How do I help myself recover from COVID-19 well?
This is a common question for a Nutritionist in this current COVID-19 Pandemic.
There are many things we can do and here I am going to give you a few nutritional tips that will help you back to better health.
The body contains a cleverly orchestrated set of organs and we are ‘hard wired’ to self-heal, so if we support key functions, we can aid the healing process.
Support the Health of the Intestinal Area
First and foremost support the health of your intestinal area, where all your food is processed and absorbed. The best diet in the world will not give us real benefit if it is poorly absorbed, so the integrity of this absorptive tissue is vital. Also the intestinal area contains approx. 80% of our immune tissue so, I think you will agree it needs loving care and attention and must be our first target for consideration.
The bacteria and microbes that are housed in our intestines play a vital role in how our immune system behaves and also support the health of the lining of this amazing organ, so let’s makes sure there are plenty of ‘probiotics’ and ‘prebiotics’ in our diet. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria and the prebiotics are their food. Daily add a small amount of these: live yoghurts, live Kefir, traditionally made Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Tempeh, Miso, traditionally made sour doughs, live cider vinegars, traditionally made cheeses, Oolong tea and all the traditional fermented foods to encourage this helpful population.
Vital Nutrients
Vitamins
Next up is a plethora of nutrients and top of the list are the fat soluble 
vitamins A, D and E – low fat diets are not good for these important nutrients. Vitamin A is supportive of the lining of the intestines and the respiratory area and all ‘tubes’ within the body. It is abundant in meats, fish and eggs and then in its pre-form in orange veg. and fruit and leafy greens. If you are a Vegetarian make sure you have a daily intake of some of these orange veggies – squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers and leafy greens etc.
Vitamin D again is involved in the integrity of the Gut lining and also the functions of the immune system, but is hard to get from food. However, oily fish, mushrooms and eggs will have some and the very best is sensible sun exposure – see link Vitamin D deficiency – a ‘concealed’ health problem – Nutrition in Norfolk. The sun through the Winter in the UK will give us almost no Vitamin D!
And last but not least of this set is vitamin E – a top level anti-oxidant that has a big role in the immune system response and is especially important for the respiratory area in the elderly. Nuts, seeds, olives and olive oil, avocados and leafy greens are sources of this great nutrient.
Now for a water soluble vitamin – Vitamin C which is the king of anti-oxidants and as with so many nutrients it acts as a co-factor to enable enzymes to work and all our bodily functions are driven by enzymic processes. We need more vitamin C during and after times of physical and mental stress and illness. Very fresh veg. are best for the vitamin C content, because there is a storage loss, but frozen is fine if you can’t get fresh and add lots into the diet daily – green vegetables, peppers, berries, citrus fruit, kiwi, fresh herb. Aim for 8 portions of veggies daily and 2 portions of fruit.
Minerals
Of the minerals, zinc and selenium have had the highest scores on immune support. Zinc can be low in Vegan diets as while the beans, pulses and seeds contain zinc they also contain phytates that bind minerals, reducing their availability for absorption. Soaking these helps to remove the phytates – so canned beans and pulses are a good option. Shellfish and meats are the easiest way to obtain available zinc and this nutrient acts as a co-factor to many enzymic processes in the body and helps us make those much talked about T cells that form a vital part of the immune system arsenal. Selenium a top anti-oxidant, is often low in diets today and important for immune functions. Brazil nuts, fish, meats eggs are good sources
Nature’s Choice
I am going to finish with a statement I make most days and often many times in the day – ‘Eat as close to how Nature intended as possible’ Ditch the highly processed foods and the junk and sweet foods and add lots of delicious vegetables with all their array of magical plant nutrients. Aim for a salad of lots of interesting items – shredded cabbage, onion, carrot, celeriac, beetroot, watercress, tomatoes, rocket, pea shoot, sprouted seeds, 
avocado, apple, celery, chopped herbs – make a dressing with some immune supportive garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and enjoy – savour these wonderful healthful essentials. Herbs and spices have to have a quick mention too for immune support especially; Tumeric, Oregano (marjoram), Cumin, Cinnamon, Fennel and Rosemary – so many wonderful oils and concentrated nutrients that fire up the body’s functions and take us onto better health again.
Food is not just about fuel it needs to contain vital nutrients that work in synergy to support the very important health of the body.
References
Calder, P (2013) Feeding the immune system, Proceedings from the Nutrition Society, 72(3), 299-309. Doi 10. 1017/S0029665113001286
Carr, A. C., & Maggini, S. (2017). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients, 9(11), 1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111211
Maldonado Galdeano C, Cazorla S, I, Lemme Dumit J, M, Vélez E, Perdigón G: Beneficial Effects of Probiotic Consumption on the Immune System. Ann Nutr Metab 2019;74:115-124. doi: 10.1159/000496426
