Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for many of us, and it can be hard to stay healthy and safe. But there is one thing that can help you stay healthy and avoid getting COVID-19: your diet. Eating the right foods can help boost your immune system and keep you from getting sick. In this article, I will share my secret to avoiding COVID-19: Eat This Not That. I will explain why certain foods are better for your health and how they can help you stay safe during this pandemic. So, if you want to stay healthy and avoid getting COVID-19, read on to find out what to eat and what to avoid.
I Haven’t Gotten COVID Yet and Here’s My Secret — Eat This Not That
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are wondering what we can do to protect ourselves from the virus. While there is no surefire way to guarantee that you won’t get sick, there are some steps you can take to reduce your risk. One of the most important things you can do is to pay attention to what you eat.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential for overall health and wellbeing, and it can also help to reduce your risk of getting sick with COVID-19. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help to boost your immune system and keep your body strong. Additionally, avoiding processed foods and sugary snacks can help to reduce inflammation in your body, which can make you more susceptible to illness.
In addition to eating a healthy diet, it’s also important to be mindful of what you’re not eating. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium can help to reduce your risk of getting sick. Additionally, limiting your intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates can help to keep your immune system strong. Here are some of the foods you should avoid if you want to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19:
- Processed meats
- Fried foods
- Sugary snacks and desserts
- Refined carbohydrates
- High-sodium foods
- Saturated fats
On the other hand, there are some foods that can help to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick. Eating foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help to keep your body strong and healthy. Here are some of the foods you should be eating if you want to reduce your risk of getting COVID-19:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Lean proteins
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy fats
- Herbs and spices
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of getting sick with COVID-19. Paying attention to what you eat and avoiding foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium can help to keep your immune system strong and reduce your risk of getting sick. So, if you want to stay healthy during the pandemic, remember to eat this, not that!
It’s hard to believe, but there are people who haven’t had COVID. It seems like catching the virus is unavoidable at this point, but there are many who haven’t had the misfortune of experiencing the sickness and long-term effects COVID can unleash. So is it luck or something more? Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, MBBS, Ph.D., a professor of public health at New Mexico State University tells us, “No one can know for sure why they didn’t have COVID-19 infections, but several measures have been shown to be effective, which I’ve highlighted below.” Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss Already Had COVID? These Symptoms May “Never Go Away”.
Dr. Khubchandani says, “When people work in an office setting, they are more likely to attend meetings, chat with colleagues, be in the same space as others, or use common rooms or physical structures. Also, working in an office setting means greater socialization or higher number of non-work-related gatherings. The reduction in human interaction could have been a possible reason.”
According to Dr. Khubchandani, “Limiting shopping, game days, and other social outings have helped a lot in avoiding crowded spaces and interactions with others. Many individuals are asymptomatic and still have the infection; avoiding social outings or reducing frequency of going out (e.g. grocery store visits) helps a lot in reducing the risk of infection.”
“Wearing a high quality mask (e.g. N95) has provided a lot of protection from people around who are obviously sick and coughing or even from those who could come close and have an asymptomatic infection,” says Dr. Khubchandani. “It is not always possible to avoid any human contact and one has to interact with people (e.g. during healthcare visits), the mask provides an added layer of protection.”
Dr. Khubchandani states, “Getting vaccinated on a priority basis early in the initial rollout phase of the vaccines may have helped avoid all the deadly waves of COVID-19. Recent boosters may have ensured sustained protection.”
Dr. Khubchandani shares, “Not having a chronic disease, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, or risk factors for serious COVID-19 infection (e.g. organ transplant) may have played a major role and having decent immunity may have added more protection. Finally, some of us could be in the pool of people who have unique immune system gifts that may have helped us avoid COVID-19 infections. New gene studies are trying to explore unique characteristics of individuals who did not get COVID-19. Or, it could be a unique combination of multiple demographic, genetic, behavioral, and immune related factors peculiar to some of us that could make us vulnerable or resistant to infection with COVID-19.”
Follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—get vaccinated or boosted ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.
Heather Newgen