Laloona Rehan Azeemi
OUR world is going through a very hard and challenging time. In the wake of current Covid 19 pandemic, it is highly essential to keep one’s immunity strong and boost it by eating a variety of healthy foods. Lots of foods are believed to keep one’s immunity strong and help fight infections. People who eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet tend to be healthier with relatively stronger immunities. These individuals are comparatively at a lower risk of infections. Hydration along with proper nutrition is essential.
One should consume fresh and unprocessed food everyday to get a variety of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, proteins and anti oxidants that the body require. Avoid sugar, salt and fat to significantly avoid the risk of obesity, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and cancers. It is important to eat healthy and keep one’s gut healthy for the better digestion of food. Constipation and diarrhoea weakens the immune system of the body. Some of the important nutritional guidelines for an enhanced immunity includes consumption of yogurt on daily basis to improve digestion. Ginger, garlic and cinnamon tea is full of anti oxidants.
Cooking diminishes the nutritive value of garlic, therefore it is recommended to consume it in raw form. It boosts the immunity and keep the gut healthy. An easiest way of making ginger tea included boiling 6 cups of water with a small pieces of ginger and boiling it until the water is 3 cups left. This can be consumed every day about 2 times.
Moreover, vitamin A and D intake and their balance keeps up the immune system. They can be taken either through supplements or diet. Food sources includes Apricots and their seeds and mangoes. Natural sunlight provides us with vitamin D. Zinc, another essential nutrient can be consumed in either supplemental form or from foods likes seafood, cashews, pistachios or penuts etc. Moreover, Vitamin C intake is essential for building up the white blood cells in the body which fights off the infections. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits like lemon, grapefruit, bell peppers etc. our body do not store vitamin C, that’s why it must be consumed orally.
Olive leaves when taken in dried form can enhance immunity. It can be added to green tea as well. Curcumin, a substance found in turmeric is very effective when taken in luke worm milk with a pinch of black pepper for better absorption.
Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables helps in better immunity and longevity. Proper rest and good quality sleep relaxes one’s mind and makes the immunity stronger. Physical exercise including walk, yoga, breathing exercises, or any physical activity for about 1 hour everyday improves the quality of life.
—The writer, a Gold medallist, holds MSc. In Food and Nutrition from University of Peshawar. Columnist daily Pakistan Observer. Dietitian at Liaquat National Hospital (Karachi)
