Follow your gut

Go for soups made of leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale.

Now that you're cooped up at home, chances are that apart from binging on shows, worrying about friends and family and trying to stick to work deadlines, you're also stress eating. Turning to comfort food like chocolates, biscuits, chips and cold drinks is pretty common at this time, and understandably so. But what we tend to forget is that it's still the flu season, and falling sick is the last thing we want right now.

According to health coach Nipa Asharam, from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, now is the time to go for food that is good for the gut and detoxification of our digestive system. Here are some dos and don'ts that Asharam suggests:

Eat overnight soaked almonds

Vitamin E is key to a healthy immune system. It's a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with the vitamin and also have healthy fats. So, a handful of overnight soaked almonds every morning can get you off to a great start for the day.

Go for roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds

These seeds include phosphorous, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B-6 and are also rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

Bring out the leafy green vegetables

Spinach, or even kale, is not just high on vitamin C, but also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which help boost the ability to fight off infections. Other options include broccoli and carrot. Add some spices, onions and a little cream to make a soup.

Keep a tab on alcohol consumption

Consuming too much alcohol can impact immune function and gut health.

Don't stress

Stress impacts our bodies more than we can imagine. It is invisible to us and can increase our cortisol levels. So, relax, meditate and practice gratitude to keep it together.

Stay off diet soda

It is full of artificial ingredients, including sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, none of which help our gut. It can reduce levels of beneficial bacteria and adversely affect glucose metabolism.

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