How to Boost Immunity During COVID-19?

In this article, I will show you some natural ways on how to boost immunity to fight against global disease like Corona Virus.

When I am writing this article there are probably not a single human on this planet who is not aware of the infectious disease Covid-19.

The outbreak started in Wuhan sometime around the final days of 2019. However, now, it has taken the shape of a global pandemic.

What’s really disturbing, and worrying is that researchers have not yet succeeded in finding any medicine for treating the infection. What’s more, we are also unlikely to get a vaccine before the second quarter of 2021.

Experts are saying that other than taking necessary precautions the only way of keeping yourself protected from SARS-COV-2, the coronavirus responsible for causing Covid19, is boosting your immunity.

This write-up would help you to make your immune system stronger during these tough times. Abiding by the suggestions below would decrease your chances of getting infected by Covid19.

Read on to find out more.

How to Boost Immunity Naturally?

Below are some tips that would help you have a stronger immune system naturally. We have elaborated some of those tips later in the article.

Sleep Well

There’s close association between sleep and immunity.

It has been found that people suffering from sleep deprivation or insomnia are often the ones more susceptible to diseases.

During a recent study, 164 participants were divided according to their sleep patterns. All the participants were clinically healthy when the study began.

One group included individuals who slept less than six hours per night, while the other included people who slept six hours or more per night.

The study found that participants in the first group were at greater risk of catching common cold than those in the second group.

If you take sufficient rest, your body’s natural immunity would increase. Doctors advise sleeping more when we are sick as it allows our immune system to fight the disease more effectively.

If you want to decrease your chances of getting infected by the sensational novel coronavirus sleep for at least 7 hours or more per night.

Teens reading this article, on the other hand, should sleep for 8 to 10 hours every night. For younger children, the idea sleeping duration would be 13 to 14 hours.

If you have a history of sleeping disorder, speak to your physician. He or she is the best person to guide you in these critical times.

There are some basic rules that we should follow so that we can fall asleep within minutes of going to bed.

Avoid watching television, looking at your phone, and listening to loud music for at least an hour before your sleeping time.
Sleep in a dark room.
If the lights of your room are switched on, use a sleep mask to cover your eyes.
Don’t change your sleep routine.
Exercise regularly

Add More Whole Plant Foods to Your Daily Diet

You should consume lots of nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes and seeds.

These are food items rich in antioxidants. For those who don’t know, antioxidants provide us with the power of fighting harmful pathogens.

Most patients are dying of Covid19 as doctors are failing to manage the inflammation of crucial organs in their body. Consuming an antioxidant-rich diet would allow us in combating the harmful free radicals responsible for causing inflammation.

The fiber content of the above-mentioned plant products feeds our gut microbiome (the healthy bacteria present in our gut).

When we have a healthy population of gut microbiome, our immune system becomes significantly stronger. This would allow us to stop various harmful pathogens from getting into our body through the digestive tract.

Add Healthy Fats to your Diet

The healthy fats present in chia seeds, salmon or olive oil can increase the immune response of our body to damaging pathogens by reducing inflammation.

You must have heard that individuals with chronic cardiac disorders, diabetes, etc. have a higher mortality rate among those diagnosed with Covid19.

The anti-inflammatory properties of chia seeds, salmon and olive oil would allow you to fight the chronic diseases mentioned above more efficiently. In addition, the healthy fats will also be instrumental in warding of viruses and bacteria.

Eliminate Added Sugar from your Meals

WHO has already announced that Covid19 would bring in worse consequences for individuals suffering from cardiac disorders, diabetics, people with kidney ailments, and obese individuals.

Consumption of added sugar contributes to each of the health problems mentioned above. This makes reducing our sugar intake mandatory.

Practice Moderate Exercise

It’s true that taking part in long and intense workout session might end up suppressing your immune system. However, that should stop you from exercising regularly.

In fact, you should include moderate exercising in your daily routine permanently.

At present, it would help in reducing inflammation in your system and ensure regular regeneration of your immune cells.

Then, once the scientists will come up with a vaccine for Covid19, your habit of exercising would increase the vaccine efficacy. This stands particularly true for individuals with compromised immunity.

The best form of exercise for boosting your immunity is yoga. We have discussed the best immunity boosting yoga poses later in this article.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Drinking sufficient quantity of water is a must if you want to have strong immunity.

If you don’t drink enough water, your overall health would start declining.

You will have headaches, your kidney and heart functions will be impaired, and you will find it difficult to digest food and also lose focus.

All these will decrease your ability to fight off diseases.

Drink at least 2 liters of water every day. The water should be in room temperature.

Keep your Stress Levels Low

A recent study have shown that constant stress can promote inflammation and result in impaired immune cell performance.

So, you cannot allow your stress levels to be too high in the current circumstances. Engage in activities like yoga, meditation, journaling, etc. to manage stress more effectively.

If you are having anxiety and stress attacks, it would be good if you can consult a licensed therapist or counselor.

Take Health Supplements

Here are some health supplements you should take to boost your immunity –

Zinc: Use of zinc supplement can reduce the duration of infection and common cold by 33%.

Vitamin C: A study involving 11,000 participants found that taking 1000 to 2000 milligram of vitamin C everyday can reduce duration of infections and colds.

The duration reduced by 8% in case of adults, while for children the duration reduced by 14%.

Vitamin D: If you have vitamin D deficiency, your chances of getting an infection is much more than normal individuals.

Supplementation of the vitamin is the best way of counteracting this effect.

Hold the Hands of Ayurveda for having a Stronger Immune System

Since thousands of years, proponents of Ayurveda have been recommending use of plant extracts for strengthening our organs.

According to principles of Ayurveda, we can withstand diseases and infections when each of the seven layers of our body is healthy and strong. These seven layers are:

Rasa
Mamasa
Rakta
Medha
Majja
Asthi
Shukra

So, if you want to protect yourself against the detrimental coronavirus, you must ensure that the above layers in your body are working in tandem.

This leads us to the question, “What should we do to keep the seven layers of our body healthy?”

The precise answer would be: Ojas.

For those who don’t know, Ojas is an invisible and subtle essence of human body and its tissues. Having this essence helps us in staying fit, healthy, and full of energy.

Below are some plants and herbs that can promote production of Ojas and boost our immunity. Make those Ayurvedic ingredients a part of your daily life to defeat Covid19.

Moringa

The nutrient that makes Moringa the best herb for offering protection against Covid19 is vitamin C.

The quantity of vitamin C present in this herb is seven time more than what we get in oranges.

Other than vitamin C, Moringa is also a rich source of essential nutrients like amino acids, potassium, calcium, and iron. These nutrients work together to strengthen our muscles, tissues, and cells and promote healing.

Neem

Neem’s ability to work as an immunity booster is known since almost the beginning of times.

Neem works by protecting our body against harmful pathogens. The herb showcases highly effective antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

Another amazing feature of the herb is its ability to flush out toxins from our system.

By removing toxins from our body, Neem enables blood purification. This, in turn, makes our immune system stronger.

Tulsi

Tulsi or holy basil is a powerhouse of phytochemicals, antioxidants (for example, rosmaric acid), and bioflavonoids.

These agents are known for their antimicrobial properties and are instrumental in treating infections of respiratory tract.

You will experience significant reduction in your cough, chest inflammation, and sore throat if you chew two to four Tulsi leaves every day.

You can also prepare a decoction by boiling a handful of Tulsi leaves in water and drink it warm.

Ashwagandha

We have previously discussed the importance of sleeping well for having a strong immune system.

The herb Ashwagandha would help you to have a sound sleep and reduce your chances of contracting Covid19. The herb is also instrumental in keeping stress level low.

In case, if you are under weight and thinking to gain some weight then this herb is an elixir for you.

Ginger

Humans have been using ginger to fight common cold and flu since centuries. So, how can we omit this herb during this crisis.

Ginger is filled with a powerful antioxidant called gingerol. Gingerol is known for its ability to boost immunity and destroy viruses and other microbes.

The herb is particularly beneficial for preventing infections of the respiratory tract.

You can have ginger raw or can add some grated ginger to the food you eat.

Garlic

Allicin, the active ingredient of garlic, plays the role of a germicide and helps in warding of viruses and bacteria.

If you want to enjoy the immunity boosting abilities of garlic, you should either have it partially cooked or raw.

Turmeric

The phytochemical curcumin, which happens to be the active ingredient of turmeric, is instrumental in removing toxins from our system and boosting our immunity.

You can prepare your veggies and meats by adding a dash of turmeric to them.

If that’s not possible, take a glass of turmeric milk before going to bed. Other than strengthening your immune system, turmeric milk will also allow you to have a good night’s sleep.

Immunity Boosting Kadha Recipe

Do you know how to boost immunity drinking a kadha daily? Here’s a recipe you can try at home to strengthen body’s immunity system.

Ingredients

A 1-inch piece of ginger
A 1-inch piece of raw turmeric
8 to 10 leaves of Tulsi
4 to 5 mulethi sticks
4 to 5 cinnamon sticks
10 to 12 black pepper corns
10 to 12 cloves
8 to 10 cups of water

Preparation

Take a saucepan and put all the above ingredients into it.
Put the saucepan on medium to low heat and boil all the ingredients together for at least an hour.
Turn the flame off and allow the decoction to cool down.
Strain the liquid into a duly sterilized airtight glass jar; cover the jar carefully.
This decoction can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The best time to have this kadha is before bedtime.
Heat the kadha before drinking it. Don’t heat the portion you will not be using. To enhance the taste of the kadha a bit, you can add some honey and lemon juice to it when consuming.

How to Boost your Immunity by Practicing Yoga?

Here, we have presented three yoga poses, performing which regularly will keep you protected from infections and diseases.

They will build Ojas in your body and clear congestion.

Pose #1: Supta Virasana

Take a bolster and place a folded blanket on it.

Sit down keeping two of your heels on two sides of your hip. The bolster should be at the back of your tailbone.
Slowly lie down on the bolster and put your head on the folded blanket.
Keep your palms on your sides facing the ceiling.
Stay in this position for 10-15 seconds.

Pose #2: Prasarita Padottanasana

Stand with your feet around 4 ft apart.
Interlock your fingers at the back of your head and straighten the arms.
Bend forward keeping the fingers interlocked and lift the arms upward in the direction of the ceiling.
Stay in this position for 5-10 seconds.

Pose #3: Urdhva Hastasana

Stand keeping your feet hip-width apart.
Interlock the fingers and stretch the arms up.
Lift the heels keeping your balance on the balls of the feet.
Stay in this position for 5 seconds and gradually lower the arms and heels.

WHO Guideline for Prevention of Covid19

The tips provided above would help you boost your immunity and reduce your chances of getting Covid19.

However, to remain fully protected, you must abide by certain regulations set by the World Health Organization or WHO. Here’s what you should do:

Brief Overview of WHO Guidelines to Stay Safe Against Corona

Clean your hands using water and soap or an alcohol-based hand rub as many times a day as possible. Cleaning your hands becomes even more important after returning home from outside.

When speaking to others, maintain at least 3 ft or 1-meter distance between each other.This is extremely crucial as when someone talks, coughs, or sneezes, hundreds of thousands of tiny droplets get released from their mouth and nose. If the person is infected, those droplets would be filled with virus.Maintaining distance with people around you will ensure you don’t end up breathing those infected droplets.

Stay away from crowded places. This is essential as maintaining the above-mentioned distance from the people around you would be impossible if the place you are in is crowded.
Don’t touch your mouth, nose, and eyes. If you do so you may end up transferring the virus from your hand to your mouth, nose, or eyes and get infected.
Encourage people around you to abide by healthy respiratory hygiene. You should also follow the rules yourself.When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your own bent elbow.Once you are done, dispose of the tissue and clean your hands using water and soap. If you are not at home, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for cleaning your hands.

In case you develop minor symptoms like mild fever, headache, and cough, self-isolate irrespective of the fact whether you have been tested positive for Covid19 or not.
If you find it difficult to breath, have high fever, and have a constant cough, get yourself checked by a doctor.
Wear a three-layers mask whenever going outside.
Keep checking the official website of WHO for more updates on the virus and the pandemic.

Final Words

The world has not faced a tougher situation than this after World War II.

So, it’s obvious that we will have to put in a lot of effort to put the current time behind.

Following the suggestions provided above will ensure that we can fight the virus effectively and keep ourselves protected from it.

In brief, this is all about how to boost immunity during the time or Covid-19.

References –

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/immune-boosting-supplements#615.-Other-supplements-with-immune-boosting-potential
https://pharmeasy.in/blog/9-immunity-boosting-herbs-to-beat-covid-19/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-boost-immune-health#1.-Get-enough-sleep
https://www.uchealth.com/en/media-room/covid-19/boost-immunity-with-food
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/immune-friendly
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice-section/take-care

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