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COVID-19: FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY

We got experts to suggest key tips and elixirs to combat the deadly pandemic

- Prerna Gauba Sibbal With inputs from nutritioni­sts Kavita Devgan, Tripti Tandon and fitness expert Kitty Kalra

Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball,” wrote actor Tom Hanks, who was detected with coronaviru­s and is now recovering in Australia, for the entire world which is grieving and taking steps to stay safe. Media outlets are flashing numbers of people affected by the pandemic every hour, which has been increasing day by day. So, it has now become inevitable for us to take steps that would boost our immunity. Experts list a few tips:

■ Make sure you consume foods which contain vitamin C, such as amla, oranges and kinnow.

■ Start your day with lemon in lukewarm water.

■ Take steam at least three times a day.

■ It is important to keep your throat moist, so drink water every 15 minutes. You can also go for detox water. Take water in a jar, add a few mint leaves and lemon slices to it. You could also add apple chunks and cinnamon sticks.

Even orange and parsley detox water would be great.

■ Kada or an immunity booster drink can be made at home by boiling peppercorn­s, star anise, and cinnamon in water. Then, add turmeric, lemon and honey to it.

■ Gargle with warm salt water at least once a day.

■ Add black pepper in every dish you cook.

■ Another good immunity booster is turmeric. In a glass of milk (almond milk for those who are lactose intolerant), add half a teaspoon of turmeric and a pinch of pepper. Mix it and drink it up.

■ A good tip would be adding some tulsi/basil leaves to your morning cup of tea.

■ Green leafy vegetables help ward off infection as they are high on fibre and also boost immunity. You can make a salad with spinach, broccoli and rocket leaves. Alternativ­ely, you can prepare a smoothie with green vegetables and seeds, or make a green juice with amla, lemon and ginger.

■ Berries are great as they are high on antioxidan­ts and vitamin C, and hence, help curb infections. You could even make a smoothie bowl — in a bowl, add berries,

Greek yogurt, almonds and seeds such as chia, flax and sunflower.

■ Almonds are a great source of vitamin E, fibre, protein and omega 3, so you should eat them everyday.

■ Onion and garlic should be added while cooking food, as they possess antimicrob­ial capabiliti­es.

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 ?? PHOTOS: ISTOCK: FOR REPRESENTA­TIONAL PURPOSES ONLY ?? Opt for fruit-infused water with slices of fresh lemon. You could also consume amla or a smoothie bowl with fruits
PHOTOS: ISTOCK: FOR REPRESENTA­TIONAL PURPOSES ONLY Opt for fruit-infused water with slices of fresh lemon. You could also consume amla or a smoothie bowl with fruits
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