Coronavirus Tips: 10 Ways To Come Out Of This Lockdown Healthier And Stronger

Eat immunity-boosting foods to improve body's ability to fight infections

The first days of lockdown went in understanding what a lockdown means, followed by confusion and hoarding of essential supplies and discovering new ways to spend time at home with family members 24 hours a day. We are now slowly getting used to this new normal. While mother nature has blessed us with many immunity-boosting foods (like fresh produce, herbs and spices), the need of the hour is to focus on remedies that are specifically antiviral. Here's a list of practical solutions that you can follow during the lockdown period.

Foods that are essential for stronger immunity and survival amidst the ongoing lockdown

1. Our first line of defense is right in the kitchen. Beneficial herbs include:

• Ginger (You can opt for dried ginger powder if fresh ginger is unavailable)
• Black pepper
• Cinnamon
• Tulsi leaves
• Cloves (These can be boiled together in water and consumed as a concoction. One can add a spoon of honey to this and squeeze some lemon to enhance the taste. Diabetics can skip honey.)

2. Licorice, tulsi, cinnamon and anise oil may be effective in inhibiting growth and infections.

3. Chayawanprash has been India's staple remedy for fighting seasonal flus and allergies. It is advisable to include a teaspoon (5 gm in the morning).

Also read: Plasma Therapy For COVID-19: A Possible Treatment For Coronavirus?

Indulge wisely

For most of us, this new routine is about working from home and doing household chores during the day, and unwinding while watching TV till late at night. Watching TV or being awake till late can make one crave for sweet/salted snacks as munchies. This can spike blood sugar levels, disrupt sleep and impact body's hormonal harmony. Instead of cookies, desserts, popcorn and maggi, you can sip on chamomile/jasmine tea or have a cup of haldi doodh.

4. Turmeric milk

Haldi doodh or turmeric latte/golden milk can help you sleep better, boost your immunity while you sleep, ensure optimal energy levels when you wake up the next day and even keep you slip and in shape. Since we all are doing all that "jo aaj tak nahi kiya", why not try this too! Who knows you may pick up a healthy habit for life! Remember it takes a minimum of 21 days to create a habit.

A cup of turmeric milk at night can help in boosting your immunity
Photo Credit: iStock

5. Steam inhalation

Those who are prone to respiratory issues, and seasonal flu, cold or have compromised lung function should include steam inhalation once or twice a day. People suffering from blocked sinus can practice jal neti (nasal irrigation) first thing in the morning.

6. Take supplements

While following ayurvedic wisdom, it is important to maintain optimal levels of immunity-boosting vital nutrients like Vitamin D and Vitamin C . For adults, 60,000 I.U Vitamin D supplement can be taken every 20 days along with a 500 mg Vitamin C supplement.

7. Practice fasting

As a holistic health practice, try to fast once a week, as per your convenience. This could be a form of intermittent fasting (quite a rage nowadays), or having one main meal a day besides having light snacks through the day. The seasons are changing and fasting is the best way to detox the body by eating light satvik food and conserving the energy. On other days, try and include light meals based on appetite.

Also read: Intermittent Fasting And Circadian Rhythm: 10 Tips To Make Intermittent Fasting Work For You

8. Do not forget good fats

Try and include good fats in the form of nuts, seeds, coconut oil and ghee. This can boost energy levels, improve brain power and even help alleviate the dry skin on our hands due to frequent washing with soap for 20 seconds every time.

9. Eat dried fruits

Since we need to control stepping out even for groceries and maintain as much social distancing as possible, getting fresh fruits may be a difficult nowadays. You can thus rely on dried fruits. Figs, prunes, dates, apricot can be good picks. Dried fruits are concentrated source of energy and nutrients.

10. Stay active

Walk indoors and be active. Aim for at least 5000 steps daily besides doing house chores. One can include yoga, planks, skipping, on-the-spot-jogging, climbing stairs as exercise. Exercising releases endorphins and help in getting better sleep, which is especially important amidst disrupted routine). It is also the one effective and time-tested way to avoid gaining weight.

Stay active throughout the day and exercise regularly
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: Weight Loss Tips: Try This 2-Circuit Cardio Workout At Home To Shed Some Calories

The steep rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases is causing panic and anxiety among many of us. Please remember, your body's ability to fight of infections reduces when you are under stress. Try and include positive affirmations of any other holistic practice like meditation, pranayama, chanting hymns etc as part of your daily routine. Let us all try and keep ourselves safe and healthy and come out of this lockdown healthier and stronger.

(Mansi Chaudhary is a Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, Nutrigenomics Expert and a Holistic Cancer Coach.)

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