The entire world is fighting to combat the dreaded COVID-19 coronavirus but the number of cases is increasing at a galloping rate creating a traumatic situation. There is no respite in the death toll. In spite of lockdown being observed all over the globe, the situation is posing to be quite grave.

There are certain precautions like wearing face masks and cleaning your hands at regular intervals with the alcohol-based hand sanitizers. All have been advised to maintain social distancing. Markets are closed for months, areas being brought under the lockdown but still the virus is creating havoc keeping the entire world on the tender hook. 

The experts’ say:

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 as pandemic. At the initial stage, it suggested various methods and ways through which you can boost your immunity system since good immunity can defeat the virus instantly. The medical practitioners over the globe had reiterated that there are bleak chances of getting infected with the coronavirus if you have a good immunity system.

There are many ways to boost the immune system that has been discussed below but the best option to develop the immune system is ‘diet’. Try avoiding certain things that make you weak from within ruining your immune capacity.

Immunity: What is it?

Not just in the case of COVID-19 coronavirus but in general, immunity is regarded as the best protection or shield against any disease. Immunity is like bulletproof vest and disease are like bullets that try to enter the body, but this strong vest stops them from entering and keeps you kicking. The antibodies present in your body attach to a particular antigen and make it easier for the immune cells to destroy the antigen. The lymphocytes attack antigens directly and help control the immune response.

Types of immunity systems:

Before going further, it is important to know the types of immunity. There are predominantly three types of immunity systems:

Innate immunity

Adaptive immunity

Passive immunity

Innate immunity: It is general protection from disease, everyone is born with innate (or natural) immunity.

Adaptive immunity: These are also called active immunity. You develop this immunity when you are exposed to diseases or when you are immunized against the disease with a vaccine. 

Passive immunity: An individual borrows passive immunity from another source and it lasts for a short time. For example, antibodies in a mother’s breast milk give a baby temporary immunity against diseases the mother has been exposed to.

Let’s take a glance at the ways to boost immunity:

Food is an important source of immunity:

Diet plays a big role in developing and determining your overall health and immunity. It largely depends on what you eat regularly. The simple thing is you are required to control the chronic ailments like abnormal sugar, or blood pressure as these are the doorways to any disease. This you can do by consuming a low carb diet.

Remember to include a lot of green vegetables and fruits rich in Beta Carotene, Ascorbic Acid & other essential vitamins. Certain foods like mushrooms, tomato, bell pepper, and green vegetables like broccoli, spinach are also good options to build resilience in the body against infections.

In India, every kitchen has certain herbs like garlic, basil leaves, and black cumin. Nuts like sunflower seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and melon seeds are excellent sources of protein and vitamin E apart from certain seeds.

Probiotics and fermented food good for corona:

Probiotics and fermented foods like Yoghurt, Yakul, etc. are excellent sources to rejuvenate the composition of gut bacteria, which is important for nutrient absorption by the body. Such foods are good for the older generation too.

Take antioxidants:

The green tea or black tea is filled with flavonoid that is another type of antioxidant. You must include soyabean, milk, tofu, lentils, citrus fruits and more.

Type 2 Diabetes prone to the virus:

However, the studies during the past few weeks have proved that people with type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions are prone to get infected with COVID-19 pandemic. In such complications, it is advisable to consume low carb and ketogenic diets that are quite helpful for treating and reversing these metabolic conditions.

Stay hydrated:

It is always advisable to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily. This may increase depending upon the climatic condition. Always stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will help flush out the toxins from the body and lower the chances of flu. Apart from water, you can drink plenty of real fruit juices and coconut water. However, aerated waters that you fondly call cold drinks have no nutritious value.

Adequate sleep:

It is always advisable to have sound sleep for 7-8 hours since it is extremely important to develop a good immunity system. The less you sleep, the more you would stay tired and impair your brain activity. Other body parts would also get affected if you do not take proper rest. This would have direct impact on your immunity.

Lack of sleep adversely affects the action of the flu vaccine. However, the experts opine that sound sleep is more important than scanty sleep of 7 to 8 hours. Try to emphasize on having a sound sleep.

Essential oils:

The usage of Eucalyptus and tea tree oils has immense advantages. Both are rich in antiviral properties and can protect you against any infection and virus including the coronavirus. The best way to use them is by pouring in an oil diffuser as you can inhale them easily.

However, you can make a hand sanitizer using tea tree oil mixed with aloe vera gel and isopropyl alcohol. This will work as a homemade stress buster and you will have a sound sleep that would help to boost your immunity. Apart from these two, you can use Lavender essential oil that has a soothing effect.

Regular exercise:

A good diet should always be supplemented by an exercise regime. Do not skip the routine as even light or freehand exercise will help you to release the toxins from your body. Start exercising as it would not only help you to stay fit and young but keep you healthy by boosting the immunity system. Maintain a regular routine and exercise for at least 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your stamina.

If you have not started exercising yet, then it is a good time to start. Regular exercise improves metabolism, which has a direct correlation with body immunity. You can even do Yoga as it would enable you to develop Chi or positive energy.

De-stress Yourself

Staying indoors due to the forced lockdown can often play a negative role in the wellbeing of your mind. Try to come out of the stress level and stop thinking about the consequences of the virus. You are likely to fall sick if you think too much about the coronavirus. 

Removing stress is not an easy job, but you can get some benefits by following certain easy steps:

Meditation

The best way to relieve stress is include meditation in your regular routine. It is a tried and tested activity to calm the nerves. There are enough chances of falling sick if you are reeling under stress. Stress releases the hormone known as cortisol, which impairs your response to immediate surroundings and makes your body vulnerable to infections. The best thing would be to get yourself an instructor who would help you to practice Pranayam and Yoga. It would help you to release all your anxiety and stress levels.

Avoid Smoking, Alcohol, and other Addictions:

Say no to smoking, drinking and any other form of addiction since all these have an ill effect on your body. It weakens your immunity system and you become prone to numerous infections. In terms of COVID-19, anybody having a dry or wet cough is among the suspected victims. Constant fagging damages the lung capacity and destroys the cells lining your respiratory tracts. These cells are crucial to fight viruses that enter through your nasal orifices.

Those who are into heavy boozing are also at life risk. The study claims that people having a habit of heavy alcohol consumption are prone to suffer from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), the condition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences could be quite grave as sudden withdrawal can also prove to be risky.

The crux of the matter is if you are into any kind of addictions, then your body becomes weak from within and fails to stand against any infection. On the contrary, the body becomes prone to catching the virus easily.

Immunity has always been the driving force in the battle against any kind of infection and virus including the COVID-19 pandemic that has created havoc across the globe taking the lives of over one lakh people. The immunity system largely depends upon the body system of individuals but still one can build their immune system strong by including certain foods in their diets and avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.

Both are bad for your body and weaken the capacity to fight the infection within the body. It’s due to the bad immunity. The best way to stay fit during these grave hours of COVID-19 coronavirus is to follow the three dos – wear mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and follow social distancing apart from the above-discussed ways to boost your immunity.