By Lisa Joy Mitchell
Posted: March 23, 2020 in the Art of Living United States, Blog
Food tips for the pandemic
- When you do have to go grocery shopping, consider wearing exam gloves while in the store. The experts say to take them off immediately before entering your home and dispose of them.
2) Eat mung soup at least once—if not several times—a week! OK, this is not news to my readers! However, it’s still one of the smartest things you can do. It detoxifies the colon, liver, kidneys, and lymph system, which will help keep your body strong to fight off viruses. Having a collection of dried dals, lentils, and beans will come in handy over the coming weeks. You’ll never go hungry as long as you have these in your cupboard along with some rice, quinoa, and millet.
3) Eat lots of fresh, cooked organic vegetables, especially carrots, asparagus, zucchini, and cooked greens such as spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and collards. These foods strengthen your immune system and help detoxify the body. They’re also more readily available in grocery stores than packaged foods such as legumes and pasta.
4) Use fresh herbs and dried spices to boost your immunity. Basil, oregano, rosemary, and cilantro all have proven antiviral qualities. The same is true of turmeric, garlic, and ginger. Did you know that cardamom liquifies mucus and acts as a natural expectorant? Use these spices daily in your cooking to increase immunity and check symptoms. Enjoy this Healthline Blog about the studies associated with these antivirals found in nature.
5) Early research has shown that COVID-19 may respond to heat, so some experts are suggesting that you avoid cold drinks and embrace hot drinks over the next several weeks.
6) During this pandemic, I suggest that you avoid raw vegetables. If someone coughed nearby or picked up that bunch of asparagus and put it back down, you could be exposed to a virus. Cooking is likely to kill the bugs.
7) My one exception to avoiding raw food is the use of bagged celery for juicing. I was experiencing chronic swollen glands and sore throats for several years, even after we resolved a hidden mold problem in our home. Once I boosted my immune system by drinking celery juice four to five times a week, those chronic symptoms vanished.
8) Avoid salad bars and hot food bars. If at all possible, it’s best to cook your own food, since food sitting out on a bar for hours will be exposed to any airborne viruses. If you must get take-out, be sure to reheat it before serving.
9) Avoid dairy as well as gluten. Dairy increases the kapha dosha, so if you have kapha problems—sinus problems, excess mucus, cough, or other cold symptoms—dairy is best avoided. This is also true when you’re trying to keep respiratory viruses at arm’s length. Vaidya Smita Naram also recommends avoiding gluten during this crisis, as gluten increases kapha symptoms and contributes to ama (toxic build-up), which lowers immunity.
10) Avoid sugar, especially refined white sugar, which stresses the immune system. Modest amounts of unrefined sugars, such as coconut or maple syrup, are fine for most people. However, the sweet taste increases the kapha dosha, so once again, if you have kapha problems, sugar is best avoided altogether.
