National Nutrition Week – How to boost your Immunity : What food we eat and how we eat will definitely plays a major role in our body as well as peaceful mind. Essential nutrients are compounds that the body can’t make or can’t make in sufficient quantity. Nutrients comes from food, and they’re vital for disease prevention, growth, and good health.
Last time when I fell sick because of season change, I thought to research many things about food and nutrition. And how it affects our health & immune system.
Low immunity makes you susceptible not just to flu, cough and cold. Also to more serious ailments like dengue, jaundice, malaria and other viral infections. Experts suggest that a combination of diet and lifestyle changes helps boost the body’s immunity.
We Indians are blessed to have so many spices available in our kitchens such as turmeric, ginger, black pepper, garlic, cumin seeds and many. They help to regularise or normalise the immune system.
National Nutrition Week: So let’s see what helps in boosting your Immunity:
1. Whole grains, legumes and dairy improve life force
Locally grown fruits and vegetables must always be preferred over imported and frozen ones as they are comparatively fresh and contain more micronutrients. Freshly cooked whole grains, legumes and light dairy products should also be included in your diet. As I read from Rujuta Divekar’s book. Rujuta Divekar(Nutritionist) says “Have Rice, Dal and ghee for dinner” even when you want to lose weight.
2. Balance is important in cooking too
This I have read somewhere : Properly cooked food is easy to digest. Overcooking it makes the food to lose its micronutrients whereas undercooked food is bad for digestion and hampers liver function. Freshly prepared food has good amount of prana in it, as the oxygen flow is more. This has a regenerative effect on the immune system. Stale food increases toxins in the body. Reheating increases the trans fat in the food, which leads to increase in cholesterol. Vegetables and fruits that are cut and stored in refrigerator for long are also devoid of micronutrients.
3. Processed foods can reduce Immunity
Foods that are processed, canned, frozen, packed or hard to digest should be avoided as they create a lot of ‘ama‘. Due to improper digestion such foods fail to get assimilated in the body, producing a sticky toxin that gets stored in the body in the form of ama, according to Ayurveda. If you feel weak and tired for no specific reason, it could be an indicator of ama accumulation in your body.
4. More and More Antioxidants
Antioxidants play a key role in maintaining our immunity and are found in abundance in seasonal fruits like guava, pomegranate and fresh berries, and in fresh vegetables like broccoli which is also an excellent source of vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
These include beta-carotene found in carrots and sweet potatoes, lycopene found in fresh tomatoes and watermelons, vitamin A found in mangoes and papayas, vitamin C found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, and vitamin E found in all the nuts like almond, hazelnut, sunflower seeds etc.
Vitamin C is a great immunity booster and provides immediate relief in flu, cough and cold whereas vitamin E is nectar for female health. It may be surprising for you to know that most of these different micronutrients have their own distinctive colour and it is their presence that brings about the color of the fruits and vegetables. Consuming different colored vegetables ensures that you are getting different micronutrients.
5. Say ‘NO’ to supplements
Depending on regular supplements may hamper the body’s natural ability to synthesise them from the food we eat, and may also cause certain imbalances in the body. Instead of depending on regular supplements like certain vitamins, it’s good to have healthy balanced diet.
6. Some rest for the Liver
Proper rest for the Liver is important for the immune system. Unhealthy habits like munching at midnight or after a meal impose extra load on the liver which in turn makes its function sluggish, and can lead to deficiency of Vitamins B12 and D, as these are synthesised by the liver itself.
7. Flush the Toxins from your body
Consuming castor oil once a week with warm water or warm milk helps flush out toxins from the body. It is also vitally important to drink adequate amount of water for proper functioning of all systems and flushing out all the waste and toxins from the body.
Suggested read: How to prepare Bottle Gourd Kheer | Lauki Kheer easily
Suggested watch : Have you ever tried the Bitter Gourd like this?
Though I have put it in words here, but in real life it is difficult sometimes. Have a Good Health and most importantly Strong Immune system.
Stay tuned for more content 🙂
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