COVID-19 PANDEMIC: KOMANI DOCTOR ADVISES ON FOODS TO EAT AND AVOID TO BOOST ONE S ’ IMMUNE SYSTEM
Eating healthily and exercising important in face of Covid-19
As Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the winter season with no prospect at present of a cure, a strong immune system remains a much-needed weapon to overcome the virus.
Local naturopath doctor, Lydia Jaceni, advises that the most powerful immuneboosting foods are those high in vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium and coenzyme Q10. Jaceni said: These
“foods include lemons, berries, grapes, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, ginger and turmeric.
Herbs include
“sutherlandia, moringa, spirulina, echinacea, olive leaf, dandelion, thyme, mullein, peppermint, medical cannabis, artemesia and chapparal.”
However, she said there was no one specific diet to suit all people because every healthy eating plan depended on the genetic make-up and health condition of an individual. A healthy diet consists of “meals that are in their most natural form and that have not been manipulated to a point that the food loses its nutritional value.” Jaceni added that food affordability varied, depending on what one aimed to achieve with a diet.
I always advocate eating “foods in their most fresh form. This way you are able to buy fruit and vegetables from farmers and street vendors.
Vegetables and fruits are “normally affordable, depending on the season.”
This is why she encourages people to become informed about which fruits and vegetables are available in each season.
Other affordable items that played a vital role in immunity, Jaceni said, were found in protein food sources such as lentils, eggs and pilchards. Meanwhile, healthy snacks included fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.
As for beverages, herbal teas were the healthier option, with water being a prerequisite. Tempting foods to avoid that compromised the immune response, thereby making infections more likely, she said, included fizzy drinks, processed foods, items high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcoholic beverages.
Jaceni said there were many contradictory theories on how exercise affected the immune system.
Scientific evidence
“suggests that regular, moderate-intensity exercise is beneficial for immunity.
Studies show that in the “short-term, exercise can help the immune system find and deal with pathogens that want to attack the body. The long-term effects of “regular exercise have been shown to be that changes that happen to the immune system with ageing slow down, thereby reducing the risk of infections.”