-Moiz Khan
Immunity boosting foods and Right eating pattern
Continuously living in the life of stress, fear and anxiety will just invite more diseases. Instead let us start living healthier life with more awareness and right knowledge. Immunity is the power of the body to defense against external pathogenic substances. Balanced diet taken in right pattern can boost up our immunity. Healthy living is the best immune response during COVID-19.
More raw vegetables and fruits should be taken during this time. It adds a lot of fiber, tons of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to our body. Fruits taken on an empty stomach can increase our energy levels. It also helps in bowel movement and in weight loss. Immunity Boosting Foods like Drumsticks, Garlic, Onion, Turmeric, Red Capsicum, Cucumber, Carrot, Coconut water, lemon, orange should be taken. Drumstick helps in boosting our immunity and acts as a shield for any virus to grow. Intake of Coconut water should always be fresh. Adding half a lemon to fresh coconut water, vitamin C shoots up by 10 times. Vitamin C present in Red Capsicum is 3 times higher than the Vitamin C found in an orange.
Drinking at least two liters sufficient water per day will not only help flush out toxins but maintain a healthy fluid balance. We should avoid junk foods, dairy products, Non-Veg, Deep fried and packaged food as much as possible.
Intermittent fasting can also be done. It is not a diet, but rather an eating pattern. It is an eating cycle between periods of fasting and feasting. It helps to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. It induces various cellular repair processes. It helps to lose weight and belly fat. It reduces insulin resistance and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
What to Avoid?
Stress and fear weakens our immune system. Hence, we should consciously avoid taking any stress as it will directly affect our immune system. Being active by practicing yoga or brisk walking will always help. Yoga helps in calming our mind, body and soul. In particular, exercise is best in strengthening our respiratory system. Good quality sleep every night recharges the immune system. Good sleep is important. Striving to have a peaceful night, and getting quality sleep and rest is one of the best things we can do for our health and well-being. It helps in hormonal balance, reduces inflammation, decreases lifestyle disease risk in both adults and children and also boosts our immunity.
Handshakes should be avoided. Avoiding crowded places, going out, meeting people and self-quarantine must be done. We must practice Social Distancing for our own safety and the safety of others too. This is our foremost responsibility. As we are all aware of the saying “Too much of anything is bad”. We must use this period to de-addict ourselves from anything that we feel we can’t do without. Our addiction could range from something as simple as our morning tea/coffee to consumption of alcohol and smoking.
Just as sanitizers and masks work as shields on the outside, our healthy thoughts & immunity are our inner shields. If we can spread a disease, we can also spread love and gratitude. Washing hands at regular intervals, making this a habit, in every 3-4 hours for 10-20 seconds thoroughly is the best thing we can do!
Moiz Khan
Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Sciences (7th Semester)
School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University