Proper diet helps avoid seasonal ailments, body pains

Rawalpindi : Majority of population remains at risk of contracting seasonal infections like cough, flu and cold in winter and according to health experts, selection of proper diet along with extra care in routine during the winter season may help avoiding the seasonal ailments.

Several foods give the body nutrients that help promote wellness while physical activity including 30 minutes walk daily can help keep a person healthy. At the setting in of winter, when incidences of cold, flu and cough are common, the use of green tea is much beneficial.

During the winter season, one must follow good quality, low-fat protein diets such as nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, fish, lean meat, chicken and low fat dairy products. Experts say that physically active people and children must eat an egg daily during the winter while patients suffering from diabetes and heart diseases should eat an egg daily after consultation with their physicians.

Experts recommend that one half of one’s diet should be made up of fresh fruit and vegetables which are an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, C, folate, iron and calcium. One should use orange and guava as these are rich sources of vitamin C. Moreover, several vegetables are known to actually prevent cancer, heart disease and other diseases.

Experts say that a hot bowl of oatmeal in the breakfast during the winter can be highly beneficial for your health as it is full of nutrients and phytochemicals and it keeps you full and provides lasting energy. One must avoid ‘white’ carbohydrate foods such as cakes, cookies, white pasta, rice and breads as these refined foods promote weight gain.