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.