The monsoon season, with its damp, swampy and humid weather, often brings relief from the scorching heat but also poses several health challenges – especially for our digestive system. During this time, the gut lining tends to weaken, leading to reduced nutrient absorption and compromised digestion. These issues can affect overall health, particularly immunity.
Nutritionist Pooja Makhija, in a video shared on Instagram, highlights the importance of taking precautions to maintain gut health during the monsoons. She recommends incorporating immunity-boosting foods into your diet and emphasises, “If your gut is not happy, neither can your immunity be. Sip as many lattes or turmeric lattes as you might.”
She further explains, “Remember, 70% of your immune cells are in your gut. But if your gut microbiome isn't healthy and strong enough, all the vitamin supplements, zinc, which boosts your immunity, and vitamin D, which boosts your immunity, cannot be absorbed by the gut. Remember, the gut microbiome is a diverse colony. But when you take too many antibiotics or too much stress, the microbiome gets pilfered or what is called as the leaky gut.”
The nutritionist shares ways to strengthen your microbiome. She says, “One, let's ditch the raw, stick to warm foods. Two, sip on an ajwain, jeera and soft water.”
Ingredients to make the jeera water and the benefits of each one of them:
Jeera (Cumin seeds)
Key action: Stimulates digestive enzymes
- Increases bile production → improves fat digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Rich in antioxidants like apigenin, which support gut healing.
Ajwain (Carom seeds)
Key action: Reduces gas, bloating, and microbial overgrowth
- Contains thymol, a natural antimicrobial and antispasmodic.
- Enhances secretion of gastric juices, preventing sluggish digestion post meals.
Saunf (Fennel seeds)
Key action: Soothes the gut lining and relieves cramping
- Contains anethole, which has anti-spasmodic and mild estrogenic activity (bonus for women during hormonal shifts).
- Calms inflammation and supports smooth digestion, especially after heavy or spicy meals.
Recipe
Boil 1 tsp jeera + ½ tsp ajwain + 1 tsp saunf in 2 cups of water for 5–10 mins. Then, strain and sip the warm mixture after lunch/dinner.
In the same video, the nutritionist further talks about other key ways to strengthen your microbiome-
“Have a teaspoon of fermented rice kanji or a homemade pickle made at home to give the microbiome diversity,” she states.
Lastly, she suggests having a week of gut reset with teas like licorice/liquorice and or triphala. She shares, “Now, licorice or mulethi primarily soothes the gut lining just like aloe vera does. But this does it from the inside. It increases the mucus barrier, which is the first line of defence for your gut and also reduces inflammation.”
And for the second one, she shares, “Triphala helps to detoxify. So, therefore, there are no blockages, and there is no bloating. When we do have clear bowel movements, this promotes the healthy bacteria to flourish and the bad guys to stay suppressed and therefore boosts your immunity.”
“So this monsoon, my dear friends, don't just eat better, absorb better,” the nutritionist concludes.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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