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Rujuta Diwekar’s fool-proof guide on staying healthy this monsoon
Mumbai: Are people around you “under the weather” lately? The damp and humid environment creates a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, leading to an increase in common illnesses like colds and flu. However, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar in her audiobook, ‘Eating in The Age of Dieting’ on Audible, elaborates on how maintaining good health during the monsoon is easier than we think. Here are five foods that Rujuta recommends everyone must consume to optimise their health and immunity during this wonderful season!
1. Sip your way to health with spiced-up chai
With monsoon comes the desire to sit by the window sipping a hot cup of chai. This is why Rujuta suggests three easy tips to make that hot cup of tea not only calming but also healthy for the body. She recommends the following:
. Add ginger and tulsi for digestion and immunity
. Add lemongrass to prevent bloating and congestion
. Add black pepper or cinnamon to improve insulin sensitivity
2. Supercharge your immunity with indigenous produce
Sharing an insight on consuming locally grown vegetables, Rujuta shares, “The soil during the rains is not suitable for growing green leafy vegetables, and therefore we shift to creepers like dudhi (bottle gourd), pumpkin, karela (bitter gourd), gilka (ridge gourd) and root vegetables like sweet potato, suran (elephant foot yam) and konfal (purple yam). The exception to this rule is the wild and uncultivated greens that shoot up during the season – ambadi (roselle plant), shevla (dragon stalk yam), lingri (fiddlehead fern), to name a few…It’s very important for your gut bacterial diversity and acts as a booster shot for immunity.”
3. Embrace nutrient-rich grains and millets
When it comes to monsoons, Rujuta strongly recommends Nachini – “You can eat it as porridge, bhakhri or even a papad.” Additionally, she urges everyone to avoid multigrain breads, attas and biscuits and suggests seasonal substitutes for them. “The season also comes with festivals and special months like Shravan, where the focus shifts to eating smaller millets like Rajgira, Samo, Kuttu, Mandua, etc. Again, have them in traditional preps and in combination with dahi, makhan etc, to ensure optimum assimilation.”
4. Power up with pulses (nature’s protein) during the wet season
Rujuta Diwekar sheds light on a fascinating tradition: during monsoons, Indians historically substituted meat and fish with carefully dried and stored pulses from the summer months. These became a source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and even fibre during the season. “The best ones turn into usals, the next grains to dals, the one after that to vadis that can be cooked as sabzi and is often a mix of many pulses and papads. You must incorporate two important pulses in your meals this season: kulith (horsegram), and alsane (Goa beans), great for skin and hair.”
5. Savour bhajiyas but with a healthy twist
As the monsoon rains bring their earthy petrichor scent, cravings for comforting foods naturally arise. Talking about the season’s speciality, ‘deep-fried bhajiyas’, she advices, “Use filtered groundnut, mustard or coconut oils, and don’t reuse the oil for cooking afterwards. Without essential fats in the diet, vitamin D cannot be assimilated. Essential fats also help in regulating blood sugar. So apart from being tasty, deep-fried pakoras are healthy too, and for everyone, heart patients, obese and diabetics included, eat them without fear and with the confidence that you know when to stop eating.”
Insufficient calorie intake during monsoons can weaken our immunity and make us prone to infections, fevers and other ailments. Contrary to popular belief, Rujuta says, “Your taste buds are not against your weight loss plans. They are simply against your plan to lose your immunity and to guard you against a possible crash of your immune system.” For more expert advice, tune into ‘Eating in the Age of Dieting’ on Audible to optimise your health and well-being, not just during the monsoon, but throughout the year.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
