As the lockdown situation is likely to extend, in some form or the other, till we are able to contain Coronavirus COVID-19, there is an increasing need to maintain a disciplined lifestyle, says Kavita Devgan, as she shares a manual of dos and don'ts for everyone to keep in good health
Have you lost track of what day of the lockdown is it today? Or are you keeping a count? In times when there appears to be no immediate solution to tackling Coronavirus, except for physical distancing, have you wondered what is our biggest challenge today? The answer really is a no brainer. We just need to ensure that we follow whatever it takes to avoid a pandemic that has wreaked havoc all over the world from spreading. So how does one stay safe ? Is there even a way? Well clearly information is the key. Thankfully, a few things have been substantiated by now. So it is only safe to follow what is known and understood.
First of which, without doubt, is the fact that social distancing or staying away from other humans is the best known way to avoid infection. Simple solution for that is to stay put in your homes to stay safe. That’s the mantra that needs to be taken very seriously — chant it and practice it, strictly. After all your life may depend on it.
Secondly, soap and water are our first line of defence. And a very effective one at that. So wash your hands obsessively and don’t be embarrassed about getting obsessive about hygiene. Washing with the soap is found to be even more effective than using a sanitiser. The virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle and the weakest link is the lipid bi-layer. When you wash your hands with soap it dissolves the fatty membrane and the virus falls apart thus becoming “inactive”. So please wash your hands and keep washing them!
Third, and equally important, is to eat clean and right, Our body is under assault from a deadly virus. And if there is one thing one must do right, it is to begin eating clean. There are enough red flags about processed foods to convince anyone who values their health, to go off them. And this holds true specially now, when we need to give the body all the help possible to avoid and fight the virus. Eating clean is truly the most effective way to go, to give our body a fighting chance.
Clean eating means cutting down on processed foods and eating only real foods. So focus on local produce — fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and whole grains, keep an eye on sodium, and cut down on sugar, and meat consumption. And just stop eating out of packets, cans and tins. This will also help to keep the weight in check.
Another benefit you can score during this time is that you be able to break your addiction to processed foods. All processed foods are designed to be addictive, to attack the reward centre of the brain, and not really to provide you nutrition. So be careful, take a good look at what you are eating, and start pruning the toxic foods from your diet. Understandably, a blanket ban is not possible, and not even needed, just a bit of pruning will go a long way in taking to healthy habits. Watch closely both the portions and the frequency of the processed foods that you consume. Make a rule, for instance, to consume no more than one processed food item a day. That should be a good start.
Fourth, boost your immunity. Strong immunity helps. It could well be the difference between you catching the infection or not, and if you do catch it, then in deciding the severity of the symptoms and your pace of recovery. A thriving immunity is, in fact, your best ally in these trying times. It is the body’s ability to protect itself from foreign invaders like viruses, disease and infection. It is a system that constantly patrols our body to detect and destroy infectious microbes.
Since we can’t just depend on the natural immunity that we are born with, specially because we keep devaluing it due to our toxic lifestyle, it is important to keep optimising its function — all the time, and specially now with the threat of coronavirus on our heads.
We must take this crisis as a wake up call to begin working on our immunity proactively. To share a food list that would help you boost your immunity, people who eat the most fruit and vegetables have the healthiest lung function. Our lungs need all the support as this organ is the biggest casualty in this pandemic. The connect is due to vitamins C and E that this food group delivers in plenty — both are known immunity boosters and thus help ward off flu. Here’s a list of easy, inexpensive foods that you need to include regularly in your diet to boost your immunity:
Amla: This humble, inexpensive food is actually the richest natural source of vitamin C. It is a powerful antioxidant and due to its antibacterial and astringent properties, it helps to fight against various infections, thus, making the immune system strong.
Flaxseeds: These have always been revered and for good reason. They contain alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 fatty acid and phytoestrogens called lignans — all these ingredients are important for an efficient immune system.
Lemons: Lemons are the ideal food for restoring acid alkali balance. It helps maintain the body’s internal “climate” at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environment. Get lemons and make some lemonade everyday.
Carrots: Bugs Bunny rarely came down with the flu, and for good reason. Carrots, his food of choice, contain loads of beta carotene, which gets converted into vitamin A in the body, a powerful nutrient that boosts the production of infection-fighting natural killer cells and T cells. Carrots also deliver vitamin B6 which boosts the production of antibodies. Gajar ka halwa anyone!
Barley: This grain, that has all but disappeared from our kitchens, needs to make a comeback. First because it contains beta-glucan, a fibre with potent immunity boosting properties and second because it delivers the difficult to score trace mineral selenium that has a powerful positive effect on our immune system.
Chickpeas: Time to bring back khatte chole on the menu. That’s because chickpeas deliver a lot of antioxidants and mineral zinc that helps to control inflammation in your body.
Garlic: Swallowing a clove, or two of crushed garlic every morning was a norm earlier, and for good reason. Garlic stimulates the activity of “natural killer cells” and thus helps destroy viral-infected cells. Garlic also contains sulfur which assists the body with zinc absorption.
Sweet potato: There’s a reason why shakarkandi ki chaat was so popular. Sweet potato is high in vitamin C, which is a brilliant antioxidant and also delivers a lot of vitamin A, an ace immunity-boosting vitamin. In fact, one medium sweet potato provides your body with the complete recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and then some.
Mushroom: This food was probably not part of your traditional food platter, but it makes sense to include it now. This is one of the rare food sources of vitamin D, a vitamin essential for good immunity. Plus it helps increase the production of cytokines in the body, the cells that help fight off infection, and contains polysaccharides, compounds that support our immune system.
Back to the pointers, fifth don’t forget your mood. It is important to understand that eating healthy is important not only for our physical health, but our psychological well being as well. The best foods for our mental health are generally the healthiest foods. Just follow these steps, and you would be good:
Sixth, sleep. Yes, it’s important. Just like our schedules for eating, working and exercising, it is important to follow a regular sleep routine. It can help keep you calm, in a better mood and with more stamina, plus help maintain a sense of normality. By the way, sufficient sleep doesn’t just allow your body to recuperate, it also boosts the immune system. During the slow-wave sleep phase, neurotransmitters are released and the immune system springs into action. Sleep deprivation during this time can affect your health negatively, seething you can afford these days.
Seventh exercise every day. Exercise makes us feel good and is also linked to better sleep and reduced stress and anxiety. Agreed you can’t move out and all the gyms are closed, but there lots that one can do at home. For instance, you can:
Walk in the house. Break that up into three 10 minute sections — 10 minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon, and 10 in the evening. There are online classes being offered for everything — yoga, pilates, dance teachers — some for free. Look them up and follow.
Eighth, maintain social connection. Now more than ever, we need our friends — even if we can’t really go meet them. Social interactions don’t have to be face to face to be meaningful. The need of the hour is to invent and pursue new ways social connectivity. Meet up through video calls — you could organise a virtual dinner via apps like Zoom, Google Hangouts, or take a friend on a virtual walk or do a housebound activity together, like craft or drawing.
The writer is a Delhi-based weight management consultant, nutritionist and author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks