The whole world is getting vaccinated and people are trying to get back to pre-pandemic “normal life”. However the Covid virus variants are making it tough to everybody to get back to normal life. Vaccination will help to fight the disease. But to remain healthy and fit we need healthy food and daily dose of exercises for the body. While we try to get back to routine life, we also should focus on our diet. Including ingredients that support and boost our immune system is key to fight Covid-19 disease. Consider including healthy ingredients in your diet.

Traditional Indian foods are all about prevention and cure. Indian food is a staple diet and if you understand the perfect balance of using ingredients in cooking, it does magic to health.  In Indian kitchen you will see many varieties of spices. All the spices have many health benefits and are known to prevent and cure many health conditions. Indian traditional medicines formulas are derived from Indian kitchen as most of the ingredients that you see in Ayurveda are available and used in Indian cooking for health benefits.

When we talk about the medicinal properties of these ingredients or herbs the three ingredients take front row in the kitchen. These are: Cinnamon, Turmeric and Garlic. All these three are highly medicinal and help health in various ways. These three herbs are unique for their properties. If you are planning on Indian diet, then don’t forget to include them in your diet plan.

Cinnamon:

• Cinnamon contains polyphenol. Consuming half a teaspoon cinnamon powder everyday helps body indifferent ways.
• It controls blood sugar level and helps diabetic condition
• Boosts metabolism and helps in controlling obesity and weight gain
• Helps in cutting down triglyceride levels and is heart friendly
• The amount of antioxidant present in cinnamon makes it a good preventive remedy for cancer and other conditions.

How you can add cinnamon in diet?

1. Add 1 or 2 teaspoon cinnamon powder to green tea, mix and drink
2. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder to a cup of yogurt, mix and have
3. Add cinnamon powder to soup, curry, stir-fried vegetables and as an exotic flavor in dishes
4. Morning drink water with lemon and cinnamon powder to increase metabolism.

Turmeric

• The second important ingredient you should consider adding to your diet is nothing but turmeric. It contains a compound called curcumin. Adding one teaspoon of turmeric into dishes or consuming home made turmeric tablet helps to build the immune system.

Consuming turmeric,

1. Reduces body inflammation
2. It helps to control age related memory condition
3. It cures wounds easily, adds glow to skin and it controls infection.
4. Makes breathing easy and controls cold and cough

Garlic:

• Many people avoid garlic in diet for various reasons. Garlic is one of best medicinal herb that one should be consuming. If you are not, then try practicing the taste by adding little by little to your food. You will get benefit of garlic.

Consuming one garlic clove every morning helps to control cholesterol and blood sugar level.

1. It is a good remedy for heart condition as it controls cholesterol.
2. It is also known to prevent cancerous cells production in the body.
3. The anti fungal and anti bacterial property of garlic makes it a good remedy for cough, cold and fever.
4. To consume garlic – add it to curry. Or you can fry it with little ghee – add salt and chili powder and consume. One can add garlic to curry, vegetable juices, salads, soups etc.

If you are buying turmeric, go for organic turmeric powder which is more natural without chemicals added to it. Cinnamon – make sure it is the right cinnamon as in recent years barks of other trees that are similar to cinnamon are sold in the market and does not have the properties of cinnamon.