Coronavirus or COVID-19 had been declared a Global Pandemic situation by WHO back in March 2020. Since then research work is on to find a vaccine for this deadly virus. The virus had its wrath all over the world.
Humanity is currently facing a big threat. While hygiene is a big concern to stay safe from COVID-19, scientists are trying their best to find a cure.
Under these circumstances, how great would it be to have immunity booster foods for COVID-19 prevention?
Here we will discuss the essential immunity booster food that will help us healthily fight the pandemic.
Some tips to fight the pandemic healthily:
While you need a healthy immunity booster diet chart for COVID-19, some other tips need to be followed simultaneously-
- Washing and sanitizing your hands every time you have food or come home from outside
- Get a fresh diet chart dosed with immunity boosters
- Get ample sleep
- Drink plenty of water
- Exercise regularly
- Meditate regularly, quit smoking and alcohol, and avoid travelling unnecessarily to keep yourself distressed.
- Wear protective gear while you are out of your house.
All these, when taken up together, form an effective shield in fighting the war against COVID-19.
Immunity supplements on a daily routine to fight Coronavirus:
Medical practitioners say it is best to avoid medicines as preventive measures if you have no symptoms of Coronavirus in your system. Instead of medicine, it is suggested that you boost your immune system and fight the situation.
How to boost your immune system during the pandemic?
The answer is, by consumption of natural supplements for immunity. These are few supplements which when consumed on daily basis have been proven to be effective to fight viruses.
1️⃣ Vitamin C – the major immunity booster:
Vitamin C had been known to develop immunity to fight cough and cold for a long time. It is an antioxidant that prevents our body from getting damaged due to stress from oxidants. Vitamin C even has a record of curing infection and ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).
Natural food to supply our body with Vitamin C is Citrus fruits, bell peppers, kiwifruit etc.
2️⃣ Vitamin D:
Though not it is not as effective as Vitamin C, Vitamin D has a mild immunity-boosting effect against infection in respiratory tracts. Natural sources of Vitamin D are cheese, egg yolk, dairy products, etc.
3️⃣ Zinc:
Zinc is one of the major components of White Blood Corpuscles. Now, we all know that WBC is effective in fighting infections. Zinc deficiency can lead to weakening this effect of WBC, leading to cold, flu, fever, and other forms of viral diseases. So, Zinc supplement is essential.
The natural resources of Zinc are cashew, chickpeas, etc.
4️⃣ Elderberry:
This berry is rich in-
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- Iron
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A, B, and C
- Copper
- Dietary fibers
- Protein
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Of course, this is a great health solution to boost immunity. Apart from that, it also has antiviral and antibacterial effects.
5️⃣ Turmeric:
This spice is naturally inflammatory and antioxidant in nature. If you have infections and wounds, the healing compound called Curcumin helps in curing.
For healthy consumption, doctors recommend a glass of turmeric milk at night for immunity.
6️⃣ Natural antivirus supplement:
When we say natural antivirus supplements, the common names that come in our mind are Tulsi leaves, ginger, garlic, star anise etc. they are great in fighting viruses when it comes to flu. they boost our immunity by flushing out the toxins from our body.
The best way to have these supplements is by making a potion by boiling all these ingredients.
Common antivirus potions of natural ingredients are
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- Amla and ginger juice
- warm star anise water
- ginger, honey tulsi water
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7️⃣ Yogurt:
Yogurt is well known for its probiotic effects. While you are maintaining the hygiene by washing your hands and sanitizing, consider having yogurt as well. This helps in killing the germs in your stomach.
These are the top 7 immunity boosters that are suggested by all the doctors for fighting COVID-19.
A suitable diet chart for the consumption of immunity boosters:
Since we are preparing a healthy diet chart with immune-boosters, we need to maintain certain standards of hygiene in the kitchen. Remember the main aim is to enhance our immunity.
Kitchen tips
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- Thoroughly cook your food, avoid raw items
- Fibres are mandated in the diet
- Soak your vegetables and fruits in saline water for a minimum span of 3-4 hours
- Drink water infused with 2 lemon slices, 2-3 leaves of the mint tree, cucumber slices, or carrot slices. This works like a booster for metabolism.
- Have dark green leafy vegetables
- Consume immunity-boosting supplements
- Protein consumption is necessary
- Ensure dinner is taken by 8 pm
- Ice-creams and frozen desserts are to be avoided strictly
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Based on these factors, below is a suitable diet chart for a day-
6 AM – 7 AM: Food chart for early morning
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- 1 garlic clove along with 1 glass of lukewarm lemon water
- 4-5 well-soaked walnut and almond
- 1 cup of green tea, 30 minutes later to the above 2 items.
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8 AM – 9 AM: Time for breakfast (choose from the options)
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- Cheela or roti made of chickpea flour, spinach, and vegetables along with mint leaf chutney and 1 glass of buttermilk
- Sabzi and dosa with sambar
- Sugarless porridge and oats meal with dates, 1 slice of mango, chia, or flax seeds
- Vegetable omelette along with 2 whole wheat bread slices
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10.30 AM – 11.30 AM (Mid-morning antioxidant)
Have 1 orange, 1 amla, and 1 fruit of your choice from the below list
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- 1 small-sized apple
- Half a cup of pomegranate
- 2 slices either of watermelon or muskmelon or papaya
- Half cup of grapes
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1 PM – 2 PM: Ideal time for Lunch (Choose from a menu)
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- Salad made of half cup each of carrots and cucumbers
- 2 chapatis or a half cup of rice
- 1 cup of dal (lentils)
- A three-fourth cup of vegetables consisting either of beans, broccoli, Nutri-vegetables, Mixed vegetables, or cauliflower
- Hal-a-cup of curd
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4.30 PM -5.30 PM: Time for some evening tea
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- Prepare a cup of immune-tea by infusing tulsi leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, ginger, fennel seeds, and tea leaves.
- Half-a-cup of makhana roasted or chickpeas or boiled sprouts
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7 PM – 8 PM: Dinner time (try to finish before 8 PM)
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- A cup of soup (choose a soup of your liking from tomato soup, beetroot carrot soup, sweet potato, tomato, and carrot soup, or spinach soup
- A sandwich made of whole-wheat bread with fillings made of cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and a slice of paneer
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If you are comfortable with the option for a sandwich, the alternate menus to choose from will be
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- 1-2 chapati along with a paneer bhurji
- 1-2 chapati along with a nutrela and vegetable sabzi
- Idlis made of oats along with sambar
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9 PM: Supper before you go off to bed
A cup of skimmed milk along with turmeric or Haldi-doodh
The above diet is sure to have its effect in boosting immunity in your system if you are consuming the diet mindfully.
Conclusion:
We have discussed the immunity booster foods and a possible diet chart to follow in these tried times. However, one must remember that this is only to enhance immunity. None of these food items or supplements work as a cure for Coronavirus. They only increase your chances of fighting the virus for a longer time.
