Boost Immunity – With Nutrition Rich Healthy Foods

Hope you and your family are doing well. As we see, cases of Coronavirus are still rising. We must boost our immunity and take daily precautionary measures to save ourselves and stop the spread-

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1. Avoid MEN – Touching Mouth, Eyes, Nose

2. Avoid unnecessary travel

3. Avoid handshakes

Wash your hands regularly, Obey Social Distancing, Mask is a must, Exercise and eat healthy food which is very important, Need enough sleep. Following “WOMEN” is an essential key that helps in lowering the risk of infection.

As we all know, currently there is no vaccine for this invisible enemy. Scientists and other healthcare workers are doing their best, to make this world “Corona” free.

Read how to Work From Home and Stay Fit During Lockdown

Co-living with micro-organisms

When a microorganism (Virus/Bacteria/Fungi/Parasites etc) enters into the human body it causes damage to our Immune system. Falling sick is one of the common problems which could happen to many of us and it’s on the top list of worries to parents.

The weak immune system means it would be easy for the microorganisms to attack our body. Nowadays everyone is concerned about their health due to infections. While I was surfing, some articles explained that “IMMUNITY” is the biggest key to overcome the pandemic challenges.

What is Immunity?

Immunity is a healthy condition or protection in multicellular organisms with adequate mechanisms to combat the infection, disease, or to prevent allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Immunity in simple terms “is not affected” or resistant to foreign particles.

The first line of defense of mechanisms to enhance your immune system is Exercise. It plays a vital role in overall health and development. We should make sure to encourage our kids, our family to do workouts at least 30 minutes on a regular basis to boost their immunity.

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ABCDE to boost immunity

Studies say that there is no special diet or specific food that will directly help boost our immune system. At the same time experts say that if a human body is without enough essential nutrients, the immune system starts suffering. Many of us today have a deficiency of  Vitamin C & sunshine Vitamin D in addition to these infections including pneumonia.

It’s important to include a wide variety of foods in reasonable amounts which is the best and simplified way to get our daily dose of Vitamins, Minerals, Healthy Antioxidants, and other Nutrients.

Importance of Vitamins

Everyone is flooding on the internet to find the best ways to boost the immune system. Vitamin-rich foods list and basic home workouts only to protect from this outbreak. To strengthen the immune system, the most important step is to achieve disease resistance by proper nutrition, and nutrition is directly related to immunity. Vitamins A, B, C, D and E, and the Minerals Zinc, Selenium, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium play a crucial role.

History of Vitamins

Vitamin “A”

Leafy Vegetables, especially spinach, are loaded with Micro and Macro Nutrients, in fact, they are rich in Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, etc. In addition, they contain Antioxidants, Carotenoids which are very important for a healthy Immune system. While we always learned “A for Apples likewise, Vitamin A is rich in Apples”. Apples are also rich in Vitamin B, K1, B6, and Potassium. Apples contain a fiber called Pectin, a Prebiotic which helps boost gut bacteria.

Hence the saying is absolutely true “An Apple a day keeps a doctor away” and we have different reasons why apples are ‘best’ for our immune system.

Vitamin “B”

Papaya is the best fruit rich in both Vitamin A and B. Papaya contains an enzyme called Papain which helps us in increasing immunity. Other foods and fruits like Chickpeas or Garbanzo seeds, Red Kidney beans (Rajma), Yogurt, Banana, Milk, Eggs, etc are rich in Vitamin B.

Vitamin “C”

Essentials who make stronger immunity says “C” for Citrus fruits like Orange, Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit are advised daily around 20-100mg. “C” for Capsicum, Bell Peppers are one of the best vegetables which are rich in Vitamin C, it also keeps our skin healthy. Broccoli, Spinach is also rich in Vitamin C.

Do not overcook them. It should be eaten with mild boiling or after steaming. I love to eat spinach without cooking just by adding some pepper and lemon juice.

Vitamin “D”

Vitamin D is a nutrient found in certain foods that are necessary for our health and for maintaining strong bones. This is done by helping our body by absorbing Calcium (one of the main building blocks of bone) from food and supplements.

To get enough Vitamin D, we must practice the following: spend time in Sunlight, include  Mushrooms in our diet, Egg yolks in breakfast and other Vitamin D rich Orange juice, Soy milk, and Cereals, etc to make sure we maintain the required amount of Vitamin D.

Vitamin “E”

Two superfoods (my favorite) though they start with alphabet A and they are the powerhouse of vitamin E – Almonds, Avocados. Vitamin E is an antioxidant substance. It helps protect our cells from damage. This essential nutrient is naturally present in many foods. It is also available as a dietary supplement. It’s also added to processed foods.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble substance, which means our body stores and uses it as and when required. Kiwi fruit, Olives, and Broccoli are rich in vitamin E.

Vitamin “K”

It is a group of fat-soluble vitamins that play an important role in regulating Blood clotting, Bone Metabolism and Blood Calcium levels.

Prothrombin is a protein that helps it. Blueberries, Pomegranate, Beetroots, Tomatoes are rich Vitamin K foods. Apart from these some common foods like Bananas, Avocados are also rich in Vitamin K.

Best Practices to boost immunity:

• Practice a healthy lifestyle. Practice Yoga, Meditation, Walking, or any physical workouts for 45 min to an hour with a mandatory breathing exercise.
• A very Big No for Junk foods, Fried foods, etc.

“Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy, Be Immune.”

Swapna Kulkarni

Swapna has undertaken multiple research works & wrote research papers in the field of Microbiology and Health Care. She is a “People’s Person” with her skills she always motivates, encourages others. She is a self-starter proactively takes responsibilities, passionate about exploring new areas of work. She likes to travel and explore new places. Excited about cooking, and loves to spend time with children.