash them thoroughly as they also carry the risk of infection. 

Avoid fresh fruits, which have been pre-cut or peeled and kept in the open.Go for mangoes, apples, pomegranates and pears and avoid watermelons and muskmelons. Enjoy mangoes this season but don’t gorge on them completely as too much of it can lead to pimples and boils.

Foods such as barley, brown rice and oats are the stomach`s best friend during the monsoon season. Add a dash of garlic to soups, stir fries and curries which will help build the body`s immunity. 

The intake of dairy products should be considerably reduced as they have maximum susceptibility to contamination by germs. So, instead of milk switch to its alternative yogurt. 

Fungal and bacterial infections are rampant because of the humid weather. This damp weather breeds infection and invites diseases such as dengue. Eat hot and properly cooked home food. Cast off food which has strange odour, mould or appearance.Cover all the food items always and never expose them to the the air.Apart from it, always keep your hands clean and wash them properly after every meal.

Skin allergies can also soar in this weather so the people who are prone to frequent allergies and pimples should keep a strict check on their diet. Spicy food should be avoided at all costs because spicy food stimulates the circulation and raises body temperature, which leads to skin irritation, allergies and diseases. 

The humidity acts as an arch enemy for your skin. The skin gets very oily and prone to harmful infections. Problems such as pyodera, boils, change in skin colour dullness, rashes and patchy skin also arise. Drink ample amount to water to keep these problems at bay.

So, with these tips eat safe, remain healthy and keep enjoying the divine showers.

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6 TIPS FOR HAPPINESS REVEALED

Washington: A credit card consultant has come up with six tips on how a person can be happy in their life.

To come up with the tips, Peter Jones used his problem solving skills, which he developed to make rich men richer, the Huffington Post reported.

Firstly, a person should learn to manage his/her time more wisely.

Secondly, people should make a list that is similar to a bucket list but about the things that people would like to do right now and should start making them happen.

Thirdly, start collecting things including theatre tickets, raffle tickets, train tickets, plane tickets, postcards, greeting cards, thank you cards, business cards, labels, badges and pin them to a board. However, not all mementoes

Fourthly, a person should decide what is important in life.

Fifthly, people should use their power of focus to concentrate on what`s important.

Sixthly, a person should remind themselves as to what are the important things in their life. On a small piece of card, which is just big enough to fit that space, they should write down what you really want in life and place it in your wallet. 

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A GUIDE TO HEALTHY SKIN DURING MONSOON!

Come rain or sunshine, keep your skin flawless by figuring out what your skin needs and following your skin care regime religiously. From easily available over-the-counter products to kitchen beauty secrets, use them as per the demands of your skin.

Many people feel that using a moisturiser can make your skin look oily and that is the last thing you want when there is moisture-laden air. Skin care experts call it a must-have irrespective of your skin type.

IANS spoke to experts like Hong Kong-based skin care expert Ceri Silk and Indian Beauty expert Blossom Kochhar and they have come up with the following tips:

Oily skin: Ceri Silk suggests that people with oily skin should use water-based moisturisers after deep-cleansing the face.

Dry skin: Mr. Hanif, medical director, Ozone Group of Companies, not only supports use of moisturiser, but also application of a cream-based cleanser to keep the skin hydrated.

Mr. Hanif gives the thumbs up to light moisturiser. She also advises the use of finger tips to apply and not to use it profusely. Excessive use of it will only work against the skin as the moisturiser will just sit heavily on the face and prevent the skin from breathing.

Capital-based dermatologist Indu Tolani recommends sunscreen lotion to people who have field work and are exposed to the sun for long hours. They should carry sunscreen with them and apply it every two hours.

Blossom Kochhar too emphasises on the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). Those just commuting between home and office should use sunscreen with SPF 15. The SPF level should be 30 for those who stay out longer in the sun. She also said that the sunscreen should have UVA and UVB protection.

Kochhar also shares quick tips on how to use vegetables, fruits and other natural ingredients to protect the skin from the weather`s harshness.

- Take a tomato and crush it. Then take Multani mitti and mix them. Apply the mixture on the face and leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse it off. It is good for specially those who have open pores.

- If you have a dry skin, paste made of honey and banana will be good. However, people with oily skin should use only honey.

- Watermelon is very good. If you mix it with milk powder and put in on the skin, it will help to calm and cool the skin.

Treatment and precaution for skin infection:

As skin infections are on the rise during monsoon, Mr. Hanif advises consulting a specialist in addition to two simple solutions:

- Use an anti-fungal powder on all body folds to avoid any fungal infection.

- Keep your skin dry. Don`t wear wet clothes and sit for long. Wet shoes should also be changed.

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