In this post Let us check how to prevent us from getting affected from covid-19 and also a perfect diet plan to prevent and also for those who affected with corona virus. The main thing or composition of this diet plan includes boosting our immune system.
The deadly outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected every part of the globe irrespective of class, caste, age and religion. People above 30 yrs, and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and lung disease are more prone to the infection and have a tough time fighting off the virus. The only way is to avoid getting affected by social distancing and taking other measures, as covered by the governments time to time. Also our immune system can help us to recover and eliminate the virus from our body to a great extent. And the best way to boost our immunity is to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
Prevention is better than cure. The question on everyone’s mind is what to eat to boost up our immune system during this pandemic.
In this post let me share a healthy and an easy to follow meal plan, which has been planned, keeping in mind all the the immune boosting foods available in the market during this Pandemic. This meal plan is packed with proteins, healthy fats, vitamins such as A, B, C, D and E, and essential minerals. On the same side, this meal plan is low in sugars, salts and visible fats so as to provide maximum nutrition and avoid weight gain in the quarantine period. There are some important things which I would like to share before coming to the meal plan, which are
- Maintain a good hygiene
- Cook the food thoroughly
- Keep the fruits and vegetables in saline water for atleast 3–4 hours
- Eat plenty of fiber
- Stay hydrated. You can make infused water by adding 2 slices of lemon, 2–3 mint leaves, 3 slices of cucumber and 3 slices of carrot. This will boost your metabolism and make your normal water tastier.
- Try to include atleast 7 superfoods from
- Dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach)
- Whole grains (oats, whole wheat, brown rice)
- Tomatoes, beets, sweet potato, beans, pumpkin, garlic, ginger
- Almond, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- Eggs, green tea and turmeric.
- Include drumsticks in your diet as they are good source of many vital B-complex vitamins and vitamin C
- Eat good amount of proteins (Egg, lentils or beans)
- Avoid alcohol and restrict smoking because smoking can cause respiratory problems and coronavirus is a respiratory disease
- People above 30 yrs and those with any other medical condition should avoid having smoothies and shakes, because it increases the sugar intake and may spike the blood glucose levels. They should also try not to add salt in the soup or vegetable smoothies, so as to maintain their blood pressure levels.
- Children are usually fussy eaters, so you can give them fruits in the form of smoothies and shakes, and try to add honey instead of sugar. Vegetables can be given in the form of soups.
- You should have your dinner before 8 pm. It improves digestive health.
- Avoid ice creams and refrigerated beverages.
Good nutrition is critical for health, especially at a time when your immune system has taken a beating and is in a weaker state than before. This is as true for those who’ve contracted the COVID-19 infection during the ongoing pandemic as for those who’re suffering from viral fever, common cold or flu during the monsoon season.
Components of a COVID-19 recovery diet
Based on the guidelines from many websites I surfed, a proper recovery diet for COVID-19 patients should include the following categories of nutrition.
- Calories: Your body has been drained of energy, so calorie-dense foods are what you need to get your energy levels back up. Include rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, whole grains and cereals in your diet, but avoid foods with empty calories – like all types of junk food.
- Protein: You can’t start feeling better without these building blocks of life, so eat more protein-rich foods to get 75-100g of this nutrient every day. Add as many whole grains, lentils, legumes, dairy products, soy products, nuts and seeds as you can in your diet. If you’re non-vegetarian, then have plenty of chicken and eggs as well as fish.
- Fruits and veggies: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fibre, folate, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Include everything from apples and bananas to gourds and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
- Immune-boosters: Fruits, vegetables, herbs and some spices have immense immune-boosting qualities because they’re packed with phytochemicals and bioactive compounds. Add these to your diet and drink immune-boosting herbal drinks like kadha (Ayurvedic drink), turmeric milk, green tea, herbal tea, etc.
- Fluids: Infections can dehydrate the body, so it’s important to rehydrate when you’re recovering. Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day, and make broths, soups, and other drinks a part of your daily diet.
Things to remember about the recovery diet
Apart from adding all these essential foods and drinks to your recovery diet, you need to keep the following things in mind to make this diet more effective:
- Prioritize fresh produce like fruits, vegetables and animal products over pre-packaged ones.
- Make sure all your meals are simple and freshly cooked at home instead of relying on outside foods.
- Ensure that all hygiene practices are followed while preparing the food. Wash your hands before and after handling/eating.
- Eating large portions may be difficult during the initial phases of recovery from COVID-19 infection, so take smaller but more frequent meals.
- Many COVID-19 patients experience difficulties swallowing during their recovery period, so experiment with soft, mashed or liquids to begin with like soups etc.
- Any diet is ineffective without proper sleep and exercise, so get enough rest and start with smaller physical activities to get back in shape.
The following sample menu with three small, but balanced, meals and three light snacks throughout the day will give you an idea of what to eat for a healthy diet. You can mix and match the following as per your choice.
Early morning (6:00 am — 7:00 am)
1 glass lukewarm lemon water + 1 clove of garlic
4–5 soaked almond and walnuts
After 30 mins — green tea -1 cup (without sugar or brown sugar or 1 tsp honey) / Nilavembu Kashayam
Ginger, garlic and palm jaggery syrup / Kashayam – immunity boosters during covid-19
Breakfast (8:00 am — 9:00 am)
- Ragi dosa or adai with mint chutney or sambhar
- Vegetable roti/paratha With grated carrots, fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves etc 2 nos
- 2 idly / 2 dosa with sambhar with vegetables / chutney
- Oats porridge (without sugar) / Rava idly with grated carrots
- Vegetable omelette (1 egg white+1 whole egg) with 2 slices of whole wheat bread
Rava Idly – South Indian diet
Idiyappam vegetable Kurma
Paruppu adai dosai – rich in protein
Ragi Semia (Spicy)
Curry leaves dosa – good for diabetics and reduce stress
Broken corn veg upma
Mid morning (10:30 am — 11:30 am)
1 orange + 1 amla + 1 fruit (1 small apple,/ ½ cup pomegranate/ 2 slices of muskmelon or watermelon or papaya/ ½ cup grapes) Or any soup
Vegetable soup – Plantain stem soup
Egg drop soup – soothing throat rich in protein and choline
Lunch (1:00 pm — 2:00 pm)
Salad (1/2 cucumber + ½ carrot) 1/2 hour before lunch
Chapatti — 2 or rice — 1.5 cup / 1 chapati and Rice 2 cup
Dal / Mixed vegetables sambhar — 1 cup
Vegetable (beans/ cauliflower/ broccoli/ nutri veg/ mixed veg) / Poriyal / kootu — ¾ cup
Rasam / Curd — 1cup
Include lot of vegetables in your lunch. South Indians prefer lots of poriyal and kootu in their lunch. Given below or some recipes to try. Variety rice option is also given like keerai sadham, beetroot sadham etc. its good to eat a portion of keerai daily.
Murungaikeerai sambhar and poriyal
The leaves have 7 times more vitamin C than oranges and 15 times more potassium than bananas. It also has calcium, protein, iron, and amino acids, which help your body heal and build muscle. It’s also packed with antioxidants, substances that can protect cells from damage and may boost your immune system.
Manathakali keerai saadham – good for stomach and used in treating cold
Beetroot rice
Good for overall health. It’s packed with essential nutrients. Beetroot is of exceptional nutritional value, especially the greens, which are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins A and C.
Brocolli Rasam – immunity boosters
Broccoli is a good source of fibre and protein, and contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium and magnesium as well as the vitamins A, C, E, K and a good array of B vitamins including folic acid
Paruppu keerai masiyal
Mixed veg pulao
Capsicum rice – rich in vitamin C – immunity booster
Evening tea (4:30 pm — 5:30 pm)
1 cup immunitea (sugar as per medical condition). Add tulsi leaves, clove, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cardamom and ginger to the tea / Sukku malli kaapi / Kashayam
Sundal varieties/ boiled sprouts/ chickpea sundal / corn— ½ cup
Sukku malli coffee
Sukku and malli are the two main ingredients in this coffee – sukku is dry ginger and malli is coriander seeds. Sukku kaapi has many health benefits – it is used to treat cough, cold, indigestion and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. It is indeed comforting to sip on this to soothe a sore throat
Dinner (before 8:00 pm)
1) 1 cup soup (tomato soup/ spinach soup/ beetroot carrot soup/sweet potato carrot tomato soup). Do add drumsticks to the soup.
- Whole wheat bread sandwich filled with paneer slice, lettuce, cucumber and tomato Or
- Paneer bhurji + 1–2 chapati Or
- Oats idli / Rava Idly + sambhar (1 cup)
- Masala roti with onion raita
Paneer bhurji
Gujarati masala roti
Sidedish for chapathi – palak mushroom gravy
Paneer and veg roll frankie
Post dinner (9:00 pm)
Skim milk — 1 cup (without sugar) with ½ tsp turmeric
Or Nilavembu kashayam or warm water with lime.
Recipes from : http://cookingmypassion.com/
Source Information from :
https://www.myupchar.com/en/disease/covid-19/diet
https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/covid19-patients-recovery-diet-myupchar-2753747.html
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