Nutritional advice for adults during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
We all need to take a healthy lifestyle and follow a healthy and balanced diet to maintain our health, so we can follow a healthy diet and eat healthy food, and there is no harm in taking nutritional advice or we can call it simple health tips, especially during the spread of the Coronavirus “Covid-19”. So we offer you some nutritional advice in one of the health and nutrition articles.
Proper nutrition and an abundance of drinking water are vital and important. Those who eat a well-balanced diet are more likely to be healthier, have stronger immunity and have a lower risk of developing chronic and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants your body needs. And drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat and salt to reduce the risk of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Eat fresh, unprocessed foods every day
- Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as lentils and beans), nuts, and whole grains (such as unprocessed corn, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice, or starchy tubers or roots such as potatoes, yams, taro, or cassava) and animal-source foods (such as meat, fish, eggs, and milk).
- Daily, eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 portions), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 portions), 180 grams of grains, and 160 grams of meat and beans (red meat can be eaten one to two times a week, and poultry 2-3 times a week).
- For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruits, rather than foods high in sugar, fat, or salt.
- Avoid overcooking vegetables and fruits, as this may lead to loss of important vitamins
- When using canned or dried vegetables and fruits, choose the ones that contain no salt or sugar.
Drink enough water every day
- Water is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in the blood, regulates body temperature, eliminates waste, and relieves and facilitates joint movement.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day.
- Water is the best option, but other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water can also be consumed, for example lemon juice (diluted in water and unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be wary of consuming too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, smoothies, fruit juice concentrates, and soft and refreshing drinks because all contain sugar.
Eat moderate amounts of fats and oils
- Eat unsaturated fats (such as those found in fish, avocados, nuts, olive oil, soybeans, canola, sunflower, and corn oils) instead of saturated fats (such as those found in fatty meats, butter, palm oils, coconut oils, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard).
- Choose white meat (such as poultry) and fish, which are generally low in fat, rather than red meat.
- Avoid processed meats because they are rich in fat and salt.
- Eat skimmed or low-fat milk and milk products whenever possible
- Avoid eating trans fats. They are most often found in processed foods, fast food, snacks, fried foods, frozen pizza, pies, cakes, margarines, and spreads.
Eat less salt and sugar
- When cooking and preparing food, reduce the amount of salt and seasonings rich in sodium (such as soy sauce and fish sauce).
- Reduce your daily salt intake to less than 5 grams (about one teaspoon), and eat iodized salt.
- Avoid foods high in salt and sugars (such as snacks).
- Limit your intake of soda or other sugary drinks (such as fruit juices and juice concentrates, concentrated syrups, flavored milk and yogurt drinks)
- Choose fresh fruits rather than sweetened snacks like cookies, cakes and chocolates
Avoid eating out
Eating at home to reduce the rate of contact with others and reduce your risk of exposure to the emerging corona virus (Covid 19). We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. This is not always possible in crowded social settings such as restaurants and cafes. Droplets of infected droplets may fall on surfaces and people’s hands (such as customers and employees), and due to the large number of arrivals and departures, it is not possible to tell whether hands are washed regularly and sufficiently, and that surfaces are cleaned and disinfected quickly enough.
Provide psychological and social counseling and support
Although proper nutrition and abundant drinking of water improve health and immunity, they are not a panacea for preventing disease. Chronically ill people suspected or confirmed infected with the virus need support for their mental health and diet to ensure their health. Seek counseling and psychosocial support from appropriately trained health care professionals as well as from counselors and peers in the community.
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