The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest challenge that all of us are facing right now. It has affected all aspects of the world. People everywhere are taking precautions, fighting the illness and studies are going on to understand the virus more. In these times, those who have survived the illness of COVID are warriors but the battle is half won yet.
Yes! There are studies showing long term effects of Corona virus on health. Although, no specific time span has been marked yet but it is said COVID has long lasting effects that may linger around months.
SARS-coV-2, the virus that attacks the body severely damages lungs, heart, brain and other organs too.
Common effects that patients complaint even after the symptoms have completely disappeared are
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Headache
- Body ache
- Itchy throat
And people who already have other medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory diseases suffer more than who do not have such issues; these patients also take more time to recover.
Patients who do not have other medical conditions tend to recover around 2 weeks and people who suffer from other diseases take 4 weeks approximately.
Hence, it is significant to take care of your health even after the symptoms are gone. And what better option than having a healthy post COVID recovery diet, good for both body and your mind.
Fruits
Have enough servings of fruits every day. Fruits are good sources of many kinds of vitamins and minerals.
Apples, oranges, papaya, chickoos, other season fruits like watermelon, grapes; all of them are beneficial.
If not fresh cut, have juices of fruits it will be equally beneficial.
Vitamin C is important to ward off flu, infections and flush out toxins. Oranges, lemons, grape fruits and tangerines are good sources of vitamin C to add to your post COVID diets.
Around 200 gms of fruits are recommended by doctors to eat every day.
Vegetables
Vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli are packed with vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium and magnesium. These will help you to strengthen your bones and boost your immune system.
Other vegetables like carrots, beetroot, tomatoes should be added to your meals to recover better and faster. Around 180-300 gms of vegetables is advisable to consume daily.
The protein group
Protein is important to build bones and muscles in our bodies. It repairs the tissues too.
Eat at least 2-3 items rich in protein daily. Yogurts, peanut butter, boiled eggs, are apt breakfast options to meet your protein needs.
Other than fishes, fatty fishes especially that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are good for health. Chicken breasts when added to salads or cook any dish with it will help you increase your protein intake.
Black beans, chickpeas, oatmeal, quinoa are other vegetarian options for protein rich food.
Whole grains
Packed with protein, vitamin B and fiber whole grain food items are must for COVID recovery diet.
Oats, brown rice, barley, wild rice, ragi, amaranth are rich sources of fiber and carbohydrates that will help you increase your energy levels and improve your immunity.
Whole grain breads, pasta or cereals are good choices to add whole grains in your post COVID recovery diet.
Few amounts of healthy fats
Healthy fats will aids normal functioning of your brain and nervous system. It reduces inflammation in the body that is necessary post COVID.
Almonds, walnuts, ghee, mustard oil, olive oil are recommended to be added in meals daily.
Healthy fats should be added gradually and consumed moderately through meals.
Calcium
Calcium is important for good bones and teeth. Milk gives you good amounts of calcium. Other dairy products like curd, buttermilk, yogurt can help you increase your calcium intake.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated
Along with eating healthy and nutritious food, it necessary to drink enough water too. Water aids the transport of all the nutrients carried from food and carry it with blood to every organ of your body.
Water regulates the temperature of your body, flushes out all the toxins and lubricates all the joints.
Try to have fruits and vegetable juices that contain water.
- Have a small piece of dark chocolate daily which is 70% cocoa, to lift your mood as well as your immunity.
- Turmeric works magic when it comes boosting immunity. It has good anti-inflammatory properties and reduces soreness of muscles too. Try to have a glass of turmeric milk once a day.
- Eat small meals for easy digestion and increase the number of meals. 4-6 meals a day at regular intervals will make it easy to digest.
- If you find difficulty at the beginning, try to have bland food like oatmeal, dalia and khichdi and add vegetables to make it nutrient rich.
Note
Individuals with other medical conditions like diabetes, respiratory issues, blood pressure should get their diet plans evaluated by doctors and follow it accordingly.
There are no studies yet proven that all these will cure COVID illness completely. These are everyday food to consume for better health.
Other tips to speed recovery
- Workout almost daily or as per doctor’s consultancy. Exercising will help increase your lung capacity, improve blood circulation and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Sleep well; listen to your body and rest when needed. Your body is weak during the recovery stage and it needs enough rest.
- Do not start your previous routine yet; give your mind and body some time to relax and recover.
- Indulge in activities that make your heart happy and refresh your mind. Your mental health is disrupted with all the isolation and illness.
- Follow all the safety measures like wearing masks, social distancing, using sanitizers even when you have recovered from COVID; there are risks of a person getting reinfected even after recovering from it.
Bottom line
Post COVID recovery can be made better and speedy when a healthy and balanced diet is followed. Simple yet effective steps can change things marvelously for you.
