Fight diseases, naturally
Simple changes to diet and lifestyle can help your body’s immune system to remain in top working order
Viruses and bacteria and allergens are everywhere. Keeping yourself cocooned in a hypoallergenic bubble is not an option. Doing that may keep illnesses away, but it is not going to magically improve your immunity. What preventive measures can you take to keep yourself safe from illnesses? Here’s what Dr. B. T. Chidananda Murthy, Chief Medical Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute, has to say:
TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT: Make sure you incorporate a good probiotic supplement in your daily diet. If that is not possible, include probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kefir milk, kombucha, and yogurt.
AVOID IMMUNOSUPPRESSANT FOODS: Caffeine, alcohol, white sugar and fatty foods suppress the immune system. Consuming a lot of fat-rich food can also clog up your lymphatic system, making it more difficult for your body to fight infections.
DRINK PLENTY OF JUICES: Fresh juices contain a lot of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help keep the immune system healthy in winter. Adding ingredients like spinach, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, beetroot, berries and apples will bolster your immune system and keep it functioning at peak capacity.
DETOXIFY YOUR BODY: No matter what the season, your body can always do with a little detoxification. Toxins tend to accumulate in your liver, intestines, lymph nodes, veins, lungs and salivary glands, laying the ground for some potentially serious problems. Accumulated toxins cause a number of problems, ranging from weight gain to impacted cell regeneration. If you experience flatulence, constipation, indigestion, and other gastrointestinal problems, then it’s time for a detox. Squeeze a slice of lemon into a glass of lukewarm water, add a pinch of parsley and drink it before breakfast. This effectively eliminates toxins from the system. Cabbage juice, rosemary tea, and ginger-tulsi tea are also equally good detoxifying agents.
EAT RIGHT: Diet and Nutrition play a vital role in improving the immune response. Consume plenty of citrus fruits, garlic, ginger, honey, cloves, kale, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, yogurt, almonds, turmeric, green tea, papaya, kiwi, grapefruit, lemon, wheatgrass juice, sunflower seeds and mushrooms like shiitake and oyster.
REMEMBER YOUR A-B-C-D-ES: Lack of these vitamins has been linked to decreased immunity. Eating a healthy diet rich in natural nutrients boosts overall health as well as the immune system.
BASK IN THE SUN: This is one of the key ways in which the body manufactures Vitamin D, which plays an important part in helping our immune systems produce antibodies. Low levels of vitamin D have been correlated with higher risk of infection.
“Yogic kriyas, Pranayama and Naturopathy therapy help detox the body and strengthen the immunity system. Before you make any modifications to your diet, consult your primary physician or a licensed naturopath to make sure that the changes don’t interfere with any pre-existing medication you are on.” — Dr B. T. Chidananda Murthy, Chief Medical Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute.