KATHMANDU, Nov 14: Winter is here. Days and nights are gradually getting colder day by day. While the cold weather is perfect to indulge in decadent dishes, taking care of your body is also extremely important. To keep your skin and gut healthy, and protect yourself from seasonal infections, you must pay particular attention to your diet.
Almonds, walnuts, cashews
Nuts are a natural source of healthy fats and are a great addition to any diet. Nuts such as almonds, walnuts and cashews contain a healthy amount of fat and carbohydrate. They can be used on sweet and savory dishes as an added crunch factor. Nutritionist Bhuvan Rastogi agreed and said, “When in winters we need more calories to sustain and hence the good fats in nuts are used. Nuts are packed with good fats with dense micronutrients, perfect for chilly winters.”
Sweet potatoes
The healthier relative of the humble, starchy potato and delicious in taste, this winter vegetable is a popular food in India. Roasted and sold as a street snack during the colder months, they are a terrific addition to your diet and are naturally fortified with vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and potassium. Bhuvan added that they are a “great source of fiber and extra energy needed in winters.” You can have it roasted, baked, fried, in a stir fry or eaten in a soup.
Bell peppers
Bell peppers, also commonly known as ‘shimla mirch’ in India are as gorgeous to look at, as they are beneficial. They are usually available in green, red and yellow variants and are a great addition to salads, soups, roasts, stir-fries, etc. A versatile vegetable, bell peppers are powerhouses of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system of the body. They also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin E, folates, potassium and other antioxidants. You can eat this versatile vegetable raw or cooked. The nutritionist recommended, “Vitamin C has been conclusively proven to prevent and cure cold. Apart from that, bell peppers are a good source of fiber (with one bell pepper having as much fiber as a roti) and facilitate good gut health.”
Ginger
A powerful antioxidant, ginger is a flowering plant whose roots are consumed as a spice. Used across the world, and in various cuisines, gingers have a pungent, almost hot taste that is incredibly relieving for common colds and sore throats. Ginger is also used popularly in Ayurveda to treat ailments. It contains essential vitamins such as vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6, magnesium etc. During the cold season, you can add ginger to your tea, soups and curries to give it a distinct warm flavor. Bhuvan listed out a few benefits of ginger and said, “Antioxidants help in better immunity, controlled ageing and slower memory decline. Ginger is one of the few antioxidant sources that work well even when heated and can be easily made part of both food and hot beverages.”
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are a joy to eat during winters, in-season, locally available and always delightful to bite into, winters are synonymous with eating sour fruits. Oranges, limes, custard apples etc are great sources of vitamin c that will keep you protected from common infections throughout the winter season. You can eat them raw or added to cooked, baked goodies, they are still a great way to keep your body warm and healthy.
Dark leafy greens
Especially popular during the winter season, fresh seasonal greens are a great source of vitamin K, said Bhuvan. It is an antioxidant mostly present in cooked uncooked dark green leaves. “It has many benefits needed for blood and bone health”, he added. A few common winter leafy greens that he suggested are spinach, mustard greens, coriander, fenugreek leaves, collard greens, taro greens, drumstick leaves etc.
Most of us start a day with a cup of coffee or tea. It supplies caffeine which is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system that rapidly boosts alertness and energy levels. It has been reported that caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed ingredients in the world. There are studies showing moderate intake can provide a variety of health benefits, including a lower risk of certain cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and liver problems.
MAY 20: In early 2020, the country sealed its borders to try to insulate itself from the pandemic.
Its leadership has so far rejected outside medical support.
And state media has recommended traditional treatments to deal with what is referred to as "fever".
Hot drinks
For those not seriously ill, ruling-party newspaper Rodong Simnun recommended remedies including ginger or honeysuckle tea and a willow-leaf drink.
Hot drinks might soothe some Covid symptoms, such as a sore throat or cough, and help hydration when patients are losing more fluid than normal.
Ginger and willow leaf also relieve inflammation and reduce pain.
But they are not a treatment for the virus itself.
Salt water
State media recently interviewed a couple who recommended gargling with salt water morning and night.
A "thousand of tonnes of salt" had been sent to Pyongyang to make an "antiseptic solution", the state news agency reported.
Some studies suggest gargling and nasal rinses with salt water combat viruses that cause the common cold.
But there is little evidence they slow the spread of Covid.
Mouthwash could kill the virus in the lab, a study found.
But it has not convincingly been shown to help in humans.
Covid is mainly caught by inhaling tiny droplets in the air via the nose as well as the mouth, so gargling attacks only one point of entry.
And once the virus has entered, it replicates and spreads deep into the organs, where no amount of gargling can reach.
Painkillers and antibiotics
State television has advised patients to use painkillers such as ibuprofen as well as amoxicillin and other antibiotics.
Ibuprofen (and paracetamol) can bring down a temperature and ease symptoms such as headache or sore throat.
But they will not clear the virus or prevent it developing.
Antibiotics, meant for bacterial infections not viruses, are not recommended.
And using antibiotics unnecessarily risks developing resistant bugs.
Laboratory research suggests some may slow the spread of some viruses, including Covid.
But these have not been replicated in the real world.
And a study of the antibiotic azithromycin found it made little or no difference to Covid symptoms, the likelihood of hospital admission or death.
There are some approved drugs to prevent people with Covid ending up in hospital:
antivirals paxlovid, molnupiravir and remdesivir
antibody therapies that mimic the immune system
But their effectiveness is variable.
Health system
North Korea's health system has been set up to offer free medical care from basic services at village level up to specialised treatment in government hospitals (usually in urban centres).
But the economy has contracted in recent years because of sanctions and extreme weather such as droughts.
Closing the country's borders and strict lockdown measures will also have had a damaging impact.
Particularly weak outside Pyongyang, the health system is thought to suffer shortages of personnel, medicines and equipment.
A report for the UN, last year, said: "Some of the pharmaceutical, vaccination and medical-appliance plants do not reach the level of good practice of the WHO [World Health Organization] and do not meet local demand as well."
Many North Korean defectors to South Korea have told of having to pay for medication or finding treatment and drugs limited to privileged members of the ruling party.
But state media says it is now increasing production.
International aid
North Korea turned down three million Chinese-made doses, last year - and reportedly rejected other offers - under Covax, the global vaccine-sharing scheme.
South Korea says it has had no reply to its offer of vaccines, medical supplies and personnel.
North Korea has reportedly recently sent three planes to collect medical supplies from Shenyang.
These had not included "anti-pandemic supplies", the Chinese foreign ministry said, but it was "ready to work with North Korea… in the fight against the coronavirus".
With inputs from BBC
When United Nations' General Assembly in November 2019 adopted a resolution to establish May 21 as an International Tea Day, Nepal had already completed two decades of observing National Tea Day on Baishakh 15. Thus, today is 26th National Tea Day in Nepal. Tea is not just a drink but also a part of hospitality culture in Nepal. It’s a conversation starter and an easy-to-serve beverage to welcome guests. It depends on the taste of guest to decide the host on what type of tea should be served. While most of the Nepalis are fond of milk tea, some prefer one without sugar and whitener. Moreover, because of the health consciousness, popularity of green tea is also soaring. It is worthwhile to mention here that more than a thousand types and forms of tea are consumed worldwide.
Green tea is popular and for good reasons—it’s long been linked to multiple health benefits. Most studies have found that green tea drinkers are in better health than those who don’t drink tea at all.
