Hello Mwana Amai and Mwana Wa Daddy
MY Lovely friends, I have been thinking about today’s topic all week.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, as we try to lower the risk of infection by staying home and practicing social distancing.
In our Beloved Country Zambia, sadly not many of us have the luxury of staying home. Therefore, we risk our lives each day trying to provide for our families and loved ones. Also, practices like social distancing are almost impossible in certain parts of the country. Apart from wearing face masks and washing your hands, a study I read showed that balancing your immune system could also lower the chances of one getting Covid-19.
In simple terms, it’s your immune system’s job to defend your body against illness and disease. This complex system is made up of cells in your skin, blood, bone marrow, tissues, and organs that when working the way they should protect your body against potentially harmful pathogens (like bacteria and viruses), and limit damage from non-infectious agents (like sunburn or cancer).
Think of the immune system as a band. For the best performance, you want every instrument and every musician in the band to perform at their best. You don’t necessarily want one musician performing on double speed or one instrument suddenly producing sound at twice the volume it usually does. You want every component of that band to perform exactly according to plan.
The same goes for your immune system. To best protect your body from harm, every component of your immune system needs to perform exactly according to plan. The best way you can ensure that happens is to practice good behaviours every day that help you balance your immune system.
Below are seven foods that help with balancing your immune system,
Garlic
Garlic contains compounds that naturally act to destroy bacteria and infection, which helps support your immune system. Research suggests that consuming garlic may help reduce the risk of becoming sick and staying ill.
It’s easy to incorporate garlic into your eating regimen. I add garlic to steamed and roasted vegetables or chicken while it cooks to make it more savory or if you stomach the taste, simply chew a bud every morning.
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C that has high health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which can help support your immunity.
Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal or make a refreshing juice.
Popular citrus fruits include:
Grapefruit
Oranges
Tangerines
Lemons
Limes
Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health.
Dark green leaves
Dark green leaves are rich in vitamin C. They are also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may both increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems.
Spinach, broccoli and bondwe (wild spinach) are good examples of these leaves.
Ginger
Ginger has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Upping your intake of antioxidant-rich foods and beverages like Ginger juices may combat inflammation and keep your immune system healthy.
Apart from the foods listed above, you should drink plenty of water, eat healthy, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and keep your stress levels under control.
Mwana Amai, the above are merely suggestions on how to keep your immune system strong and healthy. As we wait for a vaccine or cure for Covid-19, let us keep practicing the necessary preventive methods.
Remember to always wear a mask and use sanitizer or wash your hands.
Thank you again for reading.
Until next time, God bless you.
