Teacher’s Diary
Today, to dearest colleague described as “healthy” Areema Nasreem, I say ‘Please get well soon! She’s a mother, 36 and presently in ICU, in the Midlands in the UK, having caught the dreaded Corona virus. She developed the symptoms approximately 10 days post contracting the virus, starting with: body aches, a high temperature, then a cough and reportedly worsened very quickly.
What can I say, but that we all obey stringent self-isolation measures the government is laying down or we risk passing the virus on or being passed the virus – PRONTO!
But whether or not you catch this virus, you must take care of that body of yours. Chiefly more than ever below, eat purposefully to boost your immune system so that it can help you through the hard times ahead. One good way is to eat enough vitamin C rich foods.
Did you know that there is vitamin C in almost every fruit and vegetable? However, some have far greater vitamin C content than others. Cranberries and melons have high vitamin C content. In fact, tropical fruits appear to have the highest vitamin c content of all fruits.
Hot peppers are amongst the richest sources of vitamin C, with regards to vegetables. The hotter the pepper, the higher its vitamin C content. Vitamin C is water soluble so many vegetables lose their effectiveness as a vitamin C provider, particularly if they are boiled for a long time.
Steaming or stir frying vegetables ensures that more of their vitamin c properties are retained. The recommended daily amount of the c vitamin is easily obtainable by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. This is even more so if you consume your fruits and vegetables raw, steamed or lightly cooked.
Vitamin c is possibly the most widely known and ingested vitamin today. This is not surprising because the body needs and uses vitamin c for numerous functions. This versatile vitamin has been proven to help protect individuals against heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses.
Without vitamin c the human body may not be able to heal itself effectively. This is because vitamin c is vital for the formation of collagen. Whenever an individual has a cut or an injury, it is collagen that helps repair the tissue damage. In addition, collagen has other vital functions in the body, including keeping the organs in place.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It boosts the functions of the immune system, supporting it in its defence and protection remits around the body. Furthermore, vitamin c helps other vitamins and minerals to be absorbed better. For instance, Folic acid and iron need vitamin c to maximize their effectiveness. The more vitamin c that your body has, the better its defence is against colds and other common illnesses. The presence of vitamin c may not prevent you from catching a virus, but it definitely helps speed up your recovery process.
Vitamin supplements are extremely handy alternatives that ensure that people are taking sufficient vitamin c. This is because most people are not including enough vitamin c in their diets due to their busy daily schedules. However, if you always eat a balanced diet the amount of vitamin c your body receives is likely to be sufficient. If you begin to feel tired or lethargic then a vitamin c supplement may well help you to overcome this. When you eat and your body has taken sufficient vitamin c from your diet, it would simply excrete the excess.
Omoru writes from the UK
