Authorities have been constantly warning the residents to stay indoors and avoid going out as much as possible as the pollution levels in the national capital have reached 20 times the recommended levels by WHO.
With so many precautions and pieces of advice being freely distributed on the social media, we bring you some simple home remedies by none other than celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar to ensure that you stay safe.
Simple home remedies to beat the smog/air pollution:
1. Healthy homemade laddoo
There is a reason our dadis and nanis made those delicious laddoos at home; they are really good for health. To make these healthy, bite-sized laddoos, you need sonth, gul and ghee. Take equal amounts of dry ginger, jaggery and ghee as well. Mix all the ingredients well and roll it into small balls. Start having these laddoos every day, preferably one during the morning and one after you have returned home.
Homemade ladoos can be especially helpful if you have battled the air pollution the whole day and spent a lot of time outdoors.
These laddoos not only prevent inflammation and flu but also help in keeping sinuses clear and aid digestion.
2. Sugarcane to the rescue
There are several health benefits of the humble sugarcane. It helps to cleanse and detoxify the liver. Being rich in micronutrients, it also boosts the immune system. Last but not the least, it can also help you beat lethargy and low moods caused by the smog.
You can either chew sugar cane and spit the fibre out or drink its fresh juice. The ideal time to have sugarcane is as a mid-meal, before noon.
3. Powerful herbal drinks
Heat a glass of milk, add kesar and turmeric (haldi) while it is still boiling. Once it gets boiled, pour it in a cup and add 1 teaspoon of tulsi seeds or soaked sabja. You can also add powdered jaggery as per your taste. The volatile oils from kesar prevent skin and hair damage, while sabja or tulsi seeds are well known for beating infections, allergies and bloating. Turmeric (haldi) and milk is a potent and well-known recovery and anti-inflammatory combination.
Apart from these home remedies, there are a few other tips that you should follow to breathe easy and fight this toxic air.
1. Many healthcare experts have strictly warned against jogging and exercising outdoors, but this doesn’t mean that you have to give up on exercise altogether. Be smart, just shift it to indoors.
2. Drink plenty of water and other healthy drinks throughout the day to keep yourself well hydrated.
3. Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and carotene supplements are helpful in combating the damaging effects of air pollution.
