Keep Corona at Bay - Drive Corona Away

Prevention is better than cure. Being healthy and fit is the most important need and priority of the hour. No amount of money and no amount of medicines or medical facilities, contacts or connections can help us.

We need to help ourselves to stay healthy and strong to protect ourselves from letting Corona catch us and make us its victims. Our body has to be fit to fight against Corona. Today Corona is everywhere. In the beginning we heard it was in China and Italy – no problem, that’s very, very far away from us. But today it is in our building, house across our lane or even in our home.

The big words we hear are Boost your Immune System. What does this mean. This means we have to be physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually strong, well and happy so that if we accidentally come in contact with a person who is having Corona already or is carrying the Corona virus in there body and that virus enters our body, our body will immediately fight it and kill it and not allow it to grow and multiply and kill us.

Physically strong does not mean how big my muscles are but how balanced and healthy my food and diet is, how much water I drink daily and whether my body is getting regular physical exercise, cardiovascular exercise daily. (Walking , jogging, dancing, aerobics, etc,.)

The first and most importance need is to eat three meals a day which are Carbohydrate and Protein balanced. All those on diets such as ‘Keto’ , Intermittent fasting, etc., please stop it immediately as it can lower your immunity.

All three meals must contain a moderate portion of cereal grains, including whole grains such as whole wheat roties, broken wheat (Dhalia or ghodi nuchu) oats, ragi and other millets like foxtail, quinoa, etc., Avoid rice and rava items at breakfast and dinner. If eating rice, it must only be eaten at lunch time. Whole grains give us Vitamin B1,B3, B6 and magnesium which helps to protects against Corona.

Along with the cereal grains there must be a combination of milk,eggs, sambar,dhal in the breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dhals and pulses must be eaten in both lunch and dinner Channna, rajma, moong, mote, lobia and thur , masoor, moong dhals must be included to get protein and various minerals and vitamins to make you healthy and strong. Dhals and Pulses are rich sources of B1,B2,B6,Vitamin E, K, iron and magnesium.Milk is a rich source of Vitamins A,D,E, B1,B2,B6,B12 and calcium. Milk,eggs,chicken and meats are rich sources of Vitamin B12 and Zinc which are also protective against Corona.

Having only a vegetable curry or rasam with lunch or dinner is a big mistake. Vegetables as a sabji or pallya must be included daily but it has to be eaten in addition to the dahl/sambar/pulses curry that is already there in lunch and dinner. Non- veg or egg may substitute the dhal at these meals occasionally but pallya or sabji must also be eaten.

Besides the above the next great need to boost your immunity is to include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. They are an important source of ANTIOXIDANTS which help your body to fight against infections. Please note that it is not advisable to make the fresh fruits and vegetables into juices and soups as they will lose the antioxidants properties when you do this. They must be cut and eaten fresh.

We advise eating fresh fruits at 11am as snack and at 6pm as an evening snack. Fresh salads must be eaten daily with lunch and dinner, twice a day. Vitamins C and A are antioxidants found in many fruits like lime, oranges, musambi, guava, grape, tomatoes. Vitamin A is found in all red, orange and yellow coloured fruits and vegetables such as papaya, mango, peaches, apricots, cherries, berries, melons, tomato, yellow and red bell peppers, pumpkin, etc.,

All these fruits must be eaten in moderate quantities, and not along with your meals. Only as snacks at 11am or 6pm. If eaten along with the meals and in large quantities, they will increase your sugar levels which then will bring down your immunity.

Besides the above there are a few tips which are helpful to fight corona. If having any symptoms like cold or sore throat immediately start the following.

All steps to be done 4 times a day for 4 continuous days.

1. Steam inhalation from the spout of a kettle or a small pan.
2. Hot water gargle.
3. Hot tea 4 times a day or Hot coffee 3 times a day.
4. Drink 2-3 litres hot water daily.

By the 5th day you should be well. However, be in touch with your family doctor as soon as any symptoms start.

God Bless you. Stay well, Stay safe.