https://www.shape-able.com/carb-calculator.html

The carb calculator, or macro calculator, can be used for calculating carb protein fat ratio requirements in calories and grams per meal. You can use a preset ratio or enter your own ratios in the appropriate spaces. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are macronutrients that make up the bulk of the diet. They are all required to supply energy and many essential nutrients. Too little of any one macronutrient can lead to hunger cravings.

What are macronutrients and micronutrients?

Nutrients are separated into macronutrients and micronutrients. The nutrients that the human body requires in larger amounts are macronutrients. The nutrients that are required by the human body in smaller amounts are micronutrients. Macronutrients consist of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down in the intestine. Carbohydrates into sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

The human body makes use of these three macronutrients to build components it needs for growing, maintaining, and activity. How much of each macronutrient an individual requires, and the macronutrient ratio, varies according to various factors such as age, gender, activity levels and health goals.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates consist of sugars, starches, and fiber. Carbohydrates are used for fueling the body, and contain an average of 4 calories per gram. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates include sugars which have 1 or 2 sugar molecules, such as high fructose corn syrup. Complex carbohydrates are known as polysaccharides, which are long chains of simple sugars. Complex carbohydrates can be either fiber or starches and can be found in foods such as potatoes and pasta.

Good sources of carbohydrates

There are 22.8% carbs in the form of fiber and starches in cooked kidney beans, which are also high in protein and a good source of other nutrients and antioxidants. Quinoa a high-carb food, as well as a good source of protein and other nutrients, and is also gluten free. Sweet potatoes are a healthy carbohydrate choice and are an excellent source of other nutrients and antioxidants. Oats is a good whole grain carbohydrate food, and an excellent  source of a soluble fiber known as beta-glucan. The greener the banana, the higher they are in starches, and the riper or more yellow they are, the higher they are in sugars.

Protein

Proteins is vital for building and maintaining the tissues and cells of the body, as well as healthy immune system function. The building blocks of protein are amino acids, and are joined together in various levels of complexity. There are 21 different amino acids in total, and 9 are considered essential, which means these cannot be manufactured by the body, and have to be ingested. The 9 essential amino acids are leucine, histidine, methionine, isoleucine, lysine, threonine, valine phenylalanine, and tryptophan. Proteins perform many functions in the body.

Good sources of protein

Eggs are an excellent source of protein with 6g of easily digestible protein one medium egg.  Milk, cheese and yogurt are packed with protein, as well as calcium. Fish and other seafood are good sources of usually low fat protein. Turkey and chicken are excellent sources of lean protein. Some good vegetarian sources of protein include soya, nuts and seeds, and beans and pulses.

Fat

Fat is the densest energy source at 9 calories/gram. Cell membranes, cholesterol steroids,  and 60% of the brain is comprised of fats. Fat-soluble vitamin absorption of is supported by fats, organs are cushioned by fats, and the largest type of energy storage is fat. Saturated and unsaturated fats are two types of dietary fats. Fats coming from animal sources are saturated, and the majority of fats coming from plants are unsaturated. Trans fats are another type of fat, which are artificially created by hydrogenating less stable unsaturated liquid fats in food manufacturing processes which prolong the life of food products. Trans fats are unhealthy, end of story. Essential fatty acids (EFA), such as omega-3 and omega-6 are also important types of “fats”. Just like essential amino acids, this means that the body is unable to produce them, and must be ingested.

Good sources of healthy fat

Avocado are an excellent source of healthy fats. The primary fatty acid found in avocados is a monounsaturated fat known as oleic acid. Fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout are a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts and seeds are a good source of healthy fats as well as other nutrients. Extra virgin olive oil is another good source of oleic acid, as well as other nutrients and antioxidants. Although the fat in coconuts and coconut oil is of the saturated fat kind, they are medium-chain fatty acids, which are not found in the saturated fats from animal products. These medium-chain fatty acids have numerous health benefits.

Calories in macronutrients

Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, protein also provides 4 calories per gram and fat 9 calories per gram.

Carbs and fatty liver disease

One study has proven that cutting down on carbs is more effective than restricting calorie intake for reducing liver fat quickly.1 Researchers assigned eighteen individuals having nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) either a low-calorie or a low carbohydrate diet for two weeks.

The individuals given the low carb diet restricted their carbohydrate intake for the 1st week to less than twenty grams daily – roughly the same as a half a cup of egg noodles or a small banana. For the last week, they changed to frozen meals which matched their personal food preferences, energy needs and carb intake.

Individuals given the low-calorie diet carried on with their normal diet and maintained a food diary for the 4 days before the study started. The researchers then made use of these records for preparing all meals throughout the two week study. The total amount of calories were limited to approximately 1,500 daily for the male participants and, 200 daily for the females.

After fourteen days, advanced imaging techniques were used to analyze how much liver fat each person had. The researchers found that more liver fat was lost by the individuals on the low-carb diet.

Even though the study wasn’t meant to establish which diet was better for weight loss, the low-carbohydrate dieters as well as the low-calorie dieters lost 10 pounds on average.

How many carbs a day to lose weight?

Reducing carb intake is one of the best methods for losing weight. It has a tendency for reducing appetite which helps to lose weight without having to count calories, meaning you don’t need to starve yourself to lose weight. Just by eliminating unhealthy sources of carbohydrates from the diet will help boost weight loss efforts. Refined wheat food products and foods and beverages with added sugar are “bad carbs” and should be avoided. Healthy sources of carbs such as whole fruit and vegetables can easily be part of a low carb diet. The carbohydrate intake of sedentary individuals should be a lot lower than physically active individuals with more muscle mass, such as those who engage regularly in high intensity exercise such as weight lifting or trail running.

The USDA guidelines recommend that an average of 55% of daily calorie intake should come from carbs. On this recommendation, about 275 grams of carbs would be required a day on a 2000 calorie/day diet. However, much quicker weight loss results will be achieved with a daily carbohydrate intake of 100 grams. A low carb diet has been proven to be much more effective for losing weight in comparison to the outdated recommended high carb diet.

Research has shown that appetite is reduced with low carb diets which in turn reduces calorie intake.2 When low carb diets are compared to low fat diets in studies, calories have to be restricted in the low fat study participants for the results to be comparable.3

Low carb diets also lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides, as well as improving  cholesterol by increasing HDL and decreasing LDL.4

How many carbs is low carb?

A low carb diet is considered to be an average carbohydrate intake of 10% of total calorie intake, although there are some variations of low carb diets such as the keto diet, which is a very low carb diet with an average carbohydrate intake of 5% of total calorie intake, and the paleo diet, which allows for a more moderate average carbohydrate intake of 25% of total calorie intake. There are however also other aspects of these diets that distinguish them from one another.

How many calories in a gram of carbs?

Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram.

What We’ve Learned About Treating COVID

 https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200910/what-weve-learned-about-treating-covid?ecd=soc_tw_200927_cons_news_whatwevelearned&linkId=100000015539325

By Sonya Collins

Sept. 10, 2020 -- This past spring, health care providers at hospitals around the country scrambled to treat people who were critically ill with a virus they’d only just heard of themselves. Usually, when a severely ill person arrives at the hospital, doctors already know or can quickly find established guidelines, based on years of research, for treating the sickness. But in the spring of 2020, nothing was established about COVID-19.

“It was a dramatic situation. We had a lot of sick people, in a very short period of time, and it was overwhelming to take care of them. There was an almost irrational exuberance to try any treatment that we could think of,” says David Kaufman, MD, director of medical intensive care at New York University Langone Health in New York City.

While doctors may have at times rushed to try anything, that trial and error over the last 6 months has helped accumulate the scientific evidence of what works and what doesn’t in the treatment of COVID-19. 

“The ability of the medical community to pull together quickly to get these large critical care studies done in a very short period of time with reliable, high-quality results is amazing,” Kaufman says. “It’s like being in a wartime economy when all automobile and refrigerator factories convert to make tanks and planes.”

The Case for Steroids

At the start of the pandemic, doctors didn’t have a go-to medication they could give to critically sick COVID-19 patients admitted to their ERs and ICUs. Today, corticosteroids are that medication. Last week, on the heels of several scientific studies that supported the move, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its official recommendation that people with severe COVID-19 receive steroids to improve their chances of survival.

“Low-dose steroids for 10 days or until the patient is discharged, whichever one comes first, can actually help with symptoms, can avoid escalating to a ventilator, and can lower the risk of death,” says Javier Lorenzo, MD, a critical care anesthesiologist at Stanford Hospital and Clinics in Stanford, CA.

That’s because steroids act as anti-inflammatories. The worst cases of COVID-19 are marked by extreme inflammation that doesn’t let up. A little inflammation at the beginning of a viral infection helps fight it off. But in serious cases of COVID-19, the inflammation gets out of control and can eventually lead to organ failure and death. 

“Steroids may not be good for people who have only had the infection for a few days because they may actually limit the body’s ability to fight infection,” Kaufman says. “But in people who are critically ill because of over-inflammation, steroids help put a lid on it.” 

Growing Evidence for Remdesivir

In May, the FDA authorized hospitals to give remdesivir to adults and children with severe COVID-19. In late August, the agency expanded that authorization to anyone hospitalized with the virus.

In a study of 1,063 adults in the hospital with COVID-19, the ones who got remdesivir recovered in about 11 days compared to about 15 for those who got a placebo. 

“This data is not quite as robust as it is for steroids,” Lorenzo says, “but we know that patients who get remdesivir can experience faster resolution of symptoms, shorter duration of hospitalization, and be less likely to need a ventilator.” 

Controversy Over Convalescent Plasma

Also in late August, the FDA granted health care providers emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma in the treatment of COVID-19.

Plasma is the part of the blood that carries antibodies against viruses. In this case, the treatment uses plasma donated by survivors of COVID-19. The idea is that COVID-19 survivors have antibodies that fight the virus. Through plasma, doctors can pass those virus-fighting antibodies onto others struggling to fight the illness.

The concept dates back to at least the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. But it’s unclear just how helpful it is in COVID-19. There hasn’t been a large, randomized, controlled clinical trial to compare the effects of convalescent plasma to placebo. Some trials are currently enrolling volunteers. 

“The evidence for convalescent plasma is really weak,” Lorenzo says. “Not all plasma is equal. Not all plasma has high titers [high concentration of antibodies], and not all antibodies neutralize the virus. We’re using it, but it’s still not clear whether it’s effective or not.” 

To Intubate or Not

Some critical care doctors may be holding off on intubating patients and putting them on a mechanical ventilator a little longer than they did earlier in the pandemic. Intubation requires heavy sedation and care in the ICU. Early in the pandemic, when doctors saw that patients were progressing in their need for oxygen, many erred on the side of caution and put patients on a ventilator sooner rather than later.

At the time, before doctors knew the benefits of steroids and remdesivir, the thought was that the patient would escalate and eventually need the ventilator no matter what.

“So if we did it early, rather than waiting until it was an emergency, when we could take our time donning the personal protective equipment, we would also reduce the risk of exposure to our health care workers,” Lorenzo says.

Doctors were also concerned that oxygen delivered through a tube in the nose – a step below a mechanical ventilator -- could push the virus out into the air and increase exposure risk for health care workers, too.

“But we now know that in some patients, if we give the steroids and remdesivir a little bit more time, and allow them to escalate a little further along with high-flow nasal [oxygen], we might just squeak by and not have to put them on a ventilator,” Lorenzo says.

In Stanford’s ICU, Lorenzo says, they are now confident their staff are protected. “The risk of aerosolization of the virus is real. But we now know that our health care provider infection rate is low. So if we maintain our full PPE guidelines, then the risk of transmission is low, and we might be able to prevent the patient from escalating to a ventilator.” 

New research shows this may be a safe risk to take. A recent study found that there was no difference in survival rates among COVID-19 patients who went directly on a ventilator and those who were put on nasal oxygen first. 

Prone to Recover Faster

Some patients on ventilators may recover faster by spending some time each day lying prone, or face down. It doesn’t work for everyone. But for those who benefit, the idea is that the face-down position may distribute oxygen more evenly throughout the lungs. Long before COVID-19, critical care providers flipped sedated patients on ventilators onto their stomachs in order to get more oxygen into their lungs.

But since the pandemic, some ICUs are trying it on patients who are awake and perhaps on the way to needing a ventilator. Numerous clinical trials in progress are examining the benefits for patients who are not yet on a ventilator but struggling to get oxygen. 

“For some patients, the oxygen level goes up, but it’s not universal,” Kaufman says. “And soon after you stop lying on your stomach, the oxygen goes back down.” 

Unprecedented Collaboration

On the road to finding what works, health care providers have thrown out many things that proved not to work, too.

“A lot of people were talking about hydroxychloroquine,” Lorenzo says. “But we now know, unequivocally, that we shouldn’t be using it. It doesn’t work. And it probably can cause more harm than good.”

They’ve learned what works and what doesn’t more quickly through unprecedented collaboration with their co-workers and frontline health care workers around the globe.

Under “normal” circumstances, researchers tightly guard data until it is published. “Now, some of these trials may release unpublished data if they feel that the benefit is real and substantial,” Lorenzo says.

Social media groups for critical care doctors, he says, are also more active than ever.

Kaufman is part of an email chain with pulmonologists and critical care doctors from all over the world. Many are in Europe and got intensive experience with COVID-19 months ahead of doctors in the U.S. “To be connected with some of the worldwide masters in mechanical ventilation who are at some of the hardest hit cities in the world is an amazing privilege. It’s like sitting at the foot of Sophocles, learning from the ancient masters,” he says.

But for all they’ve learned, much is still unknown. Doctors still don’t understand why some patients get through the virus after a week of mild symptoms while others escalate to a ventilator in the same amount of time. “We still don’t know how patients progress in this disease,” Lorenzo says.

But after a frenzied springtime in which many health care providers tried anything that might work, Lorenzo says, “We have learned from this pandemic that we can’t relax our scientific rigor. We have to abide by the same process of peer-reviewed clinical trials that we normally do or we can harm patients.”

WebMD Health News Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on September 10, 2020

Rosemary Conley's immunity diet - how to eat your way into better health

 https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/rosemary-conleys-immunity-diet-how-22494521

Rosemary Conley

Rosemary Conley has been helping people lose weight and get fit for almost 50 years - now she is on a mission to transform the nation’s health and fitness, especially anyone 65-plus who is especially at risk from Covid-19 with her exclusive new plan

Here, Rosie reveals everything you need to know (Image: Allan Olley)

I believe the coronavirus outbreak has given us all a very big wake-up call. The heartbreak has been unbearable, and the fear of contracting the virus has been felt by every single one of us.

Across the world, lives will never be the same again.

While we’re all only too aware that this terrible virus can hit anyone at any age, we are continually reminded that those most at risk are the elderly and those suffering from asthma, heart disease and diabetes, or who have compromised immune systems.

And statistics emerging from many who have lost their battle with Covid-19 indicate that being overweight or obese significantly increases a patient’s vulnerability.

We all want to stay safe in these challenging times. And the good news is, it’s not too late to make a real difference.

This simple plan will help you lose weight and boost your immune system, no matter your age. However, it has been specifically designed with the older generation in mind.

By taking some simple steps to change our lifestyle – the way we eat, drink and exercise – we can dramatically improve our immune system, lose a few pounds (especially any gained during lockdown) and increase our fitness. With this, we improve our chances of living a longer, fitter and healthier life.

Keeping our weight under control is important at any age, but never more so than now. As well as being a risk factor for coronavirus, being overweight increases our chance of developing heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and much more.

A good place to start is to look at ourselves in the mirror or get on the scales and face the facts. And it’s important we don’t use age as an excuse for carrying a few extra pounds.

The good news is that being overweight or obese is something that can be managed with healthy eating and exercise.

Immunity diet: The rules

1. Each day, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner from the list you will find below. There are lots of delicious recipes to try. Meals are interchangeable, so you can select the breakfast you like and eat it every day if you wish. Portions are for one person unless otherwise stated.
2. Have ¾pt semi-skimmed milk (dairy or plant-based) each day. And if you wish, a dessert of 100g natural live yoghurt or one probiotic drink, plus one of the following: one apple with skin, ½ banana, 60g blueberries, 12 seedless grapes, two kiwi fruit, 200g melon, two satsumas, 200g raspberries or 150g strawberries.
3. Stay hydrated. Drink as much water as you wish. Tea is unlimited, made with milk from the daily allowance, or better still, drink green tea. Keep coffee to a minimum. Low-calorie drinks are unlimited.
4. Alcohol is a toxin and the last thing we need is to use up the body’s valuable resources to fight a toxin we don’t need to invite in. So keep alcohol to an absolute minimum.
5. Unless told otherwise, use a rapeseed oil spray for frying. This will add flavour to stir-fries, omelettes and other recipes when using a non-stick pan, and will save you unnecessary calories. It will be available at your local supermarket.
6. Record progress. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time on the same set of scales, and write it down. Then measure yourself around the narrowest part of your waist every week.

Plan for week one

DAY ONE

BREAKFAST: 150g natural yoghurt mixed with 150g strawberries or raspberries.

LUNCH: Two slices wholemeal toast topped with 200g baked beans.

DINNER: Chicken and pepper stir-fry.

Chicken and pepper stir-fry

Serves one

55g basmati rice; 1 veg stock cube; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 chicken breast, chopped; 1/2 red onion, chopped; 1/2 red and 1/2 green pepper, chopped; 2 sticks celery, chopped; 4 button mushrooms, halved; a little grated fresh ginger; 1tsp honey; 2tbsp soy sauce; 1tbsp chilli and garlic sauce; black pepper; coriander, to serve

1. Cook rice in boiling water with stock cube according to packet instructions. When cooked, drain and keep hot.
2. Meanwhile, place garlic, chicken and black pepper in a large non-stick pan and fry until almost cooked.
3. Add onion, peppers, celery and mushrooms, and toss with the chicken. Do not overcook vegetables.
4. Add ginger, honey, soy sauce, chilli and garlic sauce, and coriander, then mix well. Serve immediately with extra soy sauce if required.

DAY TWO

BREAKFAST: 1 slice wholemeal toast spread with Marmite, with one egg, poached or boiled, plus an orange.

LUNCH: Crunchy salad – chopped pepper, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, grated carrot, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes and beansprouts, mixed with 1tbsp cooked basmati rice and 1tbsp peas and sweetcorn. Dress with low-fat dressing or soy sauce and serve with 2tbsp baked beans.

DINNER: 200g cod steak, steamed or microwaved, served with 100g new potatoes, in their skins, plus unlimited fresh veg.

DAY THREE

BREAKFAST: Four pieces of fresh fruit (excluding bananas).

LUNCH: Spread two slices wholemeal bread with horseradish sauce or low-fat salad dressing and make a sandwich with 30g wafer-thin beef, chicken, ham or tofu, plus unlimited salad.

DINNER: Parsnip cakes with red pepper relish.

Parsnip cakes with red pepper relish

Serves four (can be frozen)

For the cakes: 1kg young parsnips, peeled and chopped; 1 veg stock cube; 4 small leeks; 1 red pepper, chopped; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 2tsp fresh thyme, chopped; 2tbsp fromage frais; 1tbsp fresh chives, chopped; 30g fresh brown breadcrumbs; black pepper

For the relish: 6 red peppers, halved and deseeded; 1 red onion; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 2-3tsp chilli sauce

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Cook parsnips in boiling water with veg stock cube. Drain and return to pan. Mash until smooth, adding black pepper.
2. Meanwhile, place leek and red pepper in large non-stick pan and fry until soft. Add garlic and thyme.
3. Combine parsnip and leek mixtures, add fromage frais and chives.
4. When cool, form into eight potato cake shapes and roll in breadcrumbs.
5. Place cakes on baking tray and bake near top of the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
6. To make the relish, place peppers on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
7. Remove from oven and place in a plastic food bag. Seal bag and allow to cool. Once cool, remove peppers and peel away skins. Chop peppers into small dice.
8. Fry onion and garlic for two minutes in non-stick pan, then stir in peppers and chilli sauce. Serve with parsnip cakes and salad.

DAY FOUR

BREAKFAST: 30g All Bran with milk from allowance, plus a boiled egg.

LUNCH: Salmon wrap – spread a tortilla with 1tsp Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce and fill with 25g smoked or cooked salmon, chopped salad leaves, peppers, cucumber, celery and cherry tomatoes. Wrap up, tucking in edges, and cut in half horizontally.

DINNER: Chicken pasta – place 100g chopped chicken breast (no skin), 1/2 chopped onion, one crushed garlic clove and black pepper into a large non-stick pan and fry until chicken changes colour. Add sliced green pepper, tin chopped tomatoes, 1/2 finely chopped fresh chilli (optional) and dash of Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for five minutes. Serve with 45g pasta (dry weight) cooked in boiling water and veg stock cube.

DAY FIVE

BREAKFAST: 40 porridge oats soaked in 250ml water in a pan overnight. Reheat and serve with milk from allowance and 2tsp runny honey.

LUNCH: 1 tin of tomato soup with one slice of wholemeal toast.

DINNER: Tomato, basil and lemon penne.

Tomato, basil and lemon penne

Serves two

225g penne (dry weight); 1 veg stock cube; 1/2 red onion, chopped; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 red pepper, sliced; 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes; pinch chilli flakes; grated zest 1/2 lemon; 6-8 basil leaves, shredded; black pepper; 1/2 lemon, cut into segments.

1. Cook pasta in pan of boiling water with stock cube.
2. Place onion in non-stick pan and cook until soft. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for two minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, chilli and lemon zest, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with pepper.
4. Drain pasta, spoon over sauce, sprinkle with basil and serve with lemon wedge

DAY SIX

BREAKFAST: Two scrambled eggs with unlimited tinned tomatoes and mushrooms fried in a non-stick pan.

LUNCH: Four rye crackers or one slice wholemeal bread spread with 1tsp low-fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs, plus cherry tomatoes, cucumber and salad.

DINNER: Aubergine tagine with couscous.

Aubergine tagine with couscous

Serves two

1 red onion, diced; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 aubergine, diced; 2tsp tagine paste; 1/2 tin tomatoes; 75ml orange juice; 1tsp stock powder; 100g couscous; black pepper; fresh mint to garnish

1. Place onion and garlic in non-stick pan and cook until soft. Add aubergine and tagine paste, and brown the aubergine.
2. Add tomatoes, orange juice, stock powder and pepper. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, adding more stock if required.
3. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
4. Serve tagine with couscous and mint.

DAY SEVEN

BREAKFAST: 1 sliced banana, mixed with 100g live yoghurt and 100g raspberries.

LUNCH: 1 large baked sweet potato topped with homemade coleslaw.

Homemade coleslaw

Serves two

1 large carrot, peeled and grated; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1/2 white cabbage, shredded; 2tbsp low-fat mayonnaise or salad cream; squeeze lemon juice; black pepper.

1. Put carrot, onion and cabbage in a bowl, and mix well with mayonnaise or salad cream.
2. Season with black pepper, lemon and serve.

DINNER: Chilli prawn stir-fry – place 1/2 chopped red onion and one crushed clove garlic in non-stick pan and fry until soft. Add 50g asparagus and 100g raw, peeled prawns, then cook for three minutes until prawns change colour. Add small amount of chilli stir-fry sauce and stir to coat prawns and asparagus. Serve with unlimited salad.

How food can keep you well

The most effective way to boost immunity is to eat foods that help maximise the health of white blood cells – those that fight infections. This means eating a diet that includes plenty of protein, some good-quality carbohydrate, a small amount of unsaturated fats, and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

This immune-boosting plan is full of these valuable nutrients:

PROTEIN: This is a vital component of white blood cells, so you need to eat a diet rich in meat, fish, eggs, cheese, yoghurt and milk. If you follow a plant-based diet, you need quinoa, soy, beans, wholegrains and seeds. For heart health, eat two portions of oily fish a week, such as salmon and mackerel.

CARBOHYDRATES: Needed for energy but should be enjoyed in moderation. Stick to wholegrain varieties of bread, pasta and basmati rice. New potatoes with skins on (higher in fibre) and sweet potatoes are good too.

UNSATURATED FATS: These are found in a variety of oils including olive, rapeseed, sunflower and safflower oil. They help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D, which we get from sunshine, and vitamin A, an important antioxidant. You don’t need a lot to contribute to a healthy immune system.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS: We all need these for general health. One important immunity-fighting nutrient is zinc, a mineral that is an important component in enzymes found in white blood cells. Zinc is found in red meat, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, wholemeal bread and milk. Vitamin C helps fight infection and we can boost our immune system by eating fruit and vegetables every day. When following any weight-reducing diet, even one as healthy as this one, it makes sense to protect ourselves by taking a multivitamin supplement.

ANTIOXIDANTS: These are compounds in food that protect cells, neutralising damaging free radicals that are thought to play a role in causing heart disease and cancer. Brightly coloured fruit and veg are high in antioxidants, but they are also found in ginger, garlic and onions.

FIBRE: Eating foods with a high fibre content keeps us fuller for longer, which supports weight-loss. It also helps our gut and digestion work efficiently, which enhances health.

*Always consult your GP before starting this or any other weight-loss plan

Extracted by Mernie Gilmore from The 28 Day Immunity Plan: A vital plan for the over 65s to boost resilience and live longer by Rosemary Conley CBE with Mary Morris MSc. (Michael Joseph, £9.98). Copyright © Rosemary Conley, 2020. To buy visit penguinrandomhouse.co.uk