By : Komal Thakur (Pharmacist, Naturopath, Health & Fitness Enthusiast)

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Are you killing your immunity by doing this?

When the whole world is riding the same wave, in this case, literally a third wave, the only thing that can help us surf through it smoothly is “Immunity”. Each and every person has realized the value of this word, and none of us are willingly going to take it for granted anymore. The sales of all the desi remedies have soared by leaps and bounds. Being Indian we do believe in home remedies more than anything else. From cold and cough to cancer and AIDS there is nothing that our kitchen ingredients cannot prevent or cure. It’s a good value system to have and it does work the best for prevention, and we all know prevention is better than cure.

In this fight with Covid, the whole medical system is relying on immunity. What does the vaccine do? It helps build your immunity against this nasty virus. How do we prevent it from spreading further? By building immunity against it. It’s all about this one single word. If we believe the statistics, a third wave can hit anytime, it depends on each one of us to not let it damage us as badly as the second wave did. Vaccination is our Captain America shield right now.  Apart from that, over the past year we have learnt that Vitamin C , turmeric, Ginger, exercise, etc. will help build your immunity. Now it’s crucial to understand, what to do to maintain the immunity, and keep a watch over the things that we maybe unknowingly doing to ruin our immunity.

#1- Losing our sleep to OTT platforms

Is it really worth it? Lockdown has been tough on us and I agree that OTT has been our best friend and our therapist. The OTT platforms have helped us get through the toughest times, but compromising your sleep over Breaking Bad is not worth it. At least an eight hour sleep is essential to restore our body. Sleep is critical for our immune system to get stronger. Sleep is what improves your T cells, which are immune cells. While staying awake binge watching TV may make you feel good, it’s definitely killing your immunity. Sleep whatever time you are comfortable but make sure you get those eight hours to stay strong internally.

#2-Digging into ice-cream tubs

Processed Sugar- why does it even exist? Sugar is addictive and it’s as hard to quit sugar as hard it is to quit cigarettes. Do you see the pattern here? Single handedly, processed sugar is responsible for 80% of lifestyle disorders across the globe. Be it diabetes, heart issues, blood pressure fluctuations, obesity, PCOS, etc., and these lead to several other disorders which rather not be named. Agreed that sometimes we want to dig into that ice cream tub, because the whole situation is over whelming, and once in a blue moon it’s alright to do that. The problem is when you are consuming sugary things like cakes, ice creams, Indian sweets, even homemade sugar containing sweets every day. Adding dollops of sugar to your morning tea and coffee, even that is enough to cut off all the hard work you have done on your immunity all year. Cut back on sugar and switch to healthier alternatives like jaggery, stevia, etc. only in moderation.

#3-Chilling too much

Most of us are working from home but we have apparently mistaken it with working from our couches or beds. We stay in the lying down or resting position with our laptops using our stomachs as tables. It’s ok to do that for some time but without realizing everyone is doing it for hours without moving. You got to get up and walk for ten minutes after every hour of sitting or lying down. Even a thirty minute walk everyday can soar up your immunity levels, whereas staying motionless or in a single position for long hours can damage your immunity to a great extent. Exercise, keep moving, take those stairs, it will only do you good. Mere walking can help you control your blood sugar, thyroid levels, hormonal imbalances and also keep your weight in check. Get more creative in finding ways to just walk. Every time you attend an office call, just get up and start walking. Want to watch ten minutes of your favourite show? Hold your phone in your hand and walk while you watch it. Make it fun.

#4-Skipping breakfast

It’s called break-fast for a reason, it’s right there in the name, break that fast. Your body has utilized the energy while sleeping, and it has been in the fasting state for a long time. You need to eat something, it can just be a fruit. Skipping breakfast can totally damage your metabolism, your body will tend to store the fast for its energy consumption and this whole process ends up compromising your immune system. Add all the good things like your milk, cheese, eggs, dry fruits, fruits, anything that you would like. It’s one meal of the day where you can enjoy those healthy fats without feeling guilty, why skip it?

#5- Imbalanced diet

Having focused too much on consumption of immunity builders like vitamin C supplements, multi-mineral supplements, etc. we have ignored a very important component which is protein. Good fats, carbohydrates and proteins, all of them are equally essential for normal functioning of your body. Protein is what the whole immunity is made of, your whole immune system is protein. You have to consume those eggs, you have to consume your milk and milk products, one bowl of yogurt every day, some poultry and fish, the essential greens, pulses, focus on your protein needs and keep your immunity intact.

If you are overwhelmed or confused about what will give you the right amount of protein, you can trust GRD to take care of your protein needs for you. A spoonful of GRD: The Superior Protein can help your immune system, all you have to do is choose your flavor. Check out the GRD protein powder and the GRD protein biscuits. They are safe and proven to aid to the protein requirements for the entire family.