How to boost your immunity to prevent cold and sore throat as per experts

An imminent third wave is giving all of us cold feet. With the total cases doubling every day due to emerging cases, the country is ready for another series of curfews and restrictions. The new dominant variant, Omicron, is seven times more transmissible and is proving this true with new cases being detected every day. The primary need of the hour is covid appropriate behaviour, social distancing and self-isolation in case you begin to notice any symptoms. In addition to these precautions, it is important to realize that because of the transmissibility and other factors that are inevitable, it is quite probable for any of us to catch the virus.

The best approach in such a time is to look out for ourselves and our loved ones by ensuring that we have the wherewithal to fight this infection in case we contract it. Medicines and other equipment are important to have at one’s disposal but a strong immunity is irreplaceable and is the best thing to have at one’s disposal. Taking care of what you eat is extremely important and ensuring that you have foods and drinks that boost immunity is extremely important. We bring to you special insights from top nutritionists of the country, Dr. Namami Agarwal and Dr. Pooja Makhija on foods, drinks and habits that help build immunity.

It is extremely necessary to note that anything and everything that you consume is fresh, suggests Dr. Namami Agarwal. She further suggests that adding fruits and vegetables to the diet is the first and foremost step towards ensuring safety from infections. Green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits should be on the top of your list. For munching, nuts such as almonds, raisins and walnuts should be consumed for their content of good fat, fiber and protein. Make sure that you include garlic, ginger, sweet potato, yogurt and amla, albeit in small portions, in your regular diet so that you can reap immunity benefits out of these. If you stop consuming these foods, the number of immunity cells synthesized in the body reduces and this leads to a lower immunity.

Stress is the most harmful thing for your immunity according to nutritionist Dr. Namami Agarwal. Immune cells are killed by stress and too much of it can have other adverse effects on the body, too. A lack of sleep also causes disturbances in the body and can lead to lowering of immunity. Make sure that you practise ways to remain stress free and get a good eight hour sleep so that the immunity does not take a hit, she believes.

Dr. Pooja Makhija recently shared the recipe for an immunity booster drink on her Instagram handle and we are here for it! The drink is easy to make and quite effective, claims the nutritionist who prepared ‘shots’ of the turmeric drink for herself and her family. To make the drink, add turmeric and carrot with a dash of ginger and blend the three with a little bit of water. Strain the resultant solution and drink it every day for immunity.