More so than before, people today are looking for ways to boost their immunity levels. From Homeopathy, to Vitamin D , Zinc, Vitamin C supplements to probiotics diets, garlic & ginger foods, there are a plethora of articles written on what will help in building immunity against Covid- 19. I would strongly advise that when it comes to protecting yourself from the flu and also helping your body fight the virus if you contract it, focus on a highly nutritious diet.

What are some of the most nutritional, healthy, immunity- boosting, disease-fighting foods in your diet? A simple and easy way to remember those are through the acronym G-BOMBS.

This acronym is coined by Dr Joel Fuhrman, a Food Revolution Expert, author of the book ‘Eat to Live’ and the book ‘Eat to Health’. Dr Fuhrman describes G–BOMBS as “immune special forces” and the best anti-cancer, health-promoting foods on the planet.

So what are G-BOMBS?

GREENS, BEANS, ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, BERRIES, SEEDS. The 6 most healthy foods to include in your diet. And it is such a simple acronym and so very easy to remember and include in your daily diet. There are so many articles floating around on the internet and TV and YouTube programs on nutritional eating, micro macro nutrients and they sound more and more complex and difficult to follow with the most exotic ingredients. This is not only easy to understand , but also to include as part of your daily diet.

How do I include them in my diet everyday?

G : GREENS
Did you know that our closest living relatives – chimpanzees and gorillas – consume tens of pounds of green leaves every day ? How many of us heard our grandmother say ” eat green vegetables, they are good for the eyes”.

I include one green vegetable every day in my meal , either lunch or dinner – leafy greens salad, broccoli, spinach, bok-choy, green beans or Indian Saag. You can have it as an accompaniment to your meat, fish or as a main meal.

Amongst the host of properties what I would like to point out is that leafy greens is a plant protein that is packed with beneficial phytochemicals. Green vegetables ( such as broccoli ) are also rich in folate (the natural form of folic acid), calcium, and contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Leafy vegetables are also antioxidants and said to promote healthy vision.

B : BEANS
How many of you love Rajma ( accompanied with rice) or Chola/Channa ( accompanied with Bhaturas, Puris, Rotis)? Or baked beans on toast ?

Very easy to include this on a daily basis in one meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Beans act as an anti-diabetes and weight-loss food because they are digested slowly, having a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, which promotes satiety and helps to prevent food cravings. Plus they contain soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels. ( Source : National Centre for Biotechnology USA and US National Library of Medicine)

O : ONIONS
Staple diet in India. We put onions in almost every food item, including our masala omelettes ! Ayurveda recommends starting the day with eating raw onions and lemon water.

I love onions raw as salad or cooked in curries or pickled in vinegar. The easiest of the G-BOMBS to include in your daily diet.

Other than their anti carcinogenic properties, onions have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as anti-diabetic effects.

M : MUSHROOMS
Given my love for the fungi family I eat them on pizzas, as a vegetable, with pasta, risotto, in a vegetable biryani, in quinoa, boiled in a salad.

And today you get a variety of mushrooms – Portobello, Shiitake, Button, Oyster, Enoki. It can be included in various cuisines – Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican.

If you don’t like the texture of mushrooms, just do a simple grilled grated cheese n mushroom sandwich at lunch or a mushroom soup or make a mushroom cheese sauce with pasta.

Consuming mushrooms regularly is associated with decreased risk of breast, stomach, and colorectal cancers.

B : BERRIES
I eat them with my breakfast cereal (mostly blueberries), or yoghurt or between meals, easy to include them as your fruit snack every day.

The first superfood, Berries are some of the highest antioxidant foods in existence. Not only are they an excellent food for the brain, but their plentiful antioxidant content confers both cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects.

S : SEEDS
Countless studies have shown the cardiovascular benefits of seeds. Seeds and nuts contain healthy fats and are rich in a spectrum of micronutrients, including phytosterols, minerals, and antioxidants.

Today they are considered as Super Foods – flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.

I include them also with my breakfast cereal every day. If I don’t have cereal for breakfast, then will include them in a salad or have them with yoghurt.

Go get your nutrition special forces and naturally strengthen your immune system.