If a coronavirus test is positive, what should you do? The second pandemic wave has heightened our vulnerability to the possibly fatal effects of COVID-19, and for most of us, this has acted as a wake-up call to the need to raise our immunity and our bodies’ ability to fight the awful virus. Although recovering from this potentially fatal condition is challenging, if you can manage to take the right steps at the right time, your road to recovery can be straightforward and speedy. According to experts, the keys to a speedy recovery include changing one’s diet and incorporating foods that promote health and nutrition and improve the immune system.
1. Whole Grains
Wholegrain goods like rice, pasta, oats, buckwheat, and quinoa provide excellent meal options since they have a long shelf life, are easy to prepare, and enhance fiber consumption. Unsalted crackers and whole grain bread are also fantastic options. It is preferable to freeze bread for later usage in order to maintain its freshness. Bread slices thaw more quickly.
2. Canned Vegetables
Canned veggies, such as mushrooms, spinach, peas, tomatoes, and green beans, are acceptable options with a longer shelf life to provide a sufficient diet of vegetables. The healthier alternative is frequently fresh or frozen vegetables. Always choose meals that have minimal or no salt added to them.
3. Vitamins
During the healing process, it’s crucial to get enough vitamin C and eat a diet rich in protein. Due to its antioxidant content and overall immune boost, it is essential to the healing process. A regular dose of vitamin C is required since COVID-19 is known to have detrimental effects on one’s respiratory system. The finest sources of vitamin C are fresh fruits like oranges, muskmelon, mango, pineapple, or even guavas, avocados, kiwis, and grapefruit, which are also strong in protein.
4. Protein Intake
Protein supports the growth of muscles and the repair of cell damage, both of which improve immunity. More protein-rich meals should be consumed, according to experts, as they help repair COVID-19-related cell damage. Include protein-rich foods in your diet during or after COVID-19, such as fish, lean meat, bananas, nuts seeds, legumes, and pulses, to make up for the nutrients you lost. These protein-dense meals are also high in omega 3 fatty acids, which help to improve metabolism and gastrointestinal health.
5. Canned Fish
Fish in cans like tuna, sardines, and other varieties are great sources of healthy fats and protein. These might be a wholesome addition to salads, whole grain pasta, and breads. It is preferable for fish to be canned in water rather than oil or brine.
6. Chicken Soup
This classic recipe for ill days is a favorite for a reason. It has been shown that this soup encourages mucus flow more than other hot beverages, which helps flush out germs. This may be due to cysteine, an amino acid found in chicken soup that can affect mucus flow. This is most prevalent in handcrafted items.
7. Potatoes
When making chicken noodle soup, include potatoes! These starchy veggies can help to regulate fluid balance because of their potassium concentration. A proper fluid balance is crucial since COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. Respiratory secretions might become more viscous and challenging to evacuate from the lungs as a result of dehydration. Each medium potato has 906 mg of potassium, making them a healthy source of the mineral.
8. Coconut Water
Your body needs electrolytes, which are composed of calcium, sodium, and potassium minerals. When you have diarrhoea, your body loses a lot of electrolytes, which must be replaced in order for you to recover and stop feeling tired. People regularly use sports drinks, but I prefer coconut water since it has natural electrolytes, is a fantastic source of hydration, and has no added sugar. To prevent consuming more sugar, which might weaken immunity, choose plain, unsweetened coconut water.
9. Frozen Fruits
All frozen fruits, including berries, pineapple, and mango, are excellent choices because they frequently cost less than their fresh counterparts while still having high amounts of fiber and vitamins. After being defrosted, these frozen fruits can be added to smoothies, drinks, or cereal together with plain low-fat yoghurt.
10. Soy Based
Consuming more protein-rich soy in your normal diet can help you recover from COVID-19 more quickly. High-protein soy-based dishes can naturally strengthen the immune system. After COVID-19, switching to a nutrient-rich vegetarian diet can help strengthen immunity and general health.
11. Milk
Dairy products are a cheap source of protein and other nutrients. Selecting reduced-fat dairy products is one way to consume less saturated fat while still enjoying the benefits of dairy. UHT milk will be comparably shelf stable in a can or carton. Powdered milk is an additional option that is shelf-stable.
12. Nutshell
In addition to including these nutritious items in your diet, you should also be careful about how much salt and sugar you consume since too much of either can increase blood pressure or sugar levels, which can ultimately hinder the healing process. Reduce your intake of foods like oil, sugar, and spices, all of which may be detrimental to your general health, in order to recover more quickly and effectively. Instead, increase your intake of nutrient-dense meals like fruits, vegetables, and foods high in protein.
13. Beverages
If your particular COVID-19 instance includes a fever or diarrhoea, it is simple to get dehydrated. Dehydration is painful under any circumstances, but while you’re unwell, it can exacerbate symptoms like fatigue and headaches. If you’re losing fluids, keep a water bottle nearby and sip often.
14. Dairy
You may be familiar with the enduring fallacy that states dairy products should be avoided when unwell because they produce large amounts of phlegm. Professionals prescribe it despite urban stories, especially if you have COVID-19. Yogurt is a good place to start. Yogurt is one of my favorite foods to boost immunity since it contains living, active cultures that serve as probiotics. Probiotic strains have been associated with improved digestion and immunity.
15. Applesauce
If one of your symptoms is an upset stomach, it is advisable to consume anti-inflammatory foods in an easily digestible form, such as applesauce or a smoothie. Consider adding some of those veggies and fruits that are naturally anti-inflammatory to the latter.
16. Fatty Fish
They found that a certain layer of your cell membranes throughout your body contains omega-3 fatty acids. They point out that this method may have antiviral benefits by lowering inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids and COVID-19 require additional research, though.
17. Carotenoids
Carotenoids are both antioxidants and pigments (red, green, yellow, and orange). In nature, you may find them in a wide range of colorful plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, algae, fruits, and vegetables, some of which you can eat. The human body has just around 30 of the 700 carotenoids that may be found in nature. One of them is the precursor to vitamin A, beta carotene.
18. Greek Yogurt
Another source of protein that is not produced from plants is Greek yoghurt. A typical 5.3-ounce bottle of Chobani has 14 grammes of protein. Greek yoghurt, another fermented food, was proposed as a potential treatment to reduce the severity or duration of COVID-19 episodes.
19. Tea With Honey
Taking honey before bed may improve your ability to sleep if you have COVID. Additionally, honey has antimicrobial properties that might improve the way your immune system reacts. Iranian patients who were experiencing severe heart attacks and difficulty sleeping received milk and honey mixture twice daily for three days. Researchers discovered they had significantly better sleep than a control group who did not get this combo.
20. Popsicles
If you encounter COVID-19 symptoms such a scratchy throat, these frozen meals can offer water, some nutrition, and sore throat relief. He asserts that maintaining a high water intake can strengthen your immune system. According to studies on dehydration and COVID-19, there is a vicious circle between disease and hydration: Lack of fluid intake promotes fluid loss, which raises your risk of being sick.
