Mind your greens

In order to build your immunity, experts suggest adopting a plantbased whole food diet

The onset of COVID 19 has made people all the more health-conscious. While earlier the idea was to eat wisely and maintain a healthy mind and body balance, now it has shifted to building a stronger immunity against the virus. The caution has led people to adopt the diet of our ancestors derived from plants. In fact, both modern science and Ayurveda suggest the benefits of including plant foods, herbs in your daily diet that helps in improving your immunity. An advocate of plantbased eating, Mihir Gadani, fitness, nutrition expert and cofounder at OZiva, affirms that plant-based nutrition improves gut health, thus making one better equipped to absorb the nutrients supporting the immune system.

“An astounding 70 to 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut. Hence, it’s very important to have a healthy gut. Instead of focusing on a single micronutrient, like vitamin C, it’s important to have a wide variety of whole food, since they contain different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that work in synergy,” advises Gadani.

“There are many essential plant-based foods ranging from greens like spinach, fenugreek to herbs & spices like turmeric, ginger. But considering our diet pattern in India, one nutrient that most people do not get in adequate quantities—and is very important for the immune system—is protein. Hence, I definitely recommend including plant protein in the everyday diet as a food supplement. We are witnessing a higher demand for immunity boosting products that contain Elderberry, Guduchi (Giloy), plant Vitamin C, plant Protein and this is a trend that is here to stay,” adds the nutrition expert.

However, he maintains that the idea is not to take extreme measures when it comes to achieving holistic nutrition and overall wellbeing. “The small choices that we make on a day to day basis, play a pivotal role towards attaining good health and wellness in the long run," warns Gadani.

Keeping in mind the pandemic, the fitness expert apart from advising on having a clean, plant-based diet urges people to maintain a good balance of exercise and sleep. “Just eating and relying on one thing to resolve your immunity is not the optimum approach. Eating healthy and well-balanced diet replete with all the essential nutrients holds the key to achieving overall health. For a truly holistic concept of immunity, it’s important to invest in all three pillars of overall wellbeing—nutrition, exercise and mind,” he concludes.