Confinement Highlights the Importance of Diet and Exercise | Beran Parry: Diets to Boost Immune System During Coronavirus Lockdown
Expert Nutritionist and Award-Winning Author of 40 books, 25 of them being best sellers, who lives in the Campo de Gibraltar and runs a nutrition department in Gibraltar, talks to Reach Alcance about dietary habits on the Rock and gives us a fascinating excerpt from her latest book ‘Total Immune Defence’ with vital dietary advice on how to boost your immune system…
As coronavirus made its way across the globe, with many countries now in lockdown, we have seen uplifting stories in the news; stories that show the best of humanity, with citizens pulling together and helping those who need it the most.
We have also seen an inundation of shock and horror stories from the international mainstream media; some, of course, relaying the unavoidable reality of the situation, and some headlines clearly designed to instil fear.
As a result of this fear, we have seen the unusual phenomenon of, for whatever reason, panic buying toilet paper. There has been a sense that perhaps our health is out of our control and that it’s everyone for themselves.
So, with all the doom and gloom circulating on social media, we caught up with certified nutritional therapist, weight-loss consultant and best-selling author of over 40 nutrition books Beran Parry, her latest offering called ‘Total Immune Defence’, to find out what practical things we can do to boost our immune systems.
Stress Weakens Immune System
Beran, who has lived in Spain for over 5 years and runs the Fit4Life Medical Centre’s Nutritional Department in City Mill Lane Gibraltar with a focus on functional medicine nutrition, DNA testing, auto immune conditions and weight management, told Reach:
“One of the reasons I have written my book, TOTAL IMMUNE DEFENSE is that there are many misconceptions with the kind of reporting we see from the mass media which is causing mass hysteria.”
“This is sad because stress does not help the immune system. There are many significant studies that show the different ways to look at the spread of the virus and it becomes clear that the more we can take care of our own immune system, the better chance we have to stay healthy.”
When we asked the nutrition expert what she thought of the dietary habits in Gibraltar, Beran said:
“Gibraltar is a unique and special community. I was welcomed and embraced with such warmth and it gave me a chance to observe many interesting characteristics. There is a tendency for overuse of processed food and eating behaviours are very celebratory even when it’s just a small family get together. There is so much focus on food also because the community thrives on regular meetups and social interaction…”
“There are several areas to improve with most specific emphasis on awareness of health choices and mindset around how best to approach eating strategies and behaviour. There is also a need to understand the value of natural medicine solutions and not only chemical medicine.”
The below is an exclusive excerpt from Beran Parry’s latest book ‘Total Immune Defence’ with some invaluable insights from the expert herself into dietary recommendations that boost your immune system during the coronavirus lockdown.
Can You Really Strengthen Your Immune System?
The good news is that it IS possible to strengthen your body’s immune system so you’re less likely to develop a cold or virus or something more serious in the first place. The other advantage of a robust immune system is that on those occasions when you pick up a bug, your body will return to health faster than the “average” sufferer.
This guide is a tool that anyone can use to help fight back against the common cold, against ‘flu, bacterial diseases, food-born illness or poisoning and much, much more.
Please note before we continue that, if you are unwell, it is always wise to consult your doctor or health professional first and make sure you understand what’s really wrong in the first place.
This is always the best place to start and I hope that makes perfect sense to you. Your doctor or healthcare provider is the person in charge of your health. We’ve done our best to provide you with helpful and relevant information in this guide; however, the author and publisher of this guide are not medical doctors.
Please bear that in mind. If you’re taking any kind of medication or being treated for a specific illness or chronic disease, make sure you discuss the options with your doctor before you start using the tips and advice suggested in this book.
- Fish or Flax – these foods provide essential fatty acids, which are tiny substances that are wonderful for reducing inflammation in the body, a common cause for illness. While you can take a supplement containing Omega-3 fatty acids (a key essential fatty acid) you can also get essential fatty acids from your diet. Some good sources of fatty acids in food include fatty fishes like tuna, salmon and mackerel.
- Excellent sourced Pro Biotics – probiotics that help balance the flora in the digestive tract. When the flora in the body becomes uncontrolled, diseases like yeast infections or UTI become common.
- Mushrooms – Eastern medical practitioners often use many varieties of mushrooms to bolster the immune system. Most mushrooms contain vitamin B and many other essential nutrients. You will benefit whether you eat the Shitake variety or any other variety, as long as you incorporate them into an overall healthy diet.
- Fresh berries – especially blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, all of which contain powerful ingredients to bolster the immune system and help the body fight back against disease. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries contain many antioxidants; these are substances that reduce free radical damage. Free radical damage is damage that occurs on the surface of an object. Free radical damage can occur from too much unprotected exposure to the sun or other environmental pollutants.
- Seaweed – some believe seaweed (often used in Eastern dishes like sushi) contains ingredients that bolster the action of T cells in the body; these are disease fighting cells. Seaweed may also cause the body to produce more antibodies, which are a type of white blood cell that helps fight disease and infection.
- Herbs – herbs are powerful substances anyone can use to flavour dishes and combat disease. There are certain herbs like cumin, cayenne and cilantro that may help bolster circulation and improve one’s immunity. This is especially true of cayenne, which heats the body. Some believe cayenne may help increase the metabolism also, which is why it is an ingredient in many natural health supplements promoting weight loss benefits.
- Green Tea – this tea, like many other teas, is a powerhouse of antioxidants. Black tea also contains many beneficial antioxidants, but studies suggest green tea is best. You can buy it decaf or caffeinated. Green tea is often used in weight loss products because many believe it stimulates the metabolic system. The antioxidants in the tea may help ward off infection or illness. Sipping tea with a bit of honey and lemon while sick can soothe an itchy, red or sore throat.
- Water
- Garlic and Onion
This list is far from comprehensive, but it does give you an idea of the types of foods you can eat that are most likely to result in better health. You should think about eating whole foods rather than processed or packaged foods, as many processed foods (even if fortified with vitamins) contain too much fat, too much sugar and too many preservatives.
Visit Beran Perry’s Website here: https://beranparry.com/
Keep an eye out for our second instalment! Beran Perry will be taking us through the different supplements that we can take now to start kicking our immune systems into high gear.
Confinement Highlights the Importance of Diet and Exercise | Beran Parry: Diets to Boost Immune System During Coronavirus Lockdown