#immunity Archives - Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Inclusive Diversity, Employee Assistance Program | CecureUs | Chennai

Diet & Nutrition: Tips To Improve Over All Wellness & Immunity

Niharika — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 09:59:07 +0000

In the past decade, our lifestyles have altered drastically to suit the demands of our fast-paced personal and professional lives, compromising our overall wellness. To balance out the time and energy we have left by the end of the day, at the same time, to cater to the unending needs of our family, we have all compromised on nutrition and resorted to ready-to-eat packaged foods, restaurant take-out, and fast foods, most of which are unhealthy. And it has become regular and part of our weekly plans. This shows that we are slowly inclining toward an unhealthy lifestyle, putting our immune system at risk beyond imagination and lowering immunity in kids and adults.

In recent years we see many of our acquaintances and friends in their early thirties with compromised wellness and immunity, succumbing to diverse health issues, ranging from diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and liver and kidney issues to life-threatening disorders and malignant tumours. The current covid-19 pandemic has opened us to an entirely new healthy lifestyle of improving our immune system, immunity, and overall wellness by focussing on diet and fitness, which we were aware of, yet oblivious to during the pre-covid era.

In the wellness workshop conducted by CecureUs with expert certified nutritionist Pavan T.S, she explains the mechanism of our body’s immune system and how we can adapt to a healthy lifestyle to keep our immune system in shape and the diet to stay fit and boost our immunity to conquer the virus.

Understanding Our Immune System:

Our diet habits, lifestyle, wellness, and immune system are interlinked. To understand nutrition and strengthen our immunity and overall wellness, we have to know the crux of our immune system, which is of two types:

The Innate Immune System: This is the immune system we are born with. It is the body’s first line of defence, natural immunity, and it shows a rapid action to the pathogen exposure.

The adaptive Immune System: This is the immune system that evolves when we are exposed to a wide range of pathogens over time. This immunity takes time to develop and acts as a backup force to support the innate immune system.

Why does Covid call for a super-strong immune system?

The current pandemic is taking a toll on us by defeating the body’s immunity and our overall wellness. It happens due to an ineffective immune system, which is unhealthy and incompetent to handle the new pathogen. This calls for a shift in our lifestyle and diet to keep the immune system ready for the battle.

Apart from following the advised safety precautions, we should follow a few steps to strengthen our immunity and our body’s defence mechanism to stay healthy.

Focus on the intake of healthy foods that boost immunity by strengthening our immune systems. This includes a well-balanced diet with carbohydrates, healthy fats, proteins (daily consumption in grams should be equivalent to body weight in kilograms), Vitamins, and minerals.
Cut down on unhealthy sugar and simple carbs, and consume more proteins and complex carbohydrates for physical wellness.
2.5 to 3 litres of water/fluid intake per day to boost hydration and immunity.
Follow a stress-free lifestyle with Yoga and Meditation. Practice physical exercise like running, jogging, Zumba, or dancing for at least half an hour every day to keep the immune system healthy to cater to physical wellness.
Uninterrupted sleep for at least 6 hours every day for rejuvenation and emotional wellness.

Zinc, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D:

Zinc, Vitamins C, and D primarily aid our immune system fight diseases. Without these micronutrients in adequate quantities, our system will become unhealthy and fumble.

Zinc can be taken as a supplement. It is found in poultry, baked beans, flax seeds, chia seeds, chickpeas, nuts like cashews, etc.

Vitamin C is a boon to the immune system. Found in citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, etc.., it boosts our body’s metabolism and contributes to gut wellness.

Vitamin D is obtained from natural sunlight. Foods like oily fish, egg yolks, and fortified cereals are good sources of Vitamin D. It is helpful to calm down the body’s inflammatory responses and increases the absorption of minerals like calcium in our bones.

Regularly consuming these micronutrients will give our immune system an upper hand over any pathogen invading the body.

Tips for Post-covid Recovery:

If you have tested positive for the covid–19 virus or are on the road to recovery, you may follow these tips to bring your immune system and overall immunity and wellness back on track.

Consume immunity-boosting healthy foods.
Maintain a calm state of mind for emotional wellness. Contact a counsellor if you feel anxious or disturbed.
Watch out for fluid intake, which should be more than the recommended level.
Sleep more to recover faster. Sleep brings our emotional wellness back.
Practice deep breathing without fail.
Include probiotics for improving gut wellness and digestion.

Balanced Diet and BMI:

After covid, there has been an increased awareness about obesity and the need to maintain a healthy weight. People are adapting to different styles of fad diets to lose out on those extra pounds. However, sustenance on those diet habits even after attaining the target BMI is unachievable for many. Our body requires a balanced diet with the right quantities of micro and macronutrients to stay healthy in the long run. Whatever diet plans we follow, we should incorporate a step-by-step strategy to adjust, watch out for a perfect balance to satiate our body’s nutrient and energy requirements, and not go overboard or put our body and wellness to a jolt.

Why Should we cut down on sugar and simple carbs?

Refined sugar and simple carbs found in processed foods, candies, cakes, sweets, etc.., cause an immediate spike in blood sugar levels. The phagocytes of the innate immune system get paralyzed by sugar, which weakens our immune system in the long run. We are all aware that the hormone insulin secreted by the pancreas checks our body’s glucose levels. But the primary function of insulin is to unlock our body cells and feed them with the required energy. The foods that we eat should release sustained energy and be healthy. When our sugar levels are spiked at all times, insulin fails to do its job of energizing our cells. Consuming sugars and unhealthy fat, in the long run, leads to insulin resistance. This is the main reason for sweet cravings and unusual hunger pangs.

Intermittent Fasting:

Intermittent fasting is one of the techniques that has gained popularity in recent times. It allows us to give our body time to cleanse itself and re-energize by fasting for 14 to 16 hours a day. There is an 8 to 10-hour window to eat, followed by a 14 to 16-hour window to fast. The fasting period allows consumption of water, black coffee, black tea, and other light drinks like tender coconut water. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting is healthy and helps with weight loss. It boosts our brain activity and controls diabetes and obesity by releasing energy from the accumulated fat in the body.

Stress VS Immunity:

Our daily stress has a direct impact on our immune system. Apart from interfering with sleep patterns, stress impacts overall wellness, leading to overweight issues, hormonal imbalance, and skin and hair problems.

Although stress is unavoidable, it is essential to keep it at bay by regularly practicing deep breathing techniques and yoga asanas. Having an understanding and supportive social circle of friends and relatives and consulting a psychological counsellor for help to deal with stress can be helpful too.

We can progress towards a more robust future by making simple changes in our diet and incorporating a healthy lifestyle. So, Eat Healthy, Stay Fit!

Do not miss out on our Cecureus Wellness Workshops that are being conducted every week to guide you with various coping strategies during the current pandemic.

Image Source

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Yoga Asanas To Boost The Immune System & Respiratory Wellness

Niharika — Tue, 25 May 2021 12:36:31 +0000

Whenever we feel stressed out or alarmed, our adrenal glands release cortisol, the stress hormone, as our body’s natural response to the Fight, fright, and flight reaction that keeps us alert. When the alarm settles, the cortisol levels automatically come down. We live in an accelerating world where stress has become inescapable due to diverse factors in our personal and professional lives, impacting our mental health and physical wellness. As an add-on, the current global pandemic has put us all into fear and despair, triggering our body’s alarms more often than before. So, naturally, the stress levels are high in these current times, putting our mental health in jeopardy. When cortisol is released continuously, it can thwart our body’s immunity and wellness and lead to several health problems, including headaches, heart diseases, respiratory problems, indigestion, weight loss/gain, anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health issues.

This is where the ancient discipline of Yoga brings back our wellness and rescues our physical and mental health. In the webinar conducted by CecureUs with our expert psychologist, Dr. Lakshmi T.K, she opened us to a whole new world of Yoga and practices for rescuing our physical and mental health during the pandemic. The Asanas help respiratory wellness and immunity. Apart from enlightening us about the science itself, our psychologist has answered a wide range of questions from the audience about the classical science of Yoga and its benefits for physical and mental health.

There are common misconceptions that Yoga is related to religion and spiritual wellness, or it is just another form of physical exercise that aids weight loss or Yoga is a set of breathing techniques or meditation routines. Factually, Yoga is a science, a discipline that helps us achieve a perfect mind-body balance and holistic wellness and mental health, especially during this pandemic. It acts as a natural cleansing system that removes the toxins built up in our body due to continuous cortisol release. Additionally, Yoga also helps our body release the happiness hormone, endorphins, which neutralize the cortisol effect and aid in good mental health and physical wellness by keeping us calm, happy, and relaxed. It is a process of self-realization that brings our mind, body, and consciousness to reality and aids in mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth and wellness. Yoga intends to create a balance by aligning our body, breathing, and thoughts in one line. It is a practice that should be incorporated into daily life, mainly during this pandemic, to achieve sound mental health and overall wellness.

Yoga for the Body:

Food, water, and sleep are the three key elements that keep our bodies fit. These entities also contribute significantly to mental health and physical wellness. The food that we eat can be categorized into three types.

Satvik: foods that are pure, light, and sweet

Rajasic: foods that are spicy and stimulating

Tamasic: foods that are heavy and dull

Consuming Satvik and Rajasic foods in regulation and restricting Tamasic foods and fast foods, keeping a check on caffeine, sugar, and alcohol keep us energetic throughout the day and make us feel alive during the work from home times of the global pandemic.

As we all know, 70% of the human body is constituted by fluids, mainly water. Several articles on the internet and in magazines insist on the benefits of consuming the correct quantity of water to feel energetic throughout the day. And the work-from-home scenario of the pandemic has put a cap on our break schedules, leading to lesser consumption of fluids.

Lack of water could

Impair brain functions, making us feel exhausted, causing fatigue and tiredness, and reducing concentration.
Undermine the function of kidneys, impacting our overall wellness.
Produce muscle cramps and joint stiffness, tossing focus during the pandemic work-from-home times.
Hinder digestion to cause acid reflux, gastritis, and constipation issues.

Our psychologist recommends that drinking 3.5 to 4 liters of water every day will help flush toxins from the body and shield us from mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Mostly, we fail to keep an eye on our water intake. Filling bottles finishing them diligently by the end of the day, and setting timers to remind us to take water at intervals are the steps to be followed in this pandemic work-from-home scenario to keep us on track with our water intake.

Along with food and water, mandatory 8-hour sleep relaxes our brain, keeps it sharp to function well, and avoids mental health issues. Practicing breathing/pranayama before bedtime calms the senses and bestows a night of good sleep for mind-body rejuvenation.

Yoga/Breathing techniques for respiratory wellness:

The breathing techniques that form an integral part of Yoga assist in improving our lung capacity and its functioning and augment respiratory function and wellness. Three prime breathing techniques can be followed as a 15-minute routine every day during this pandemic to keep us away from mental health issues and boost our lungs to perform better, thus helping overall holistic wellness.

Simple Blow Out Breathing Technique:

Sit comfortably with spine erect/lie down on a flat surface without/with pillows for the neck and underneath the knees.
While sitting, keep your feet relaxed and firm on the ground.
Placing the right hand on the abdomen, close your eyes gently.
Inhale passively and blow out through the mouth.
While blowing out, feel your abdomen. It should deflate.
Repeat the process 10 times.

Deep Breathing technique:

Sit relaxed on a comfortable chair with your spine erect and feet firm on the ground.
Inhale deeply through your nose and feel the air filling your abdomen.
Blow out/exhale through the mouth to feel the abdomen deflate.
Repeat the breathing process 15 times. This breathing can be performed up to 20 or 25 times when a person feels anxious whenever or during this pandemic.

Posture For Deep Breathing

Brahmari Pranayam/ Bee Breathing:

Sit relaxed on a comfortable chair and place the feet firmly on the ground. Alternately, you can sit on the floor in Padmasana for this breathing.
Inhale deeply through the nose.
Cover your ears and eyes with your hands, as shown in the picture.
Exhale with your mouth closed and make a humming sound that reverberates in your forehead and face as you exhale.
Repeat the breathing process 15 times.

Posture for Brahmari Pranayam

This Brahmari Pranayam has innumerable benefits, some being,

Relieves anger, tension, anxiety, and other mental health issues
Improves memory and concentration
Balances the central nervous system and helps alleviate migraines and other forms of headaches
Boosts confidence

Yoga for the mind:

Practicing simple meditation techniques for just 5 minutes can bring calmness into one’s mind, attributing to physical and mental wellness. However, for meditation, the ambiance plays a predominant role. So whenever we meditate, we have to make sure the place is quiet and void of distractions.

Sit comfortably in a silent spot with shoulders relaxed and spine erect
Observe your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Breathe in your own rhythm
If needed, play soft, relaxing music and utilize essential oils to spread the aroma.
Without letting the thoughts wander, focus on yourself and your breathing.

Benefits of Yoga for Mental health during the pandemic:

By paving the way for good sleep, Yoga elevates the mood and outlook of a person and drastically eases the effects of mood swings.
It gives a clear mind to battle mental health issues(anxiety and depression.)
It provides clarity of thoughts to make better decisions.
Yoga helps one with self-realization and wellness and nurtures self-discipline, kindness, and empathy.
It helps with PTSD symptoms.

Include the science of Yoga into your daily routine and turn it into a habit by following the 21-day discipline. Take that first step towards a better life enriched with physical and mental wellness!

For more such blogs, visit our CecureUs website. Contact Us if you are concerned about yourself or a loved one. Book an Appointment today or Call us. Do not miss out on our Cecureus Wellness Workshops that are being conducted every week to guide you with various coping strategies during the current pandemic.

Image References

Pranayama – Shiv Holistic Yoga
Deep Breathing – istockphoto
Simple Bow Out Techniques – physicalsolutionsli.com

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