The common cold and cough always come as a free package with winter seasons every year. Rhinovirus being the most common cause of the common cold, infects the upper respiratory tract, that is the mouth and nose and causes symptoms like running nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing etc… To beat the flu and enjoy the chills of winter, nutritionists recommend we all must follow a certain healthy diet according to the season.
Celebrity dietician and nutritionist, Swati Bathwal talked about definite foods to include in daily diet to maintain the intake of nutritions. She said, “We worry about macro-nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats and ignore the micronutrients which are essential for our well-being and they play an important role in the metabolic pathways of our bodies. Minerals, Vitamins and Hydration are often ignored by people. So, an overall balance is a necessity and we also need to know the right combination, what’s the point of consuming meals when it is not absorbed through our gut.”
Further, she also points out tea drunk along with milk do not help us to absorb the nutrients in tea, because of the presence of milk. And in the presence of tea, the iron from nuts may not be absorbed into our body, because of a compound called tannins. So, a diet rich in fruits and nuts, vegetables, water, herbal teas along with balanced proteins, carbs and healthy fats is essential.
What to Eat During Winter?
Nutritionists says that winter produces such as citrus fruits and vegetables which have immunity-boosting properties could be taken during winter. Oranges, pomelos, guava, amla have the richest vitamin c levels which help in boosting our immunity, along with apples, strawberries, plums, pomegranate which have quercetin which repairs our cells.
In addition to this, leafy vegetables are all time healthy for us in every season as they are all rich in iron, fibre, folate, calcium, Vitamin B. Intake of Ceylon cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, tulsi, ginger, raw garlic also have many health benefits including keeping our body warm. Nuts like walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds are prescribed to be consumed with jaggery.
Keeping a Healthy Winter Diet
“We have abundant Vitamin C. Rich foods like herbs and spices, fruits and vegetables to name a few. I suggest using amla, kokum, coriander, mint chutneys and garnish meals with coriander leaves, mint, dill, chives, and drink lemon water when waking up and in between meals. A fresh vegetable juice midday and snacking on 3 fresh fruits are also recommended.”, suggests nutritionist, Swati Bathwal.
Photo Credits : Ella Olsson
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