Immunity boosters to make you #CoronaSafe

Masks. Check. Sanitisers. Check. Hand wash regimen. Check. Social distancing. Check. Working on immunity. What? While we are busy taking all possible precautions to fight the pandemic that’s making the world lose its sleep, most of us are probably not spending enough time to strengthen our own immune system — perhaps the only way to fight coronavirus, if not prevent it completely. Here are a few simple ingredients that you can stock up on (no panic buying). Keep these handy to boost your immunity in order to help yourself and in turn, the world at large. Remember, worrying won’t help, improving your gut and immunity will.

FOODS RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Superfoods like berries, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots and even pumpkins are high on antioxidants. Include one of these in your diet at least once a day. They are extremely essential for building our immune system, which in turn fights off the virus. These foods also contain abundant amounts of Vitamin C, B and E, which help get rid of infections.

GET YOUR DOSE OF VITAMIN C
Our body relies on these nutrients to launch an effective immune response. So, stock up on lots of citrus fruits like guavas, oranges, amla, berries, lime etc. Add vegetables of different colours to your plate and include moringa, basil leaves, spirulina, neem, green tea in your diet.

GOOD OL’ TURMERIC
Turmeric, rich in anti-inflammatory properties, has an active compound called curcumin, which is known to have multiple benefits. Add turmeric and black pepper to your diet. It’s an ageold, tried and tested recipe for boosting your immune system. Have it in the form of tea along with water and spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, saffron etc or have a glass of haldi doodh.

STAR ANISE
One of the major compounds within star anise is shikimic acid, which is the primary ingredient used for the past 15 plus years to synthesise antiviral drugs. It has many potent ingredients because of which it has amazing healing properties. You can make delicious Thai style soups and curries and add it to that or else just boil some water with two pieces of star anise, let it seep in for at least 15 minutes and have it warm.

COCONUT OIL
Start your day with 1-2 tsps of organic coconut oil. It helps in reducing inflammation and digesting fat-soluble vitamins. Coconut oil has antiviral properties that can attack a variety of bacteria and viruses.

FERMENTED FOODS
Just a spoonful of fermented foods encourages the growth of good bacteria in your gut. With high levels of good bacteria comes strong immunity. Sauerkraut, miso, kefir, yoghurt, kimchi, home-made pickles and kanji water are some great options for fermented foods.

LIQUORICE
Known as mulethi in Hindi,it has many antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is known to be very effective in many viral illnesses. So, brew yourself a warm cup of liquorice tea if you feel like you have a cold coming up.

PREBIOTIC FOODS FOR GUT
Prebiotic foods — including flax seeds, chia seeds, apples, oats, barley, potato, bananas, garlic, kiwi — promote growth of friendly bacteria in the gut and help with digestive problems. It even helps build a strong immune system.

IT’S TIME FOR A LIFESTYLE CHECKBesides eating right, certain lifestyle modifications can also prepare your body to fight the virus head-on. Here are a few:
Keep stress away: Stress produces hormones which affect our immune system deeply. So, one of the most important ways to increase our immunity is to reduce stress.

Sleep well: With increased workload we often indulge in caffeinated beverages without realising how tired our body actually is. This disturbs our sleep, which in turn causes stress that again hampers our immune system.

Exercise regularly: Mild exercise often releases stress and boosts our immune system. If you are tired, rest and sleep well, but do include light workouts in your daily routine.

Give up smoking/vaping/e-cigarettes: Smokers, especially those with a respiratory condition, are more susceptible to coronavirus. Now is the time to quit.

Take more of Vitamin D: Since there are few sources for this, try absorbing it the natural way.

Stay positive: Half of the battle is won when you don’t let negative thoughts and anxiety affect yourself. Having a positive attitude can go a long way in coping with the crisis.

WHAT SUPPRESSES OUR IMMUNITY?
Under-eating
Under or over-exercising
White sugar and refined carbs
Chemical-laden foods
Lack of sleep
Stress
Consuming alcohol
and smoking

THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY’
From nutritionists, dieticians, health experts to fitness and health gurus, there are multifarious sources prescribing one ‘magic potion’ after the other to ‘prevent’ being infected by coronavirus. Social media is flooded with tips on various concoctions and medicines to deal with this, even as the best researchers and doctors in the world are still struggling to find an effective vaccination or cure. Let’s get real! We know for a fact that till date there is no medicine or diet or potion to completely eliminate your chances of protracting this. Hence, the only way out till then is to boost our immunity.
— Nupur Saraf, consultant nutritionist

‘TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT TO PREVENT THE VIRUS’
Your gut is the immunity headquarter of your body. It contains over 70% of your immunity. So, take care of your gut and balance your good bacteria to systematically work on prevention of coronavirus by building your immunity and preparing your body for a speedy recovery.
— Neha Patodia, consultant nutritionist

‘Superfoods can help reduce contamination’
Though there’s no foolproof way to avoid the infection, strengthening our body’s immune system with superfoods and other ingredients can help reduce the risk of contamination. It is essential to have a diverse range of foods that can provide all the essential vitamins and minerals.
B-complex Vitamins, Vitamin C and Vitamin D are extremely important for strong immunity.
— Nikita Bardia, nutritionist