Include natural immunity boosters in your diet
In every day’s hustle and bustle, we forget to focus on what we are eating and how that affects our health. A person is healthy if they have a strong immunity system. The generations before us have diligently taken care of themselves by adding small things like a warm glass of milk, jaggery, herbs, and spices to their everyday diet. Cow ghee is one of these foods that is known to boost immunity and in times of the global pandemic that we are facing, stronger immunity is the need of the hour.
15 Foods That Boost the Immune System
- Citrus fruits
- Red bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spinach
- Yogurt
- Almonds
- Sunflower seeds
- Turmeric
- Green tea
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Poultry
- Shellfish
10 Immunity-Boosting Juices to Drink When You’re Sick
- Apple, carrot, and orange
- Orange and grapefruit
- Homemade tomato juice
- Kale, tomato, and celery
- Beet, carrot, ginger, and turmeric
- Strawberry and mango
- Watermelon
- Strawberry-kiwi mint
- Pumpkin seed
- Spinach, lettuce, and kale
The 15 Best Foods to Eat When You’re Sick
Coconut Water – Coconut water has a sweet, delicious flavor. It provides the fluids and electrolytes you need to stay hydrated while sick.
Honey – Honey has antibacterial effects and stimulates the immune system. It can also help relieve coughing in children over 12 months of age.
Ginger – Ginger is very effective at relieving nausea. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Spicy Foods – Spicy foods contain capsaicin, which can help break up mucus but also stimulate mucus production. It may be effective at relieving coughing caused by irritation.
Bananas – Bananas are a good source of calories and nutrients. They can also help relieve nausea and diarrhea.
Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a good source of nutrients and easy to eat. It can stimulate your immune system, improve blood sugar control and decrease inflammation in the digestive system.
Yogurt – Yogurt is easy to eat and a good source of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. Some yogurts also contain probiotics, which can help you get sick less often and get better faster
Certain Fruits – Many fruits contain flavonoids called anthocyanins that can fight viruses and bacteria and stimulate the immune system. Flavonoid supplements can also be beneficial.
Avocados – Avocados are full of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats that can decrease inflammation and stimulate the immune system.
Leafy, Green Vegetables – Leafy green vegetables are full of fiber and nutrients that you need while sick. They also contain beneficial plant compounds.
Salmon – Salmon is an excellent source of protein. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which fight inflammation and boost immune function.
Hot Tea – Tea is a good source of fluids and acts as a natural decongestant when hot. Black tea can decrease the growth of bacteria in the throat, and echinacea tea may shorten the length of the cold or flu.
Garlic – Garlic can fight bacteria, viruses and stimulate the immune system. It helps you avoid illness and recover faster when you get sick.
Chicken Soup – Chicken soup is a good source of fluids, calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is also a natural decongestant and may block cells that cause coughing and a stuffy nose.
Broths – Drinking broth is a delicious and nutritious way to stay hydrated, and it also acts as a natural decongestant when hot.
Does Vitamin C Have Any Effect on the Common Cold?
Although vitamin C supplements have no effect on the risk of catching a cold, they appear to reduce its severity and duration.
How Does Vitamin C Reduce the Severity of Colds?
Vitamin C is essential for the proper functioning of immune cells. It is depleted during infections, so a vitamin C deficiency may increase their risk.
Other Nutrients and Foods That May Help
Several other nutrients and foods may help you recover from a cold or even reduce the risk of catching one. These include flavonoids and garlic.
Garlic Can Boost Immune Function
Garlic can be crushed, chewed or sliced to produce allicin, which is thought to give garlic its immune-boosting properties.
Can Garlic Help Prevent Colds and The Flu?
Regularly eating garlic may help prevent the common cold or the flu. If you do get sick, eating garlic can reduce the severity of your symptoms and help you recover faster.
How to Maximize the Benefits of Garlic
Ensure whole garlic is crushed, chewed or sliced before it’s eaten. Let crushed garlic stand for 10 minutes before you cook it.
Ghee as an Ayurvedic medicine
Increased pollution, stress level, along with never-seen-before flu and viruses emerging in the environment, improving our immunity has become very important. Ayurveda says that one should eat ghee in the morning on an empty stomach that improves the process of cell rejuvenation which boosts the healing process of our body. Ghee is comprised of medium and long-chain fatty acids. It is rich in omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids along with vitamins A, D, E and K. Ghee helps in improving digestion, increases your memory and intellect, improves skin and eye health, along with that, acts as a lubricant for joints. It is a good source of Butyrate fatty acid which is essential for preventing many digestive system diseases.
What is Butyric acid?
Butyric acid is found in cow ghee. It is vital for the intestinal walls, reducing the chances of inflammation. A Japanese study shows that butyric acid is good for boosting immunity. Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid that is created when the good bacteria in your gut breaks down the dietary fibre. Its primary health benefit is that it provides energy to colon cells. Among other digestive system diseases, ghee helps in reducing the risk of colon cancer. The benefit of butyric acid is that it can prevent and treat colorectal cancer, i.e. colon cancer.
Cow ghee for boosting immunity
Ghee is a rich source of butyrate. It is great for improving immunity and keeping the digestive system healthy. A healthy gut and strong immunity are essential to stay fit. To gain the benefits of ghee for stronger immunity, one should consume 100% verified Cow ghee made with traditional Bilona process. This traditional process includes converting whole milk into curds and churning it with a bilona to make the butter which is later heated to make ghee.
How to make ghee at home?
Instead of buying processed ghee, make ghee at home which is rich in essential nutrients and will provide you with a healthy lifestyle:
To make ghee, collect milk cream/malai in a bowl and freeze. When you have enough malai, take it out of the freezer and allow it to come down at room temperature. Then, add curd to it and let it set overnight. The next day, add the malai to a food processor and add a cup of cold water to it. Whisk the mixture until the butter separates from the milk and collects together. Wash the butter with ice-cold water. When the water becomes clean, stop washing the butter. This is done to wash away milk solids. Then, as we always do, heat the butter in a kadhai on low flame until ghee starts floating on top. Strain the ghee and store in a jar.