It is the season of rains, roasted and boiled corns, annoying mosquitos, and the flu. It is the raining season and it comes with its charms and baggage, like a newborn baby.
The raining season in Nigeria is not only about hot tea and hot roasted corns. It is also about the prevalence of illnesses that seem to love the wetness and the high humidity of the season. For instance, the common flu (cold) is everywhere. More people are infected with malaria because mosquitos are reproducing in ponds around people’s houses with abandon.
Being in the middle of a pandemic, the raining season’s timeliness isn’t entirely going to help keep the required distance. The best thing we can do for our bodies right now is to keep them in tip-top healthy shape. Make sure our defenses are not bombarded and lowered by sicknesses. Singing rain, rain, go away will not change anything this time around, we have to put in the work.
Here are a few simple tips that will help us keep a perfect bill of health this wet season:
Always carry an umbrella while wearing your face mask
The weather is already cold, getting drenched will make it easier for your body temperature to fall. This may lead to cold and fever, so remember your umbrella anytime you are going out during this period. Also wear thick clothes, these simple precautions can help keep you healthy. Remember to keep those masks on at all times when outdoors.
Eat well
There are lots of illnesses and pathogens going around this season. They are all looking for suitable bodies to infect. Eating well-balanced diets and getting all your daily recommended vitamins and minerals will keep your body ready to fight back. Also, a balanced, hot, and well-cooked meal is exactly what the doctor will always order on a cold day.
Proper hygiene
It is always good to practice proper hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water, clean and wipe surfaces and your surroundings, and get rid of your trash. This is even more important now in the raining season and also during a pandemic.
Keep drinking clean water
Granted, it might feel a little weird to keep drinking water even though you are not thirsty, but it is a good habit to get into. If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Taking an adequate amount of water makes it easy for toxins to leave your body.
Get more of the C
Vitamin C should be your friend during this period. It helps to strengthen your immune system. This means it speeds your recovery from colds and other illnesses. Take it either as a supplement (drugs) or in its natural form (food like papaya, red and green pepper, pineapple, oranges). This is one supplement that should be part of your daily routine.
ALSO READ: The rainy season is here: How prepared are you?
Do your part
Try to do your own part to make sure that you stay healthy during this raining season and pandemic. These simple steps might seem basic and trivial, but when it comes to staying healthy, it is the little things that count the most. Stay safe and stay strong.
