Diet Mail Diet Mantra Wellness Magazine- Health Day Special | Page 8
FOOD FACTS BY NAMITA JAIN
I am 52 years old. I am having this problem of Include high quality proteins in your daily diet.
frequent cold and cough for last six months. I have Sources include egg, fish, shell fish. If you are
got my medical check up done recently and all the vegetarian then include pulses, legumes and tofu in
reports came out to be normal. My family doctor said your food.
that my immunity has gone down for which I need to Eat more of fruits and vegetables to improve antihave a healthy diet. Please help me in suggesting a oxidants levels in your diet. The anti-oxidants
diet that can help me in building my immunity and vitamins Beta carotene, Vitamin E, Vitamin C helps in
fighting the free radicals and boosting the immunity
regain my fitness.
Immune system defines your ability to interact with the
agents present in the world around you and remain
healthy. Basically immune system is like a Guitar whose
purpose is to defend you from the unhealthy agents
present in the world around you. Just like guitar, your
immune system has different wires that play together with
single objective to protect your body from foreign agents
that can cause damage to your body. The correct
placement and functioning of all the wires are important
for fine tuning of the health.
A lot of factors like diet, exercise, age, psychological stress
are involved in building up the immunity. There are studies
to establish the role of GOOD NUTRITION in supporting a
healthy, balanced immune system. Research studies show
that healthy eating can help in keeping your immune
system ready and capable of functioning properly when
necessary. Poor nutrition can make your body more
susceptible to infections, injuries and other medical
complications.
Your first line of action to build up the immunity levels
should be a healthy diet with a healthy lifestyle. Every part
of your body, including your immune system, functions
better when protected from environmental assaults and
bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
levels in the body. Rich sources include : Apricots,
asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn,
green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard
greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit,
pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines,
tomatoes, and watermelon.
Enrich your food by including zinc sources like
oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood,
whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products.
To avail maximum benefit of anti-oxidants, eat the
above fruits and vegetables raw or lightly steamed.
Don't overcook or boil them.
Avoid too much fat in your daily diet.
Add mushrooms: They increase the production of
cytokines, which are cells that help fight off infection.
They also contain polysaccharides, which are
compounds that support the immune system.
Don't miss out honey since you frequently have cold
and cough. Honey coats your throat; it is a natural
way to soothe sore throats. It also has antioxidant
and antimicrobial properties to help fight infections
from viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Look for buckwheat
honey, which has the highest antioxidant level.
Jump on Yoghurt: Studies have shown that eating a
cup of low fat yoghurt can help you in reducing
suceptibity to cold by 25%.
Ideally one should start the day with one cup of green
tea with one to two high fibre biscuits.
Breakfast should be two missi roti's with a cup of
yoghurt. Milk with oats is also a very healthy options.
Midmorning and mid evenings should be rich in antioxidants like citrus fruits, almonds, walnuts etc.
For lunch, have oats chapatti (50% oats flour + 50%
whole wheat flour) with1 cup of dal, 1 cup of vegetable
and some green salad. Rice is