Just as we thought the worse was over, the second wave of Covid-19 has hit the country hard with the number of cases increasing steadily each day. With the pandemic now coupled with winter, it is more important than ever to be mindful of our health and diet.
While masks and gloves should remain a mainstay during the length of this second wave, it is more important to work on yourself from within and supplement your immune system to work at its best.
“Whatever your current health is like, the best defence weapon against any illness – Covid-19 included – is bolstering your immune function,” writes nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson for Vogue.
Here are four easy changes to make in your lifestyle for better immune health as compiled from Vogue.
Focus on simple foods
Try and reach out for more fresh fruits and vegetables when deciding on meals for the day. Not just that, but try to incorporate organic meats, free-range eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds, root vegetables, and whole grains in your diet too.
“When you focus on foods like these, your diet will naturally be full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that have the ability to support a strong immune system,” says Ferguson.
Cut out junk
Your first order of business should definitely be cutting down on your junk food intake. You already have one reason to keep you away; Covid. There really shouldn’t be anything keeping you from staying away!
Takeaways, fast food, sugary treats, poor quality protein like deli meat, and processed food full of additives are all things that you should steer clear of; they all upset our immune system.
Choose supplements smartly
“As well as ingesting liposomal vitamin C to help the immune system protect against viral infections more efficiently, I also recommend taking a good quality zinc supplement,” writes Ferguson.
You can also choose Vitamin D and a good quality probiotic for a healthy gut!
Manage your gut health
A healthy gut is the basis of your overall health but many of us tend to overlook this fact when trying to fix ourselves. A healthy gut microbiome triggers your body’s immune response against viruses and bacterias, so it is imperative to work on it now more than ever!
“As well as taking a good quality probiotic and eating a balanced diet as mentioned above, it’s important to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, exercise regularly, manage stress, and limit your alcohol intake,” Ferguson says.
Make sure to also increase your fluid intake, be it plain water, or herbal teas and broths.
