Pandemic-Health Lessons — All that we have learned in 2020 & 2021
Hey there! It feels like we have come very far away from the pandemic that caused havoc in the years late 2019, 2020, and early 2021. SARS-coV-2 has infected more than half of the population in the world but ever wondered why we were so susceptible to the virus? The immune system plays a major role in fighting against diseases and disease-causing agents. While there are no foods or dietary supplements that can prevent or cure Covid-19 infection, healthy and balanced diets are important for supporting the immune system. With current trends of foods and dietary habits, immunity went at stake in many of us. A group of factors like dietary habits, lifestyle, and physical activity can play a major role in strengthening the immune system. The pandemic has taught us a lot about nutrition and health as it has become mandatory to fight against viruses. Let’s recall our lessons learned during the pandemic.
Nutrition and lifestyle lessons learned —
- Nutrition for life:
A proper and balanced diet can ensure that the body can battle the virus along with good food practices like washing or cleaning vegetables and fruits before using, using different chopping boards and utensils for cooked or raw foods, and especially not using the kitchen equipment same for raw meat and vegetables while chopping as it can lead to contamination from uncooked meat. It is best recommended to eat fruits and vegetables with 2 servings and 5 servings per day respectively. Whole grains and nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachio must be a part of both kids and adult’s diets. Snack must be chosen wisely by including vegetables, fruits, and roasted nuts and seeds, granola, or protein bars but not foods that contain high salt, sugar, and fat. It is not just eating right but cooking right with simple cooking methods ensuring maximum retention of micronutrients that help strengthen the immune system. Also include a few antioxidant-rich foods like turmeric, ginger, citric fruits, and vegetables, etc in your daily diet. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
2. Immunity to combat infections:
The whole role of the immune system is to protect the individual from pathogens and nutrition is one of the important factors that determine the immune response. Immunity takes a backseat with age, and in those people living with obesity or chronic medical conditions, and in those with malnourished conditions. Other factors include gut microbiota, body fatness, stress, physical fitness, alcohol consumption, smoking tobacco, medication, illness, genetics, vaccination. Poor nutrition may not provide the required nutrients for the functioning of the immune system. Deficiencies can impair many aspects of both innate and adaptive immunity and make an individual susceptible to viruses. A good nutrient supply can lead to good nutrient status maintaining good immune function and ultimately the ability to fight against the virus.
3. Higher the physical activity better the immunity:
Physical activity is one of the main components of healthy living and helps in muscle contraction and relaxation. The process of muscle contraction leads to the release of cytokines that are considered anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. It can also be responsible for increasing the concentration of circulating leukocytes and neutrophils. Regular exercise of moderate intensity has been associated with reduction of acute respiratory infections, risk of mortality, and duration and intensity of symptoms. However, exhaustive physical activities before or during an infectious condition can lead to severe illness which is not recommended. Though Covid-19 is not primarily a metabolic disease, there is a need to maintain glucose and lipid levels, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health by being involved in light to moderate-intensity physical activity.
4. More and more hygiene:
It is a well-known concept that Covid-19 can spread through direct contact, airborne transmission, or droplets. There are a number of hygiene practices that we all have learned during the course of a pandemic. Washing hands frequently or cleaning with an alcohol-based detergent, avoiding touching the eyes, mouth, and nose with unclean hands, covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, avoiding sharing food, drinks, and utensils, staying at least 3 feet away from people when in public, regular surface cleaning with disinfectants have been some of the major hygiene practices. It is not just in the pandemic that hygiene plays an important role but also in our day-to-day activities to reduce the risk of getting infected with any foreign particles.
In the Covid-19 pandemic, adapting to new circumstances and lifestyles in a healthy way by following the above points is an essential strategy to prevent the risk of infection or the intensity of symptoms. These lessons learned are for life. Thanks to all the health professionals and front-line workers for fighting the virus. To make your own contribution in fighting against this war with a virus, it is important to follow and apply these lessons as a common practice in our daily life.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306972/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7543
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-021-00949-8
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7387807/
