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To speed up the recovery process from coronavirus, some dishes will have to be abandoned.
When my friend was admitted to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, his compassionate ladies’ acquaintances cut off the phone: “Vlad, what tasty can I bring you?” Everyone knows how disgusting hospital food can be. “Bring nothing! It was forbidden to give food to the sick – we follow a special diet, ”he replied.
However, the famous Spanish nutritionist Fatima Branco reminds: no diet is a miracle cure for COVID-19 or its consequences. “There is no food that guarantees that we do not get infected or get sick with little or no symptoms,” she explains. At the same time, with proper and balanced nutrition, you can accelerate the recovery process from this “plague of the XXI century.”
“If you have suffered from the coronavirus with symptoms, then most likely you have lost some muscle mass to one degree or another. To restore it, there is nothing better than exercise and eating protein foods, says Fatima Branco. “It is better to give preference to proteins of animal origin – they are better absorbed.”
The ideal expert considers a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fish, legumes and meats. This keeps the immune system in good health. In this case, a number of products from the diet will have to be excluded.
Sausage
Sausage, whether cooked or smoked, is definitely not a healthy and wholesome food product. Those who have recently undergone coronavirus will have to completely abandon it during their recovery. And also – from all kinds of sausages like sausages or wieners, as well as from hamburgers and other burgers.
“Processed meat is high in saturated fat. These, in turn, lead to the accumulation of abdominal fat, which is a risk factor and can lead to complications in the development of COVID-19. On the other hand, to improve lung function, it is important to replace saturated fat intake with unsaturated ones found in foods such as olive oil, avocados or nuts, ”says the nutritionist.
So it is best to lean on white and lean meat, but reduce the consumption of red to a minimum.
Alcohol
Celebrating discharge from the hospital with a glass of something stronger is definitely not worth it. And according to nutritionist and researcher at the Food Science Research Institute (CIAL) Miguel López Moreno, alcohol negatively affects the overall immune system.
Sweet Soda
Cola, cream soda and other sugary drinks, as well as juices from the store, should also be blacklisted, at least for the duration of your recovery. And in order for the body’s functions to recover as quickly as possible, it is better to drink plain water.
Coffee
Experts recommend excluding this drink from the diet not only for those who have contracted coronavirus or are already in the process of recovery. The level of anxiety in many people is off the charts this year. Nervous tension, a sedentary lifestyle during self-isolation, and radical change in habits lead to insomnia or sleep disturbance. At the same time, caffeine in coffee is not only a powerful stimulant, but also a diuretic. And dehydration of the body weakens the immune system.
White bread
If you can’t give up bread, choose whole grain.
“All those who have suffered from the coronavirus report loss of muscle mass, fatigue and respiratory failure. To recover, it is important not only to cut back on low-quality fats and sugars, but also refined carbohydrates, which will lead to imbalances in insulin levels in the body, ”explains nutritionist Branko.
The expert reminds that fruits are an excellent source of carbohydrates. It is best to choose seasonal. They contain more vitamins and microelements, but there is no chemistry necessary for the ripening of a plant in an unnatural period for it.
Baked goods from the store
Snails with cheese and ham, puffs with cottage cheese, cinnamon rolls … One of their smell can make your head spin. Alas, all these goodies will also have to be abandoned. Low-quality fats, a huge amount of calories and sugar that increases the production of insulin lead to hair loss, and this, as it turned out, is another problem after suffering from the coronavirus.
“One of the consequences of COVID-19 is the poor condition of the hair: it falls out, breaks, splits. It is for this reason that products that can harm the hair should be avoided, ”explains Branko.
Pickles
For those who fall ill with COVID-19 or are in the recovery stage, it is important to maintain the correct water-salt balance, the radio said in an interview. therapist, cardiologist and nutritionist Philip Kuzmenko. So pickles, salted fish and other pickles should be discarded.
“Salty foods tend to thicken the blood. Salt pulls off the liquid component in the tissue, and thickening occurs in the vessels themselves. There is less liquid part, but more blood cells. This can indirectly affect if a person is sick with covid, ”explained Kuzmenko.
Sauerkraut
Nutritionist-nutritionist Inna Kononenko advises adding fermented foods to the list of forbidden foods. For example, sauerkraut. On the one hand, it contains probiotics that strengthen the intestinal wall. On the other hand, during the period of illness, cabbage can increase allergies.