Dubai Dietician & Nutrition Expert
By now, we’re well versed with social distancing and everything that fits in with the ‘new normal’. The external adjustments have been made, and everyone is well aware of it. But what about preparing and boosting our immunity? What steps have we taken to prepare and arm our body’s defence system to tackle the ‘new abnormal’? Because the truth is the immune system develops when we are very young, and by the time we reach adulthood, we can’t do much to change or alter it.
As per immunologists, you can’t boost your immunity by taking supplements or a ‘special’ diet’. It doesn’t work that way. If you see an ad of a product claiming it will boost your immunity, always be sceptical. It’s a lie. So what should we do to lead a healthy lifestyle during the pandemic? Well, the aim should be to keep ourselves healthy at all times no matter the circumstances. So it’s important to exercise every day, sleep well, eat healthily and deal with stress effectively. Let’s indulge in each of those in detail:
Don’t let it get to you.
Managing your stress is one of the most important aspects of living healthily, especially in this pandemic when most of the time, we are restricted by the four walls of our homes. Because of constant and rising stress levels, more and more people are facing trouble in getting good sleep, apart from other mental and emotional problems. A good idea would be to approach a mental health professional. Start by looking for the best psychiatrist in Dubai. This lead to a lot of fatigue and poor habits. It’s a snowball effect – it keeps building on unless you take charge of yourself and work on it. Start exercising and meditating every day. That will surely help you achieve much-needed physical, emotional and mental rest.
Getting enough sleep is crucial.
Getting enough sleep is one of the easiest ways of rejuvenating and fighting off infections. When complemented with a good, nutritious diet and quality sleep, your body will feel happy all over and prepared to tackle any infections. So give your body the opportunity to recharge every day!
Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet
That’s what Dubai’s dieticians and nutrition experts have to say! What we learnt in school about ‘eating the rainbow’ applies to our entire life. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables is very important as it supplies our body with all kinds of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Keeping it colourful gives us enough zinc, VitaminD, amongst other things that support our immune system.
Maintaining a healthy weight.
To state the obvious, stay away from processed, fried and refined foods (junk). Apart from ample amounts of vegetables and fruits, also add legumes, pulses, nuts, seeds and lean protein sources. Keep it holistic by ‘mixing it up’. Refined foods don’t do a good job at making you feel full as compared to healthy foods. This is why you tend to eat junk food a lot more.
Maintain your energy levels
Balance your carbs. Neither too much, not too little. Extremely low-carbohydrate diets should also be avoided as carbs are your primary and biggest source of energy. They help you fight diseases.
Exercise EVERY DAY!
To make your body function at its best, you just need 30-60 minutes of exercise daily. Look at it as an investment rather than a time-consuming activity. Perception matters a lot.
Equip your body’s natural soldiers
The best ‘boosting’ you can do is to boost your probiotics. Support your gut bacteria in fighting off diseases and infections. Regularly consume items such as yoghurt, garlic, onion, ginger and fermented foods.
Water, water and water!
The title says it all! Drink enough water throughout the day. Whenever you feel thirsty, reach out for the bottle or the cooler. Do not try to delay or postpone the most basic essential of life! Apart from this, do the opposite with alcohol. Reduce its consumption as it causes dehydration.