- Take advantage that you’re home and you can decide what to eat.
- Have adequate groceries at home.
- Avoid buying foods that do not provide adequate nutrients, for example desserts, cookies, fried foods, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, juices, etc.
- Include vegetables and fruits, which in addition to contributing to proper digestion, will help provide useful vitamins and minerals for the immune system. Do not abuse the consumption of fruits.
- Buy foods that provide good fats, such as seeds or avocado.
- Buy foods that provide you with protein but with low fat intake: panela cheese, cottage cheese, requeson, string cheese, turkey ham or sausage, tuna, etc.
- Go shopping with a list of the products you really need, so as not to be tempted to buy other things; this will even help you save money.
- Maintaining adequate hydration is important, try to consume approximately 2L during the day.
- Chew food properly and try to put down the cutlery between each bite, that will help prevent you from exceeding food portions.
- Properly wash and disinfect the food you will consume.
- Set schedules for your activities, both for mealtimes and to exercise, otherwise, you will be postponing them by losing track of time.
- Maintaining the muscle is very important and more so in situations that put your health at risk, therefore, try to do movements such as stretching or a brief session every hour. There are apps, like 7 minutes, that can help you with this.
- Include entertainment activities so you avoid snacking out of boredom.
- Rest is very important, try to sleep at least 6-8 hours.
- Do you have more questions? Contact us, now the Nutrition & Obesity Center offers you an online service for your health care.
Nutritional tips
Nutrition is a determining component in the development and maintenance of the immune response, nutritional deficiencies have been related to immune imbalances and increased risk of infections.
Some of the nutrients that have been linked to proper immune function are iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and fat-soluble vitamins (especially A, D, and E).
Therefore we suggest:
- Having a varied diet that includes all food groups such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and animal source foods.
Don’t skip any meal. - Avoid smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages, they can interfere with the absorption and utilization of nutrients in your body and in turn decrease your immune function.
- Include proteins in your daily diet, remember that protein is a pillar for the formation of antibodies, so fish, chicken, lean meats, soy foods, and low-fat dairy products should not be missing from your diet.
- If you have an open area at home, take sunbaths to promote vitamin D formation, otherwise consume fortified foods.
Remember to include foods that are on the following list:
| Vitamin | Food source |
|---|---|
| B6 | Fortified cereal, salmon, potato, turkey, avocado, chicken, cooked spinach, banana, dried plums, hazelnuts. |
| B12 | Beef liver, shellfish, oysters, chicken liver, cooked beef heart, cooked herring, crab, salmon, trout, chicken, beef, tuna. |
| Folic acid | Green leafy vegetables (arugula, spinach, endive, lettuce, watercress, swiss chard, cabbage), broccoli, brussels sprouts, legumes (chickpeas, soybeans). |
| C | Citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruit, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, watermelon or cantaloupe. |
| A | Dairy, carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, cabbage and spinach, cantaloupe, apricot and mango, beef, chicken, turkey, and fish. |
| D | Foods fortified with vitamin D such as milk and box cereals
Other sources: sun exposure. |
| E | Vegetable oils from corn (such as wheat germ, sunflower, safflower, corn, and soybean oils), nuts (such as almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts), seeds (such as sunflower seeds), green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli). |
| Element | Food source |
|---|---|
| Iron | Meat (beef, chicken, fish) clams, oysters and mussels, liver, entrails and black pudding, egg yolk, pumpkin seeds, pistachio, tofu, sunflower seeds, walnuts, beans, chickpeas, lentils. Its quantity and absorption increases when it comes from animal sources. |
| Zinc | Cooked oysters, beef, cooked beef liver, cooked turkey, cooked chicken liver, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, almonds, peanuts, beans. |
| Copper | Whole grains, legumes, nuts, potatoes, organ meats (kidneys, liver), dark leafy vegetables, plums, cocoa. |
| Selenium | Seafood, meat, poultry, eggs and other dairy products, bread, cereals, and other products derived from cereals. |
| Omega 3 | Fish and other shellfish (cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, charal, and sardines), nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds, and black walnuts), plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil). |
Finally, it is important to see your nutritionist if you have any doubts, that way you can have an individualized nutritional plan. Do not forget that care and prevention begins with oneself!
