Maintaining Good Health Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Apart from washing hands, using hand sanitizers, and wearing masks in crowded places, what can we do to maintain a good health and stay calm during this period of coronavirus outbreak?

Just for you, IndiCure has exclusively asked the best health practitioners in India for their advice. All of them emphasized on maintaining healthy diet, personal hygiene, and proper rest to boost our immune systems.

We bring you their top tips:

1. Powerful Nutrients for Stronger Immunity

One of our top dieticians recommends three powerful nutrients for a stronger immune system – Vitamin C, Iron, and Zinc.

Immunity boosting properties of Vitamin C are well known and well documented. Our dietician recommends taking it before the onset of flu symptoms. Make sure to get Vitamin C in its natural form if you are missing the required amount from your dietary sources. Add more of citrus fruits such as kiwis, oranges, or grapefruit. Moreover, broccoli, guava, and bell peppers are also good sources of Vitamin C.

Talking about zinc, it’s deficiency can increase susceptibility to pneumonia or similar respiratory infections in children and the elderly. The good sources of zinc are poultry, oysters, beans (especially chickpeas or cannellini beans), fortified breakfast cereals, and nuts (almonds and cashews).

If your diet provides you with enough zinc, it is more likely that you are also getting enough iron, since a lot of common foods have these two elements. Special mention for vegetarians – Make sure you eat iron that is plant-based with Vitamin C. This will enhance the absorption of iron.

2. Breathing Technique Purifies Air and Lessens Anxiety

One of the best things we can do is breathe through our nose instead of mouth during any such virus outbreak. When you breathe through nose, the air that enters your body gets warmed, humified and filtered before it enters the lungs. We recommend you breathing through your nose even while wearing a mask.

We know this is a very difficult time for every one of us! Speaking of mental health currently, many people are worried, and their bodies are in a state of stress. A well-known breathing technique that can help you stay calm is ‘Box Breathing.’ Inhale through your nose for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds, exhale through the nose for five seconds, and then hold your breath for five seconds – that’s one round. Five to six rounds will certainly help you alleviate your anxiety levels.

A body that remains in a constant stressful state can inhibit some of our vital immune functions. We recommend you opting for activities you really enjoy and get rid of any stress. Be it cooking, music, dance, yoga, or any art form – Get some ‘ME’ time!

3. Supplements, Sleep, and Movement

Supplements decrease the risk of a flu. One of our nutritionists recommends a combination of echinacea herb and elderberry extracts. Found in tincture or capsule form, these supplements protect the throat from any infection.

Sleep is very critical in body rejuvenation and stress reduction; so, get enough of it! Sleep boosts our immune systems. Viruses tend to affect weaker people. It is very crucial in these times to be fit and keep your body stronger to fight a virus.

Our doctors recommend movement. Many of us are isolating at home, and hence, we are not able to hit the gym. Despite this, we can still do some core exercises at home. Doing nothing at home will not serve us. Just Keep Moving!

4. Don’t Panic, Acknowledge Fear

The wave of panic in the media is very stressful. The news on our television screens or smartphones with people suffering in hospitals has led to a lot of anxiety and stress among the healthy ones too.

If anxiety peaks, take a moment to acknowledge the fearful feeling, recommends our wellness practitioner. Facing this will help it alleviate. Remember trying to ignore it will only expend the energy. This helps to realise that fear is not that tough to be in; it’s just a feeling.

The Last Word

It has always been our mission to make you feel beautiful and empowered. But we also want to express how important it is to take care of yourself. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on taking care of ourselves, and each other. Optimise everything that you can control – wash your hands, take care of your body, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep– and then you have no need to stress.

ARTICLE SOURCE: https://indiasurgery.indicure.com/2020/03/maintaining-good-health-a...