By Parul Shah RD/LD | March 6th 2020 | Coronavirus COVID-19 | Diet tips to boost immunity
Coronavirus
– a name that sends shivers down everyone’s spine. We all hear about the increase in the number of cases infected by Coronavirus and also hear tips to wash hands, use a hand sanitizer, avoid touching our face, cover our face and more about staying indoors and to avoid large gatherings.
While these precautions are definitely the need of the hour, a healthy diet coupled with targeted supplements can help boost your immunity.
We just coming back from a 3-week vacation to India and Southeast Asia (the hotbed of the Coronavirus). Here is what I did to stay healthy throughout.
- Including food rich in Vitamin C – Oranges, lemons, kiwis, peppers. We had fruits at breakfast every day and I loved to include grapefruit and oranges. Also tried to include a lot of fresh vegetables in my omelet and for lunch and dinner. I also took an extended release 500mg Vit C supplement with bioflavoids to improve absorption.
- Our kitchen has so many herbs, flavorings and spices which can come our rescue. Garlic, onion , ginger, turmeric, basil, rosemary, thyme, curry leaves are wonderful to add to your food not only to flavor them but also boost your immunity. I sipped on ginger turmeric tea with elderberry every afternoon.
- Including Beta-carotene rich foods for your lung health and protecting lung function. Make Carrots, sweet potatoes and other bright orange colored vegetables a regular in your diet. I used these in my salads and as sides.
- Antioxidant rich berries are powerful to boost your immunity. Use them in smoothies or eat them fresh. I love the mixed berry smoothie.
- Targeted supplements – I was taking a probiotic every day for gut health. Zinc is very important for boosting our immunity. It is mainly in seafood and animal sources and being a vegetarian, I took a multivitamin with zinc. Also, elderberry and echinacea are great immune boosters. You can find them in tablet or syrup form.
Maintaining your Vitamin D at optimal level helps develop a healthy immune system. I took a daily dose of 2000 IU. - Avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sodas, processed foods and alcohol as they rob nutrients and weaken the immune system.
Focus on whole foods, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, natural herbs, spices. Healthy lifestyle habits of washing your hands, getting adequate sleep can definitely add to improve your health.
Cheers to good health to you and your family.
