One of the many ways of battling COVID-19 is having a healthy diet that can boost your immunity. At DOCSUN we have your health sorted with the beginning of the new year What Are Your New Year Health Resolutions? – Docsun Computation MedLab. Nutrition plays a big role in our health and body development. Nutrition plays a big role in child development as well-nourished children tend to be more active and their immune system is strong enough to fight against diseases. Immunity is the ability of the body to fight infection or disease using antibodies or white blood cells. COVID- 19 affects one’s immunity making it weak and unable to fight most of the virus’s symptoms. The best thing now is to observe safety measures and boost our immunity. Below are several ways that can help boost one’s immunity:
WAYS OF BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based sanitizer regularly. This helps in preventing the spread of the virus from surfaces you touch.
Properly wear your mask ensuring that your nose and mouth are covered. Do not touch your nose, eyes and mouth with dirty hands.
Though the above measures have shown to significantly be effective, there are still chances that you may get the virus. As such, the best mechanism is to prepare your body as though you will contract the virus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306972
NATURAL WAYS TO BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM
Shallow depth of Field image of Nutrition Facts Vitamin D Information we can find on a grocery Store Product.
1. Eat food rich in vitamins.
Foods that boost your immunity are foods rich in vitamins E, D, C and A, and minerals such as zinc, magnesium and selenium.
- Vitamin A rich foods include carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, spinach, mangoes, papaya and dark leafy greens.
- Vitamin E rich foods include almonds, vegetable oil, whole grains, sweet potatoes, wheat germ, and yams.
- Vitamin C rich foods: citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus and sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin D: Sunshine and selenium
2. Take a diet low in carbohydrates and rich in proteins.
Taking reduced portions of carbohydrates helps to control high blood pressure and blood sugar levels . A diet rich in proteins is an immunity booster as it keeps your body in good shape.
3. Take care of your gut health.
80% of our immune system resides in the gut. Keeping your digestive system healthy helps in improving your immunity. If you have recently used antibiotics, make ensure to take a dose of probiotics as well. Antibiotics kill both good and the harmful bacteria in your gut. Probiotics, on the other hand, restore the good bacteria which helps in nutrient absorption by the body. Fermented foods like unsweetened yoghurt are a great source of natural probiotics.
Other foods such as ginger, whole garlic, turmeric and gooseberries also help in boosting the immunity. They have properties that help kill harmful bacteria and yeast infections in the small intestine.
4. Exercise regularly.
A healthy diet followed by regular physical activity will go a long way in boosting your immunity. Regular exercise helps release harmful toxins from your body hence boosting your immunity. Some of the exercises that can easily be done at home are planks, squats, chest opener and bridge.
5. Get enough rest.
A good sleep boosts immunity by helping your bodily functions. The opposite is true when it comes to inadequate sleep. It weakens both physical and brain functions.
An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you are having problems sleeping this much, try to:
Maintain a consistent sleeping pattern where you sleep and wake up at the same time each day. Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening hours. Avoid watching television 30 minutes before bed.
6. Reduce Stress. Switch off your gadgets.
Long term stress, in particular, has been established to leave the body vulnerable to infections. Stress increases the suppressor T cells level, which suppresses the immune system. A weak immunity makes us more susceptible to viral illnesses such as flu, colds, and COVID-19. Ways to reduce stress include counselling, meditation, breathing exercises, working out, talking o family and friends among others.
For your immunity to function best, your body needs some basic building blocks. Nutrition studies show that the immune system suffers when it lacks some essential nutrients.
For instance people with vitamin C and D deficiencies mostly suffer from various infections, including pneumonia. Taking a healthy diet and get enough sleep, reduced stress, and regular exercise is the sure-fire way to boost your immunity naturally to fight COVID 19.
