Immunity is the ultimate luxury during these trying times. G-BOMBS can help strengthen it
What are some of the most nutritional, immunity- boosting, and disease-fighting foods in your diet?
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Not only are berries an excellent food for the brain, but their high antioxidant content confers both cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects.
By Radha Dhir
More so than before, people today are looking for ways to boost their immunity levels. From Homeopathy, to Vitamin D , Zinc, Vitamin C supplements to probiotics diets, garlic & ginger foods, there are a plethora of articles written on what will help in building immunity against Covid- 19. I would strongly advise that when it comes to protecting yourself from the flu and also helping your body fight the virus if you contract it, focus on a highly nutritious diet.
What are some of the most nutritional, healthy, immunity- boosting, disease-fighting foods in your diet? A simple and easy way to remember those are through the acronym G-BOMBS.
This acronym is coined by Dr Joel Fuhrman, a Food Revolution Expert, author of the book 'Eat to Live' and the book 'Eat to Health'. Dr Fuhrman describes G–BOMBS as "immune special forces" and the best anti-cancer, health-promoting foods on the planet.
So what are G-BOMBS?
GREENS, BEANS, ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, BERRIES, SEEDS. The 6 most healthy foods to include in your diet. And it is such a simple acronym and so very easy to remember and include in your daily diet. There are so many articles floating around on the internet and TV and YouTube programs on nutritional eating, micro macro nutrients and they sound more and more complex and difficult to follow with the most exotic ingredients. This is not only easy to understand , but also to include as part of your daily diet.
How do I include them in my diet everyday?
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G : GREENS Did you know that our closest living relatives – chimpanzees and gorillas – consume tens of pounds of green leaves every day ? How many of us heard our grandmother say ” eat green vegetables, they are good for the eyes”.
I include one green vegetable every day in my meal , either lunch or dinner – leafy greens salad, broccoli, spinach, bok-choy, green beans or Indian Saag. You can have it as an accompaniment to your meat, fish or as a main meal.
Amongst the host of properties what I would like to point out is that leafy greens is a plant protein that is packed with beneficial phytochemicals. Green vegetables ( such as broccoli ) are also rich in folate (the natural form of folic acid), calcium, and contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Leafy vegetables are also antioxidants and said to promote healthy vision.
B : BEANS
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How many of you love Rajma ( accompanied with rice) or Chola/Channa ( accompanied with Bhaturas, Puris, Rotis)? Or baked beans on toast ?
Very easy to include this on a daily basis in one meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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Beans act as an anti-diabetes and weight-loss food because they are digested slowly, having a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, which promotes satiety and helps to prevent food cravings. Plus they contain soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels. ( Source : National Centre for Biotechnology USA and US National Library of Medicine)
O : ONIONS Staple diet in India. We put onions in almost every food item, including our masala omelettes ! Ayurveda recommends starting the day with eating raw onions and lemon water.
I love onions raw as salad or cooked in curries or pickled in vinegar. The easiest of the G-BOMBS to include in your daily diet.
Other than their anti carcinogenic properties, onions have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as anti-diabetic effects.
M : MUSHROOMS Given my love for the fungi family I eat them on pizzas, as a vegetable, with pasta, risotto, in a vegetable biryani, in quinoa, boiled in a salad.
And today you get a variety of mushrooms – Portobello, Shiitake, Button, Oyster, Enoki. It can be included in various cuisines – Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican.
If you don't like the texture of mushrooms, just do a simple grilled grated cheese n mushroom sandwich at lunch or a mushroom soup or make a mushroom cheese sauce with pasta.
Consuming mushrooms regularly is associated with decreased risk of breast, stomach, and colorectal cancers.
A seasoned banker, Radha Dhir has spent 25 years in the industry, and has also served as the first woman MD in Deutsche Bank. B : BERRIES I eat them with my breakfast cereal (mostly blueberries), or yoghurt or between meals, easy to include them as your fruit snack every day.
The first superfood, Berries are some of the highest antioxidant foods in existence. Not only are they an excellent food for the brain, but their plentiful antioxidant content confers both cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects.
As fancy as it sounds, the idea of boosting immunity, has proven to be difficult to materialise in reality. For years, researchers from across the world have been struggling to figure out the accurate formula to achieve a good immune system. Until the formula is known, it is recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle for an enhanced immune function, and to keep the body intact and healthy.
Making healthy lifestyle changes in terms of diet, exercise and managing stress, in addition to other factors, can go a long way in helping the immune system get the boost it requires.
On International Immunology Day, Chennai-based clinical nutritionist, lactation consultant and diabetes educator - Ramya Ramachandran - shares five tips that can give your life a healthy spin.
As fancy as it sounds, the idea of boosting immunity, has proven to be difficult to materialise in reality. For years, researchers from across the world have been struggling to figure out the accurat..
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A balanced diet with the right amount of nutrients can do wonders in boosting a person’s immunity, and keeping you away from diseases.
Ginger, garlic, star anise, omega-3 fats, flax seeds are some foods that have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. These can be included in your meals daily. It’s also important to focus on micronutrients which have a major impact on health.
To add the required amount of micronutrients to any diet, one can look at home fortification as an alternative. In this method, a commercially available product is conveniently utilised on a daily basis to prevent nutrition deficiencies. Power mixes of rice and flour avaiable in the market is one such example of food fortification, which increases the micronutrient value of home-cooked meals.
A balanced diet with the right amount of nutrients can do wonders in boosting a person’s immunity, and keeping you away from diseases.Ginger, garlic, star anise, omega-3 fats, flax seeds are some foo..
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This is one of the basic requirements. Smoking is a big ‘NO’ for the overall wellbeing of the body as it negatively impacts on both adaptive and innate immunity. It slowly kills the natural effectiveness of the immune system’s defences. If you are a regular smoker, it is advisable to quit it as soon as possible. One can also adopt alternatives like nicotine patches as it can helps to quit smoking and are relatively less harmful.
This is one of the basic requirements. Smoking is a big ‘NO’ for the overall wellbeing of the body as it negatively impacts on both adaptive and innate immunity. It slowly kills the natural effective..
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Chronic stress is responsible for releasing hormone cortisol, which can ruin the overall immune response of the body. Meditation goes a long way in keeping stress in check. Various mobile-based apps can help one to remain peaceful and mindful throughout the day with various features. Other healthy strategies to deal with stress may include yoga and pranayama.
Chronic stress is responsible for releasing hormone cortisol, which can ruin the overall immune response of the body. Meditation goes a long way in keeping stress in check. Various mobile-based apps ..
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Most of us underestimate the power and importance of adequate sound and refreshing sleep. Lack of proper sleep can activate the inflammatory immune response, which can reduce reactivity to vaccines, further leading to the release of excess stress hormones. It will ultimately weaken the immune system.
A minimum of 7-8 hours of regular sleep is a must to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, and help the body’s T-Cells (also known as immune cells) to kill the pathogens. A night of good sleep also helps in burning calories.
Most of us underestimate the power and importance of adequate sound and refreshing sleep. Lack of proper sleep can activate the inflammatory immune response, which can reduce reactivity to vaccines, ..
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Exercise reduces inflammation and supports the white blood cells, which means a little workout can help you become healthy. It is also scientifically proven that working out regularly can boost your immune system. However, exercising needs to be done in a moderate way.
You can opt for bodyweight movements like lunges, push-ups, burpees, and other exercises to get a sweat on, and get a quick full-body workout at home, without any equipment. There are many apps that offer workouts that can be performed at home with guidance and support.
A physically active lifestyle is beneficial in warding off the bacterial and viral infections suggesting that immune strength is enriched with regular bouts of exercise.
Exercise reduces inflammation and supports the white blood cells, which means a little workout can help you become healthy. It is also scientifically proven that working out regularly can boost your ..
S : SEEDS Countless studies have shown the cardiovascular benefits of seeds. Seeds and nuts contain healthy fats and are rich in a spectrum of micronutrients, including phytosterols, minerals, and antioxidants.
Today they are considered as Super Foods – flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
I include them also with my breakfast cereal every day. If I don’t have cereal for breakfast, then will include them in a salad or have them with yoghurt.
Go get your nutrition special forces and naturally strengthen your immune system.
- A seasoned banker, Radha Dhir has spent 25 years in the industry, and has also served as the first woman MD in Deutsche Bank. She has been blogging about fitness, health, nutrition and well-being since 2018. She recently made her YouTube debut on the ZipTalks channel where she interviews successful professionals on their fitness and health philosophy. She also posts regular fitness videos on Instagram @Ziptofitness.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
