Immunity is the balanced state of multicellular organisms having adequate biological defenses to fight infection, disease or other unwanted biological invasion, while having adequate tolerance to avoid allergy and autoimmune diseases. Immunity building is the essence of survival during any pandemic or viral attacks. Knowing immunity building tips are vital for everyone. Your first line of defense against Covid-19 after social distancing is to choose a “heathy lifestyle”. This is very important for immunity building and to stay healthy.
Following general good health guidelines is the single best step that you can take for keeping your immune system strong and healthy. When you start following a healthy lifestyle and good food, your body starts protecting you against certain infections and viruses and it develops immunity in a better way. Some easy tips you can follow sitting at home are below:
- Get adequate sleep and try to compensate for its backlogs.
- Maintain Healthy Weight
- Try to minimize stress
- Exercise Regularly
- Engage in Refreshing Mind Games and Activities
- Eat foods rich in Fiber, Vitamins and Minerals
- Make sure you get enough protein for the day from the diet you follow
- Stay hydrated through out the day by drinking plenty of water
- Take steps to prevent infection by washing your hand regularly with soap
Tips to improve Immunity :
Let’s Eat a Rainbow – For getting a wide variety of nutrients, colourful fruits and vegetables will help you since they are rich in antioxidants. These nutrients guard against free radicals, molecules that can harm your cells. To get a wide range, go for a verity of fresh fruits & vegetables like Oranges, Lemon, green peppers, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, carrots, watermelon, papaya, leafy greens, sweet melon etc into your diet. Even seasonal fruits like Pineapple, Banana has a good role in protecting our immune system. This is one among the main tip for step up immunity.
Spice up your Kitchen to boost immunity– Spices like Turmeric, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin seeds, pepper etc has a potential power to protect your immune system.
Turmeric, a very common and easily available item on kitchen shelves has proved itself to be very effective even in the treatments of certain types of cancers.The spice has been used for its medicinal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties for thousands of years. Take advantage of this spice by adding it while preparing food for your family.
Fall in love with Pepper– Black Pepper, the king of spices is one of the most commonly used spices in the world. Black Pepper is rich in a plant compound called Piperine which is found to have potent antioxidant properties that helps to prevent free radical damage to your cells. Apart from the antioxidant properties, it has been found to lower the cholesterol levels and also it increases the absorption of essential nutrients. In particular, it helps in the absorption of curcumin, an active ingredient found in turmeric. You could use them in your soups, grilled vegetables, salads, fish, chicken and much more to increase your body immunity.
Not a Day without Garlic- When thinking of boosting up immunity during this pandemic season, garlic is an excellent idea. Once Garlic been crushed, chewed or sliced, it produces allicin that boosts its immune properties.
Garlic has shown promise as a treatment for preventing colds and the flu. Studies have shown that garlic reduces the risk of becoming sick in the first place. It can also reduce the severity of symptoms and helps you recover faster.
Get all your Proteins from food – Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. They are broken down into amino acids during digestion. Proteins can be easily availed from animal sources like meat, poultry, fish and eggs. You need not eat animal products alone to get all the protein you need in your diet. They are also found in plant sources such as soy, beans, pulses and legumes, nuts, butters, and some grains (such as wheat germ and quinoa).
You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones along with step up body immunity. Protein is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.
Fruits and Vegetables as part of your diet- People who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of their overall healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables and fruits are important sources of many nutrients including potassium, folic acid, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. They are also excellent sources of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre from vegetables, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fibre is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fibre-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
Also, eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Studies have shown that fruits and vegetables provide nutrients—like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E—that can boost immune function. Because many vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based foods are also rich in antioxidants, they help reduce oxidative stress.
During this Covid-19 Season, you need not be so choosy about the vegetables to include in your diet but instead focus on what is available locally and include them in your daily diet.
Stay Hydrated by drinking plenty of water- Water helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy. It activates metabolism, which has a positive impact on your energy levels. Apart from these benefits, stating hydrated keeps you regulate your body temperature, protect your spinal cord, tissues and joints, excrete waste through perspiration, urination and defecation. It also improves your blood oxygen circulation which will have an overall positive impact on health. Water also helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy.
In short, variety within limited availability is the key to proper nutrition during this pandemic season. Eating just one of these foods won’t be enough to help fight off the flu even if you eat it constantly. Pay attention to serving sizes and recommended daily intake so that you don’t get too much of a single vitamin and too little of others.
Note: Remember that spices nor any of the foods mentioned here is not a cure or treatment for Covid-19, instead these are general guidelines for keeping your immune system healthy to fight off the disease.
Tags: coivid19, immunity