We all need to have a healthy body and a healthy immune system to fight microbial infections. Suppose you want to boost your immune system then; in that case, dieticians will advise you to have a properly balanced diet and other immunity boosters supplements. We all know that vitamin D intake is essential for an excellent immune system, strengthening bones and muscles. The deficiency of the nutrient can make our body more prone to common infections and other viral infections.
The sunlight is the most prominent vitamin D source, but some people can’t fetch the required amount of sunlight due to some reasons. The situation has become even worse. When everyone has confined themselves in their houses to preclude the danger of getting infected with COVID19, following this safety, the measure can create a deficiency of vitamin D in our body that can weaken our immune system. In recent studies, researchers believe that a sufficient amount of the nutrient (vitamin D) may help in the treatment of COVID19. You can increase the level of vitamin D in your body is by eating food items rich in vitamin D.
The following are some Indian homemade healthy food items that can help you complete the vitamin D deficiency in your body.
- Mushroom uttapam
You can make mushroom uttapam as a part of your breakfast. This uttapam can be a classic south Indian dish with some mushrooms having an ample amount of vitamin D. it will be one of the tasty and healthy things to serve your family.
- Egg paratha
Egg paratha is the typical Indian food that is rich in proteins and vitamins.
- Daliya
Daliya is one of the easy cooking recipes from the Indian kitchen. It has a sufficient amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
- Oats idli
It is a healthy and straightforward south Indian food item that you can serve to the breakfast table—all you need to add oats to the idli batter and cook.
- Paneer cheela
By eating this, you can have all the nutrients at once. Paneer cheela is full of nutrients like calcium, vitamins, and proteins.
It would be best to take care that you are eating food items rich in vitamin D; instead, you must have a balanced diet. It will help if you keep in mind that variety is a crucial factor in proper nutrition. Eating food only rich in some particular nutrient would not help your immune system fight infections, cold, and flu even if you eat them regularly.
One can add the following food items to their diet chart to have a healthy and robust body.
- Citrus fruits
Usually, people start eating citrus fruits after getting cold because it helps to increase your immunity level. The reason behind that is these fruits help in the production of white blood cells (WBC), which fights off infections in the body. You need to know that our body does not store vitamin C; therefore, we should have it regularly.
- Red bell peppers
They have three times more vitamin C than Florida oranges. They are also a good source of beta carotene. Vitamin C helps to boost your immunity level and allows you to live healthy and glowing skin too.
- Broccoli
It is full of vitamins A, C, and E and many oxidants and fiber. The best way to have broccoli without compromising its nutritional value is by cooking it less or not cooking it at all. You can use the steaming method for cooking the broccoli.
- Garlic
Garlic adds taste to any food item, and there are so many benefits of adding a small amount of garlic as an ingredient in your food.
- Ginger
Ginger is one of the shared kitchen ingredients. It helps to cure sore throat and nausea. It can decrease chronic pain and have cholesterol controlling properties.
- Spinach leaves
Spinach leaves are not only rich in vitamin C, but it also has several antioxidants in it. Spinach is also a decent source of beta carotene. The nutritional property of spinach helps to increase the immunity level of an individual.
- Yogurt
It can be a rich source of vitamin C. You can add yogurt to your food as a garnishing ingredient or making the food more delicious.
- Almonds
An ample amount of vitamin E is present in almonds, a powerful antioxidant contributing to a healthy immunity system. Vitamin E is fat-soluble, which means it requires healthy fats to absorb adequately, and almonds are also rich in those healthy fats.
- Sunflower seed
Sunflower seeds are full-packed with many nutrients such as phosphorus, vitamin B-6, vitamin E, and magnesium. These are also a good source of selenium.
- Turmeric
This bright yellow-colored spice contains anti-inflammatory properties that help to treat both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is antiseptic also.
- Green tea
Green tea contains a considerable amount of epigallocatechin gallate, which is a powerful antioxidant. It is also a good source of amino acid and L-theanine, which helps to produce antibodies in our body.
- Papaya
Papaya is fully-loaded with an ample amount of vitamin C. it also has a digestive enzyme named papain, which shows its anti-inflammatory property. Moreover, it has a fair amount of potassium, folate, and magnesium, contributing to an individual’s overall health.
- Kiwi
It is naturally full of tons of vital nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. Vitamin C helps to boost the immunity level of the body. Other nutrients keep the rest of the body to regulate appropriately.
- Poultry
Poultry products are rich in a nutrient called vitamin B-6. Vitamin B-6 is responsible for the formation of red blood cells (RBC) in the body.
- Shellfish
Many of you may don’t know, but some of the shellfishes are rich in a nutrient called zinc. Though zinc does not attract attention like any other nutrients, it is equally essential for your body. Examples of shellfish containing a decent amount of zinc are oysters, crabs, lobsters, and mussels.
- Apple
It is an old saying that- an apple in a day keeps the doctor away. An apple contains a fair amount of antioxidants and zinc.
By following a good food habit and lifestyle change, you can strengthen your natural defense system, which helps you fight harmful and disease-causing organisms.
The following are some lifestyle changing habits that can help you to boost your immunity more effectively.
- Proper sleep
Good sleep and immunity are connected. An inadequate amount of sleep can increase the risk of getting sick.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Eating more fruits and vegetables will make it less prone to illness as it contains a sufficient amount of vitamins, fibers, and minerals.
- Eat healthy fats
Healthy fats such as omega-3 and olive oil contain a high anti-inflammatory property.
- Limit the level of sugar
High intake of sugar may lead to conditions like heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Limiting the intake level of sugar will help you to prevent these situations.
- Exercise
Moderate exercise can help to promote a healthy immune system. Options like jogging, walking, swimming, etc. are great.
- Manage your stress level
Lowering your stress level with meditation, yoga, or other practices may help reduce your stress level and boost your immune system.
- Stay hydrated
Be sure that you are taking a sufficient amount of water every day.
- Supplements
Some of the supplements may help you to fight infections.