We are all hustling about looking for ways to build our immunity to every ailment, looking for ways to strengthen our core, a general well-being. 2020 has brought reflection into our lives with grand gestures. First came COVID, then came #BlackLivesMatter and finally The New Normal; a realisation that people matter, regardless of their colour, and that a pandemic can wipe out everyone we hold dear, including our own existences.
It has made us realise this: fight harder, stay stronger, stay connected. Working out at home, gulping down turmeric in water and food, taking medicines left, right and centre. However, to gain a herd immunity, we’re hitting overdrive with a herd mentality. Medicine will fix this, medicine will fix that. Back in the day, consider the period that our ancestors lived in; no medicines, only raw food. How did they survive everything unknown? By eating right, eating organic, working hard. Why can we not do the same?
I began Gouri’s Goodies as a small venture for my children’s eating habits: to improve their snacking regimes, to help them evolve from chips and coke. This inspiration got me a long way to here: a proud owner of one of the biggest nutritious snacking brands, happily feeding so many of you with rich, nutritious, organic indulgences.
We all talk about herd immunity. Do we really know what it is? It stems from the effects of individuals’ immunity scaled to the level of a population. So essentially, it is the indirect protection from infections to susceptible individuals when sufficiently larger immune individuals exist in a population. Simply put, keep yourself healthy, strong and immune. The more people that do this, the less people will be affected. The easiest way to master this is by eating home-cooked foods, with organic ingredients (as much as possible), getting enough air, walking or working out for at least an hour a day. These are simple instructions, but they can add up!
During the lockdown, I hadn’t much to do but to hope that things get better and we start rolling again. With all the immunity talk around, I got on a computer and began hunting for ingredients that help you get stronger, faster. Thus was born my Hearty Haldi & Almond Mix, my favourite of the lot. A rich concoction of ingredients like organic turmeric, almonds, coconut, super-seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, organic Himalayan honey, dates and so many more. The tastiest product I have worked on!
Each stage of your body’s immune system relies on the presence of micro & macronutrients. So why not feed it well? For example, Vitamin C foods like citrus fruits, chicken soup and tea with honey are the immediate cures when flu season is going on. We run to our Ghar-ka-kaadha when we feel the onset of an itchy throat. But I ask you, why can’t we consume such preparations on a daily basis? Of course, not in the quantum, we do when we are unwell, but brick by brick is how a house is built, yes?
A balanced diet consisting of a variety of vitamins and minerals combined with an active lifestyle that gives you enough natural light, fresh breeze and a good amount of sleep – the key to a better immunity; why fight a disease, when you have the chance to work on yourself and not let it affect you?
If you are of the thought that only regular consumption of one type of food works towards your immunity, you are quite incorrect. It has to be a balanced diet with elements from every nutrient world. Nutrients that essentially work in building your immunity can be classified under Vitamin C (at some point in life, we were all chewing a ton of LimCEE for it!), Vitamin D, Zinc, Selenium, Iron and Protein.
There are just a few key ways to make sure you are doing everything right:
- Eat a balanced diet, snack well, nutritiously!
- Take multi-vitamins, but not rely only on them! (Don’t forget to consult your doctor on this first!)
- Smoke less, organic options are here to help you quit.
- Consume alcohol in moderation – there is truth to this.
- Perform a regular exercise, at least 4 times a week!
- A balanced sleep schedule, to keep you in your wits haha! 7-9 hours a night is the recommended duration of sleep you need!
- Manage your stress: I cannot make this sound more important. Stress is the number one ailment magnet for every individual. Life is short, live it well.
- Wash your hands regularly, every couple of hours or every time you step outside and come back in.
- Dampen your eyes when you feel like you have strained them too much – this helps relieve stress from your head and your eyes.
I am here to make the snacking portion easier 🙂
At Gouri’s Goodies, we strive on a daily basis, to create honestly, delicious snacks with ingredients to boost your immunity and overall well-being, with a good proportion of nutritive benefits. For example, our Palm Jaggery & Honey Energy bars and minis are the perfect carry-along as mid-snack during long-distance high-endurance workouts like cycling and running, according to renown spine surgeon Dr. Abhay Nene.
Our Hearty Haldi & Almond Mix was created to aid in improving immunity with rich, organic and healthy ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon, almonds, nutmeg, coconut, and many more. Our twin variants of millet cereals (Happy Millet & Apricot Cereal as well as our Magic Millet & Apricot Cereal) are packed with protein and superfoods – the only way to get your mornings started!
Our Happy Laddoos (Energy balls) are the perfect way to grab a mid-meal snack to make sure guilt is in a far far island away! So while I keep going on about my snacking options with love, I do recommend setting a nutrition and lifestyle routine, because immunity is the need of the hour. Stay strong, to stay long!
Written By Gouri Gupta
Week 41, October ’20
