Good Nutrition during Quarantine!
Corona trauma left most of us vulnerable since it does not have any proper vaccination yet. That’s why precaution is the only way in terms of “lockdown” to protect ourselves against COVID 19. It’s not really the time to panic but the time for change in our lifestyle and maintain a focused diet and dedicated routine to stay fit. Maintaining physical fitness and mental strength are the major goals during this pandemic situation globally. This crisis made everybody staying at home, not being able to hit the gym or going out for a morning walk which makes us unfit. Few exercise and nutritious diet could make sure your time at home worth, meanwhile no one really knows how long this virus safety measure needs to be in place, but they surely give us the perfect opportunity to catch up on a healthy lifestyle.
It is very easy to stay back home, relax yourself, eat good tasty food but also time to restrict ourselves from overeating. This is not high time to polish your cooking skill rather following proper diet and mindful eating which helps to maintain body weight. During lockdown period we tend to feed like holiday and please our tongue to get rid of boredom & stress by eating unhealthy foods which is not recommended. Instead, healthy food is recommended which sends right signal to our body and boost the immune system to fight the virus off. Stronger fighting power verses eating wrong food and therefore having lowered immunity, tendency for metabolic diseases or even falling prey to the common cold & flue or the COVID 19.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY:
Boost your immunity in this pandemic is the right goal.
Vitamin C : You might know about vitamin C’s connection to the immune system, you can get it easily not only from citrus fruits like orange, sweet lime, guava, grapes, amla but also can get it from just a lemon wedges, Leafy vegetables such as spinach or bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, strawberries and tomatoes or the green chilies. In fact, vitamin C is in so many foods that most people may not need to take supplements unless a doctor advises it.
Vitamin E: Like vitamin C, vitamin E can be a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds are all high in vitamin E.
Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is an essential need in body since it is part of nearly two hundred biomedical reaction which help how our body immune system functions. Foods high in vitamin B6 includes chicken, egg, tuna, bananas and breakfast cereals such as oats, all bran etc.
Vitamin A: Antioxidant effect in Vitamin A help to strengthen the immune system against any type of infection. Foods that are high in colorful compounds called carotenoids— carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and orange and yellow colors vegetables.
Vitamin D: Many people having hard time absorbing Vitamin D from sunlight, for an added advantage you can make your body warm spending times in your balcony or rooftop at least half an hour per day. In case of deficiency please consult your nutritionist or doctor for supplementation.
Iron: Iron carries oxygen to cells in human body. Your body can easily absorb “heme iron,” from eggs, dry fruits, spinach, beet root, beans etc.
Selenium: Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system. It can be found in chicken, nuts, cereals, mushrooms etc.
Zinc: Zinc IS available in oysters, crab, lean meats and poultry, yogurt and chickpeas. Zi
Condiments & Spices: Ginger, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, green tea also has immune boosting effects.
Get Healthy!
To have a healthy, strong immune system, we need to focus on getting healthy overall. Here are a few lifestyle factors that can impact your immune health.
Be active physically: As there is not much chance to avail Gym or park to perform the physical exercise, indoor workout is the only option to burnout the calories. Engage yourselves in jogging, skipping at home or house chores also a good option in this lockdown period. Aim to get at least 40-45 minutes of physical activity per day.
Maintain body clock: Usually our body clock itself is quite disturbed due to our irregular eating pattern & irregular sleeping time, but now we should get back to the order.
Manage stress: Certain types of stress can weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to infection. During this pandemic please do not panic yourself to make yourself more prone to infection or hyperglycemia or hypertensive or any metabolic diseases by increasing your stress.
Limit your addiction: If you are addicted to alcohol or cigars, this is the perfect time to get rid of all these. Immunity is the major factor to fight against COVID 19, we must avoid alcohol as it suppresses our immune system
Take steps to avoid infection: Wash your hands frequently and use sanitizer if required. Practice food safety when preparing food at home to reduce the spread of bacteria. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Cook fish or chicken thoroughly and keep raw and cooked foods separate. Avoid cross contamination by using separate chopping board or knives for vegetables and nonveg items.
Stay hydrated: Make sure to drink around 10-12 glasses of water/day, especially we can focus on drinking warm water in this situation which is helpful to fight against COVID 19.
A good nutrition, mindful eating, possible physical exercise would be a preferable option to stay healthy during this hour. By reducing your portion size and avoiding high calorie food or binge eating and adding a good amount of protein in daily menu will help you to stay away not only from weight gain but also from infection.
