Good nutrition is critical for health, especially at a time when your immune system has taken a beating and is in a weaker state than before. This is as true for those who’ve contracted the COVID-19 infection during the ongoing pandemic as for those who’re suffering from viral fever, common cold or flu during the monsoon season.Components of a COVID-19 recovery diet
What you eat and drink now will play a huge role in boosting your immune system and that, in turn, will determine how quickly you’re able to get back on your feet. The World Health Organization (WHO), UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) have provided many dietary recommendations through the months of the pandemic. Based on all of these guidelines, a proper recovery diet for COVID-19 patients should include the following categories of nutrition.1. Calories: Your body has been drained of energy, so calorie-dense foods are what you need to get your energy levels back up. Include rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, whole grains and cereals in your diet, but avoid foods with empty calories - like all types of junk food.2. Protein: You can’t start feeling better without these building blocks of life, so eat more protein-rich foods to get 75-100g of this nutrient every day. Add as many whole grains, lentils, legumes, dairy products, soy products, nuts and seeds as you can in your diet. If you’re non-vegetarian, then have plenty of chicken and eggs as well as fish.3. Fruits and veggies: Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fibre, folate, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Include everything from apples and bananas to gourds and green leafy vegetables in your diet.4. Immune-boosters: Fruits, vegetables, herbs and some spices have immense immune-boosting qualities because they’re packed with phytochemicals and bioactive compounds. Add these to your diet and drink immune-boosting herbal drinks like kadha, turmeric milk, green tea, herbal tea, etc.5. Fluids: Infections can dehydrate the body, so it’s important to rehydrate when you’re recovering. Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day, and make broths, soups, and other drinks a part of your daily diet.Things to remember about the recovery diet
Apart from adding all these essential foods and drinks to your recovery diet, you need to keep the following things in mind to make this diet more effective:
For more information, read our article on Diet for COVID-19 patients.Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.
Comments
0 comment