Food to lead healthy life

There is little doubt that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting every aspect of our lives, from virtual classrooms to telecommuting to early closing times of market places to outright quarantines. Observing public health measures and reducing exposure to the virus are required to slow the spread of this disease. Scientists and researchers are attempting to create a specific vaccine for this virus but to no avail so far. However, No one knows how long these virus safety measures will need to stay in place, but it presents a perfect time to protect and improve your health while practicing social distancing. Healthy eating is especially important for keeping your immune system in good condition. Here are some steps you can take to eat healthy in the times of COVID. In the  current  situation,  it  is  necessary  to  be  aware  of  the  specific  types  of food that can improve our immune system in order to  combat  COVID-19.Follow these guidelines to optimize your immune system’s ability to keep you healthy.

•        Drink enough water every day ( at least 8 to 10 glasses) since  It transports nutrients and compounds in blood, regulates your body temperature and gets rid of waste. Water is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water, for example lemon juice (diluted in water), tea and coffee.

•        Increase the intake of vitamin C as various researches have proven that vitamin C is an important aspect of improving immunity, be it kids, adults or even elderly! Fruits like oranges, papaya, and guava are rich in vitamin C and should be included in the diet. Also, veggies like eggplant, bell peppers, beetroots, spinach, and cauliflower are known to be quite rich in vitamin C and are good for immunity.

•        Also included, Vitamin B-6 is essential in the formation of new and healthy red blood cells, and aids in maintaining the lymphatic system. Chicken, turkey, cold-water fish (salmon and tuna), chickpeas (traditional hummus), bananas and fortified breakfast cereal are great options for consuming vitamin B-6.

•        Don’t forget to include vitamin D in your diet as it is essential to immune function and helps regulate the body’s immune response. Vitamin D can be found in salmon, canned tuna, egg yolks, and yogurt.

•        Try to add some Garlic also as it contains compounds that help the immune system fight germs in a variety of ways by stimulating cells important to fighting disease and helping to regulate the immune system. It helps boost the production of virus-fighting T-cells and can reduce the amount of stress hormones your body produces which can help keep your immune system functioning at full strength.

•        Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is a key element in regulating and supporting immune system function. Foods rich in vitamin E include nuts, seeds, avocado, and spinach

•        Zinc is another nutrient that helps your immune system and metabolism function. An individual can either take Zinc supplements or inculcate in their diet through cashews, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, among others.

•        Eating lots of fruits and vegetables as consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables should provide enough zinc, vitamin D and other important minerals and vitamins to support a healthy immune system. Also remember, do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins.

•        Even though it’s highly recommended to eat home cooked meals but If you want to have take-out meals, take the food home right away and eat it while it is hot. Store leftovers and safely wrap them tightly and refrigerate any dishes with meat, fish, poultry, or dairy products. Also, be sure to reheat these leftovers thoroughly before eating again.

•        Often people resort to food as comfort during times of stress and anxiety. The ‘comfort’ foods that many people resort to are often the ‘tasty’ junk foods such as chips, crisps, burgers, pizzas, chocolate, sweets, ice cream etc which are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories. As much as possible we must avoid these junk foods as they destroy the internal body system due to the unhealthy ingredients. Instead, For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit

Apart from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking supplements, there are few organic and natural ways to practice as preventive measures to fight COVID-19. Such as;

i.         Drink warm water throughout the day.

ii.       Practice Meditation and yoga

iii.      Keep the intake of turmeric, Cumin, Coriander and garlic in your meal.

iv.     Drink hot beverages.

v.       Avoid sugar and replace it with jaggery (gur) if needed.

vi.     Inhale steam by putting cloves in hot water.

vii.     Maintain hygiene.

viii.  Cook the food thoroughly

ix.     Wash raw food thoroughly

x.       Eat plenty of fiber

xi.     Also to lighten the environment and release tension, eat together at the table or spread a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic. Be sure to separate mealtime and TV time, watching while eating makes it too easy to pay attention to TV and not your food, so you are likely to overeat.

Wait a second!! Please remember that the above given tips and diet plan is not a cure or remedy for coronavirus, but a way to boost up your immune system so as to fight against the infections.

Stay indoors, stay safe and eat healthy and be responsible towards our country.

Shahi Tukray

Sweets are almost everyone’s favorite, so if you like sweets you should try Shahi Tukray to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is a Pakistani dish which is very delicious yet very easy to make. We usually made it on our occasions or family gatherings, so here are the step to make it.     

Ingredients:

  • 1 liter Milk
  • 100 gm Granulated Sugar
  • 10 gm Almond
  • 10 gm Cashew
  • 10 gm Pistachio
  • 5 gm Green Cardamom
  • ½ tsp Nutmeg
  • ¼  tsp Yellow Color (optional)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  • 3 tbsp. Corn Flour
  • Cooking Oil as needed
  • 8 Bread Slices

Directions

  1. Take a sauce pan, add milk, cardamoms, nutmeg, sugar, yellow food color (optional), almond, pistachio, cashew, vanilla essence and cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame.
  2. Later, add corn flour mixed with water into the prepared milk.
  3. Take a pan, add cooking oil, bread slices and fry it until light brown.
  4. Now cut from the middle of the breads.
  5. Take out the bread slices in to the dish and pour prepared milk onto it.
  6. Your yummyliciously delicious Shahi Tukray is ready to serve.
yummyliciously delicious Shahi tukrey

Crabs Hot and Sour Soup

As we all aware that winter season is here, and we crave for mouth tempting, and healthy food. Today I am going to tell you the recipe which will boost your energy and satisfies your craving i.e crab hot and sour soup. The ingredients are as follows:

1) Corn 50 gms
2) Mushrooms 125 gms (optional)
3) Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp
4) Lemon juice 1 tsp Spicy-Lump-Crab-Soup
5) Carrot 1
6) Salt to taste
7) Crabmeat 250 gms
8) Corn starch 3 tbsp
9) Crab stock 4 cups
10) Beaten eggs 2
11) Oil 2 tbsp.
12) Green onion 1 (green part for garnish)
13) Garlic paste 1 tbsp
14) Tomato and Chili sauce 2 tbsp

Ingredients:
1. Slice the mushrooms and carrot.
2. Heat the oil and add garlic paste, carrot, mushrooms, crabmeat, lemon juice, black pepper powder, tomato sauce, chili sauce and salt to taste in the saucepan.
3. Fry the above to blend the flavor well.
4. Add prepared stock and corn into it.
5. Then cook, till it boils.
6. Take the corn starch and mix it in half cup of water and pour the mixture slowly into the boiling soup. (Corn starch is use to give soup a thick texture).
7. Add the beaten egg, stirring continuously.
8. Bring the soup to a boil and turn off the fire.
9. Take out the soup in serving dish and garnish it with chopped green onion.

The above soup is best for seafood lovers, but can be a delightful treat for all those who want something new and different to eat. It boosts up your immune system too. So prepare and enjoy. Bon appétit!!