Know what this nutrition expert believes is best to fight coronavirus

Good nutrition somehow has a direct impact on one’s overall health and quality of well-being. When you follow a healthy diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you aren’t just satisfying your hunger, but you’re nourishing your body too. Nutrition serves as an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle, the importance of which just cannot be undermined. But are we even familiar that the benefits of good nutrition go beyond weight? The Bridge caught up with Arunava Bhattacharyya, a certified personal trainer, and nutritionist to discuss how good nutrition helps boost one’s health and how to go about it.

Source: Instagram / Arunava Bhattacharyya

Diet is most important

Proper nutrition means to be benefitted with all kinds of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that a human body needs to work its best. Usually, the source of daily calories consumed becomes just as important as the number of calories we consume. Nutrition trainers often stress upon limiting the consumption of empty calories, which comes with food that provides little or no nutritional value at all.

“There is a common belief that in order to become fit, you should hit the gym or maybe enroll yourself in Zumba classes or be involved with any physical activity. Even when doctors come across an overweight person, they usually advise for a morning walk or jog. But I have been stressing upon how important nutrition is to our health. There is a lot beyond the kind of physical activities we do daily,” says Arunava.

Also read: Could proper nutrition be the Achilles’ heel to coronavirus?

Right food, good health

However, there is a piece of much differing information out there when it comes to nutrition. As a consequence, it can be sometimes difficult to figure out the healthiest ways to eat. But having said that, one might wonder what to expect to familiarise with specific requirements and limitations while consuming a proper diet.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

“Ghee always had its own benefits, but in between, it had a nasty reputation of being high in saturated fats. Ghee, butter, and coconut oil are rich in Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). MCT is helpful in boosting energy and increasing endurance, besides it plays an important role in improving weight management,” he explains.

Why a Balanced Diet Beats Nutritional Supplements?

But then, how does one build an ideal nutritional plan? Experts suggest it is all about balanced proportions of a nutrient-rich diet from various food groups, and adhering to several healthy eating habits. Besides, vitamin and mineral use has skyrocketed over the past decade as the nation has experienced a massive health and wellness boom.

In general, it is believed by health experts that our diets should be our main source for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Should health supplements replace a well-balanced diet, one may argue. Human bodies, as Arunava admits, are naturally designed to absorb and make use of nutrients as they occur in foods.

Source: Instagram / Arunava Bhattacharyya

Coronavirus And The Food We Eat

The deadly coronavirus presents many uncertainties, and none of us can completely eliminate our risk of being infected. But what we can definitely do is eat as healthily as possible. If infected, our immune system is responsible for fighting it, because research shows improving nutrition helps support optimal immune function. Micro-nutrients essential to fight infection include vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and the minerals iron, selenium, and zinc.

“The fear of Coronavirus is more because of the way it has been spreading. As a matter of fact, there is not enough research to suggest where this virus is originating from. One of my friends called up and said that his father is prescribing homeopathic medicines to help people cure them of coronavirus. To me, 99% of it is misinformation that has been floating around,” Arunava suggests.