How can a balanced diet help flatten the curve?

COVID-19 seems to be disrupting almost every aspect of lives all over the world. The absence of any specific medication to treat the infected cases has given rise to unprecedented doubts and uncertainties in your minds. Also, some of you have lost jobs, some of you are worried about your family members who are at high risk, and some of you have to continue to work due to being in an essential business. At times, you feel frustrated and overwhelmed as we are fighting an invisible enemy.

But that’s not true. As we face this daunting new challenge, it is in your hands to reduce infections, deaths, and suffering from this outbreak. In this pandemic crisis, you need to assess and bring in every tool to flatten the curve. When the curve is flat, the same number of infected people require medical attention. However, if you can slow the transmission down, then not all those people are coming at once. Then, it will not overwhelm the capacity of the medical system.

Importance of flattening the curve in a pandemic crisis

The extreme measures taken to flatten the curve is not to stop the disease from spreading. But, they are meant to slow the spread of coronavirus. It helps the government buy time. 

So, to flatten the curve, prevention seems to be our best resort. But, unfortunately, the understanding of prevention is restricted only to the level of washing hands, wearing masks, social distancing, and remaining indoors. Although all the points mentioned above must be followed and no one should demean the importance of any one of them. But it will be useful to think beyond just these points. You need to focus on building our immunity. Our immune system is the best defence mechanism and self-repair mechanism.

 Currently, we are following social distancing, hand washing, and wearing masks in public to flatten the curve. But what role can a balanced diet play to build immunity?

Take food with high intake of specific nutrients

This helps to boost the immune system. While low consumption of right nutrition leads to less effective immune responses. Overall, it increases vulnerability to infection. A robust immune system can help fight COVID 19 and keep patients out of the hospital, thereby not overwhelming the healthcare system. Various nutrients that can build the immune response are zinc, selenium, iron, vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, and folate. You must include whole foods like goji berry, broccoli, green tea, and turmeric can provide the above specific nutrients.

Variety is key to proper nutrition

A balanced diet means your proportion should be correct. If you consider lunch, which contains a high amount of proteins but no vitamins, then the diet is not balanced. Eating just one type of food is not enough to fight off the pandemic. For example, green leafy vegetables provide antioxidants and beta carotene, which increases the fighting ability of our immune system. Nuts and seeds add vitamin E and good fats, which are vital to a healthy immune system. Each day, have a healthy balance of foods: Take 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups of fruit, 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups of vegetables, 6-10 ounces of grain, 1/2 from whole grains, and 3 cups of nonfat or low-fat dairy foods.

Knowledge is power

Some foods contain nutrients that can reduce excess inflammation and tissue damage caused by the virus. Overall, it can prevent severe lung injury, failure, and even death. Spend time researching those items and include them in your daily diet.

Take foods which have promising effects on common colds or influenza or other respiratory infections

Many fruits rich in Vitamin C can help you fight the infection. Additionally, take berries, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, red bell peppers, sweet potatoes, shellfish, beans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, turmeric and tea as they have helped to fight other respiratory infections. 

Ensure healthy eating for people with high risk

A healthy diet is especially important in older adults, who often eat less of the right nutrients and at higher risk of dying with COVID 19. Moreover, healthy eating should be adopted by people who have other conditions like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Their bodies are more linked to chronic, low-grade inflammation, which could turn severe in the case of COVID 19. Moreover, to fight the virus in the long term, people should prevent and lessen the severity of existing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. To do that, healthy eating and right nutrition is the best key tactic. 

Hydration is essential

Mild dehydration can put immense stress on the body. It can affect the body’s immune system to fight the infection. The amount of water a person drinks in a day must behalf of his actual weight. The water can also be from soups, vegetables, and fruits to hydrate the body.

Eat home-cooked food

The best remedy to fight an infection is to eat healthy, home-cooked meals. This is because we take the necessary precautions. 

 At this point, we cannot fully contain COVID 19. So, we must bring every tool we have to bear against it. This includes social distancing, support for the hungry, better nutrition, and scientific endeavour seeking drug treatments and vaccines. We must be prepared to do it for years to come. But, the only intake of a balanced diet is not enough. You need an extra touch to improve our digestion process. The right answer is Maharishi Ayurveda’s Amlant. 

Maharishi Amlant- Improves digestion and strengthens the immune system

Maharishi Amlant is a 100% ayurvedic medicine that provides relief from acidity and gastritis without any side effects. It is an ayurvedic antacid that controls the digestive acid balance in the stomach and relieves the discomfort and pain induced by acidity so that you can enjoy your food without any issues.

Amlant consists of Mishri and Vaidang that reduce burning, inflammation, and cramps. Haritaki, Vibhitaki, Lawang, Pippli, and Sarjika Kshor helps indigestion. Other ingredients like Sheetal Parpati, Amlaki, and Mulethi work as cooling and relaxant. Nagar Mustaka acts as a diuretic

Maharishi Amlant has the following Benefits:

• It restores the balance of stomach acid and digestion naturally.
• It heals existing issues related to ulcers and prevents the formation of new ones.
• It strengthens the digestive system and finds a cure that is free from adverse effects.
• It provides a long term solution in treating common digestion problems.

To fight this pandemic crisis, prevention is better than cure. So, aim to eat a balanced diet and take Maharishi Amlant to put an end to common digestive problems and strengthen the process. This will assimilate the right nutrition from the food you intake and help boost your immunity naturally. Overall, it will help flatten the curve.