How to boost your immunity amidst Covid-19 Pandemic

We all know that covid-19 is a life threatening viral infection, the viral infection has proved to be no respecter of persons, it doesn't know the boundaries of our races, social class, age, government systems, political class or even the religions we subscribe too.  For once the entire world now feel we have a common enemy that must be eradicated as soon as possible. Many lives have been  lost so far, and the scores are unpredictable everyday we tune to the  Ministry of Health updates.

Prevention is the first stratergy. Majority of the populace by now can recite the prevention measures such as frequent hand washing with soap for about 20 seconds, social distancing, use of face masks and the need to stay at home if possible.
However, there is one important element that was neglected yet primarily it should be emphasized- "nutrition". How should we boost our immunity to withstand the covid-19 virus? Last month the MoH gave a circular guideline on food and nutrition guidelines during this pandemic but how many of us have accessed the 13 page document or understood what the guidelines entail? The aim of this post is to simplify these guidelines in relation to the prevailing conditions of living for the common Kenyan citizen.


Covid 19 symptoms range from mild , acute to severe forms, each of this stages require an individualized diet to help boost the immune.Mild symptoms include runny nose, cough, headache and sore throat. Acute symptoms occur where  the lungs are attacked causing respiratory distress, severe pneumonia and finally organ damage leading to death. 

To boost the immune system before and after contracting the virus, one should consider incorporating the following in their daily diet.

a) Consider eating fresh and unprocessed foods daily 

 1. Take fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, or cassava), and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).

2. Red meat can be eaten 1−2 times per week, fish and poultry 2−3 times per week.

3. For snacks, choose fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt. Limit cookies, cakes and chocolates.  

4. Do not overcook vegetables, this potentially leads to loss of vital vitamins that should be helping in boosting the immune.

b) Consume moderate amounts of fat and oil

1. Consume unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola, sunflower and corn oils) instead of saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard).

2. Choose white meat (e.g. poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fat, rather than red meat.

c) Use less salt and sugar
1. When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).

2. Limit your daily salt intake to less than 4.2g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.

3. Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and flavoured milks). 

d) Drink enough fluids   

1. Drink 8–10 cups of water every day, this helps to calm fever

2. Lemon juice, you can add honey to help in the dry cough, more of this read here https://bisernutritionhealth.blogspot.com/2020/04/honey-where-are-you.html 

3. Tea and coffee should do. Caution ; avoid consuming too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy drinks as they all contain added sugar. Artificial sugars leads to unwanted weight gain and work against the irritating dry cough that we are trying manage.

e) Consider supplementation 

If not getting enough nutrients from the diet the need to supplement becomes more critical. Supplement with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) together with D, vitamin B6, Iron and Folate. This should be found available in the nearest chemist.

Let me hear your thoughts on the recommended diet, share your thoughts and dont hesitate to comment if you have any queries.

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Honey, where are you?

In the world of romance, the term "honey" is not a new vocabulary unless you're the "lemon" in the relationship.The use of pure honey mixed with lemon in hot water has so many benefits. Sounds like an old  practice but based on evidenced researched, there are extra-ordinary benefits of use of honey mixed with lemon squeeze in hot water. 

With the common change of weather patterns in the tropics, cough in children with common cold is something bound to happen. We run to buy cough syrups and other self medication therapies in order to suppress the irritating cough in common cold, however, its not always the case for everyone and the treatment recovery is not guaranteed.  So, think about this next time before you run to get over the counter syrups.  Just go to your kitchen and ask, "Honey are you there?"

Cough in common cold can significantly contribute to childhood morbidity, sleep disturbance in child and family members, loss of school days, parental anxiety and low productivity. Sometimes, that trusted chemist next door is closed and need for a home remedy cure is urgent. Use of Honey then become of great help to suppress the cough, so get the honey and put it somewhere close. However, Caution is given to the use of honey for children below 12 months due to infant botulism a condition of muscle weakness and breathing difficulty. 

A teaspoon (approx 5ml) of honey and one medium size lemon squeeze in a 250mls of warm water will help to treat the cough in common cold...if it persist do not hesitate to consult your physician! 

It is important that one uses pure unadulterated honey as opposed to the overly processed ones sold n supermarkets. Pure honey does not clot in the tin pack as does the adulterated ones. Both lemon and honey are very cost- effective as compared to the over-the counter syrups. 

I would wish to hear from you too, what other uses do you have honey for at home and your experience on the use of honey mixed with lemon squeeze? Share your thoughts and drop a comment if you may. Thank you.

Do you have any questions regarding your nutritional health? Kindly do not hesitate to contact us through bisernutrition@yahoo.com .

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Butternut Squash

How beneficial are the butternut squash?

Just like avocado, many have used butternuts as vegetables though they're technically fruits! They have also been confused with ripe pumpkins, however, their differ greatly in taste and in size. Butternuts are rich in vitamin B complex,Vitamin C and Vitamin E, minerals such as calcium, phosporus and iron. They're ranked highly among plants vitamin A super sources. 

Vitamin A (beta-carotene and alpha-carotene) inactive form found in butternuts are converted to active forms retinal and retinoic acids. The inactive form of Vitamin A is the major reason of its bright yellow colour just like the orange colour in carrots. Retinal and retinoic acid helps boost immunity function, cell multiplication, bone health and last but not least improved vision. For expectant mothers, they can consider making butternut squash to aid in foetal development mostly in the first and second trimesters. 

For the diabetics who might be having advanced glycation end (AGE) organ damage complications such as retinopathy a glass of butternut squash can improve their vision if not delay the retinopathy progress. Vitamin A together with Vitamin E are super potent antioxidants, this helps scavage free radicles in our bodies, this are key vitamins to people at risk of heart diseases such as atherosclerosis. They can take one glass of butternut squash on alternative days to receive this exclusive benefits. 

Imagine how tasty butternut squash are; considering weight loss, then butternut squash come in very handy due to its low calorie and nutrient dense properties. So, instead of going for unhealthy juices added with sugar consider the benefits of butternut squash. 30 mins after moderate excercise one can opt for butternut squash to boost energy levels due to its vitamin 6 content which also support blood cell formation. Its vitamin C content will boost immune levels at all ages. Thinking of all this benefits packaged in one fruit besides its sweet taste in savory recipes, then I would confidently recommend it to you.

So how do we use butternuts at home, there are many ways, to mention but a few;

1. You can use the butternut squash puree and low fat milk to make a creamy-free soup. 

2. Roast the butternut squash together with eggs for breakfast

3. You can cut into cubes roast it with sunflower or olive oil, add little bit of pepper to taste

4. You can substitute butternut squash in places of pumkin and potatoes curries. 

Butternuts are affordable and available in most markets, prices ranging from ksh 100 to ksh 150. 

Share your thoughts on other benefits of butternut aquash, where do you buy it from and what do you use it for? 

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