What Will Living with Covid Mean For The New Normal For Eating in 2022?

The Covid 19 wave brought to light a reality that many people had ignored despite its profound implications. When the first wave hit, it was clear that some of the most affected people were those with underlying conditions. Metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity became the leading factors causing patients to be admitted after being severely affected by the pandemic. One question became clear as many people sought to understand why diabetes made it difficult to fight respiratory infections.

The current knowledge about SARS is that this infection can potentially destabilize blood sugars and make diabetic people get into a dangerous sugar status. this happens when the SARS-CoV-2 virus binds itself to receptors on the pancreas beta cells, which produce insulin. Generally, diabetes predisposes patients to a low-grade inflammatory state that overworks the body’s innate system, slowing its response to attacking new pathogens that get into one’s body. What’s more, whatever we consume also plays a significant role in how the immune system responds.

Sugar Works Against Your Immune System Especially During Covid 19

People with high blood pressure struggle with inflammatory cytokines damaged blood vessels, which activate the immune system to repair these systems constantly. All this is caused by obesity and the vicious cycle of insulin resistance.

Unfortunately, the immune system is caught up in this constant repair. It becomes distracted from the core business of protecting the body against harmful viruses and bacteria that may enter your body. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes can be reversed and eliminated with the right diet, exercise routine, and activities that foster better nutrition. One of the first things you ought to eliminate from your diet is sugar. Completely removing sugar from your diet not only ends this cycle but also reverses the situation completely. Therefore, taking every step to minimize sugar consumption will have a positive impact on your immune system as well.

Sugar Hides

Unfortunately, it is difficult to cut off sugar from your diet. This is because there are a lot of hidden sugars in practically every meal. Sometimes all it takes to include sugar, albeit unknowingly, is to eat certain foods that you may not suspect to have sugar at dangerous levels. Sometimes, even fruits that are too sugary can trigger high sugar levels. Surprisingly, sugar is in the little condiments that we like including ketchup, lattes, salad dressings, and cereals bars. Even your favorite yogurt may be a significant source of sugar for you.

Therefore, it is important to understand how best to regulate these sugars. However, a preventive approach is always advisable in such a situation. Consider getting a fasting hemoglobin A1c test as the first step to taking charge of your blood sugar levels. This test will measure the average blood sugar for the past three months and guide your decisions moving forward. What’s more, it is the perfect way to ensure that you catch any underlying issues before they become real problems.

Taking Charge of Your Blood Sugar Health

One of the best ways to improve your immunity is to minimize sugar. You can gradually purpose to take sugar off your diet. This may be difficult, but there are a few practical ways to achieve this goal, as mentioned below.

Cutback on Obvious Sugars

It is not always easy to identify the sources of sugar in your diet. However, you can sti8ll improve your diet by avoiding what appears to be obvious sugar sources like chocolate., latte, soda, cake, and added sugar. In this place, consider using dark chocolate, low sugar treats, and berries. While you may not cut sugar out completely, it is vital to have a balance. This may mean stopping all the different sugar sources at the beginning before you embark on the occasional dessert that you can enjoy whenever you have a craving.

Read Labels

Forget the marketing strategy where everything is advertised as low sugar. It is essential to keep track of the sugar level in your foods, regardless of how they are labeled. You need to avoid products with added sugar because they compromise the immune system. It is better to get your sugar from natural sources such as fruits and grains.

Eat More Fiber

Fiber is great and serves as an antidote for most sugar negatives. It helps slow down the absorption of sugar and prevents sugar spikes. High fiber food options are mostly all-natural and could be fruits and grains. You also want to include vegetables in your diet because they are also packed with important dietary fiber.

Focus on Nutrients vs. Calories

Concentrate on getting nutrient-dense foods instead of the number of calories you consume. Healthy fats, proteins, carbs, and vitamins are more critical and can help improve your immune system than when you focus on calories. What’s more, when you manage to eat the right combination of nutrient-dense foods, you do not have to worry about calories because you are likely to be complete and avoid hunger pangs.