We are currently in the midst of the National Nutrition Week. The day is celebrated every year from 1 to 7th of September to create awareness about fueling our body with good nutrition. This month, we had Nutritionist and Lifestyle Coach, Ekta Sood as our first achiever for HZ Women Of The Month. In our conversation with the expert, we talked about this year’s theme for the week, diet plans for expecting mothers, COVID patients and a lot more. Read on.
Importance Of Nutrition For New Moms
Talking about the importance of the week, the nutritionist said, “The National Nutrition Week is celebrated to make people realise the significance of vital nutrients so that we have healthy mind, healthy body and healthy lifestyle.” This year’s theme for the week is – Feed smart right from the start and in our conversation we discussed how important was it for new moms and expecting mothers to have a nutrient rich diet. She said, “The mother has to be very careful what she is putting in her body, what she is feeding herself, what the baby is getting. It is very important that she takes nutrient dense foods and makes sure she avoids any kind of caffeine, sugary foods and drinks, she should have lots of fruits and vegetables.”
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ekta sood nutritionist
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Talking about expecting mothers, she said, “it is very important for them to have good amount of protein, iron and calcium. For iron and calcium, one thing I give to all expecting moms and new moms is ragi grains, they should be sprouted overnight and consumed in the morning. Ragi is very high in calcium, very high in iron and it also helps in milk production and balances the hormones.”
Foods New Moms, Expecting Moms Should Avoid
We asked the expert if there were foods and drinks that expecting mothers and new moms should avoid. Nutritionist Ekta Sood shared that new moms and expecting mothers should completely avoid caffeine. “A lot of people say don’t eat papaya to expecting mothers but actually raw papaya is risky for pregnant women but if its fully ripe, there is no problem consuming it. Also, such women should avoid processed foods, packaged foods that have added salt and sugar in them. Anything coming directly from the nature is good for such women,” she added.
Food Tips For Patients Recovering From COVID-19
The number of COVID cases are on a rise lately and those recovering from it have been complaining of a lot of health and skin issues. Talking about the same, the exper said, “When a person recovers from COVID, they face a lot of problems, not just hair loss but skin issues like acne breakout, weight loss-weight gain. We suggest everyone recovering from COVID to add protein to their diet which is helpful in treating these conditions.”
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Hair Fall/Loss
Hair fall or hair loss is one of the most common issues patients recovering from COVID-19 have been facing. Nutritionist Ekta Sood shared, “It is a good idea to start your day with curry leaves and 1 tsp of flax seeds. These two ingredients will help a lot. Otherwise, have a glass of nimbu paani, add tulsi, mint and curry leaves. You can also have these ingredients with coconut water. Cashews are amazing for your hair, add them to your diet. Also, start having eggs. Sattu is a great ingredient, it works well for just everyone, be it a pregnant woman or a young, working woman. Add red colour fruits and vegetables to your diet.”
Badam Makhana Powder
She further shared the importance of protein in the diet for patients recovering from COVID. She said, “I call it a protein powder, it is badam makhana powder and I give it to my post COVID clients. Take a handful of makhana, some almonds, some walnuts, rock sugar or mishri, fennel seeds or saunf, whole black pepper. Roast everything except the rock sugar and blend into a powder. Take 2-3 tsp of it with milk and consume it everyday. It will help you to heal your muscles, help you with your hair and skin.”
Tips To Boost Immunity
Immunity doesn’t build up in one day, it takes 1-1/2 months to build your immune system. Vitamin C, citrus fruits can help boost the immunity. Yellow fruits and vegetables also help in improve the immune system, yellow bell pepper, papaya, banana, oranges, lemon, pineapple are good options. Zinc also helps in boosting immunity and is present in eggs, nuts and seeds.”
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