COVID-19 cases continue to rise, taking daily precautions such as washing your hands, social distancing, exercising, and getting enough sleep is key to lowering the risk of infection. COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Maintaining a healthy diet to help boost your immune system may also give you an edge.

Individuals with certain pre-existing illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory issues are at a higher risk of having COVID-19 complications, it also aggravates with age as the general immunity reduces as you get older. It is important for your immune system to stay in tip-top shape. Try these 5 foods.

1) Yogurt

Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, which are good bacteria that can help promote a healthy gut and immune system. Recent studies have also found probiotics to be effective for fighting the common cold and influenza-like respiratory infections. Sarin recommends choosing plain yogurt rather than anything too flavored or sweetened and topping it with fruit and honey.  Those on a dairy-free diet can still benefit from almond milk and coconut milk yogurt options.

2) Broccoli

Broccoli is also rich in vitamin C. Just half a cup contains 43% of your daily value of vitamin C. Broccoli is packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants that support our immune system. It also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help fight off bacteria and viruses. To get the most out of this powerhouse vegetable, eat it raw or just slightly cooked.

3) Garlic

Not only is garlic full of flavor, but it’s packed with health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease. Garlic’s immunity-boosting abilities come from its heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, which can help fight off some infections. Garlic has been shown in the past to help ward off the common cold. It is an easy vegetable to work into your diet. You can add to it anything from pasta sauce and salad dressings to soups and stir-fry dishes.

4) Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers reign supreme when it comes to fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C. One cup of chopped red bell peppers contains about 211% of your daily value of vitamin C. That is about twice more than an orange has. Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting a variety of cell functions and can lower the risk of respiratory infections. It can also help the growth and repair of tissues in your body. Daily intake of vitamin C is essential for good health because our bodies do not produce it naturally.

5) Mushrooms

While sun exposure is the best source of vitamin D, it can also be provided by some foods, including mushrooms. Mushrooms as a vitamin D source found that the ‘sunshine vitamin’ can help enhance the absorption of calcium, which is good for bone health and may also protect against some cancers and respiratory diseases. Mushrooms are great as a side dish or appetizer.

Sources: healthline.

Cake lover, this article is for you! The best way to compliment any occasions like birthdays, anniversaries or even the smallest achievement is with something sweet and delightful. Of course, I’m talking about cakes! It is never a dull day with cakes and there’s always something that feels truly special about cakes.

These days, cake customization has become a trend. From quirky themes to cartoon characters, cakes come in all sizes, shapes and flavours to satisfy our taste buds. Not only that, home-baker have caught up with the trend to bring their delicacies online and available to everyone.

You don’t necessarily need to be a professional when it comes to baking. It’s all about your passion for it and using the right ingredient of course.

Speaking of cakes, there is something about homemade cakes that simply can’t be replaced by store-bought ones.

Taking the first step, even though the turnout isn’t always perfect, isn’t what matters. What matters is that you stepped out of your comfort zone to get what you’ve always wanted. From a mere passion, Cake O’Clock is now a home-based cake business that is still thriving.

From the name itself, I would say that there is no specific time to have cakes as you can eat them at any time and anywhere.

The Baker

Based in Taman Maluri, Cheras, Miss Simrandeep Kaur is a self-taught home baker who bakes wonderful cakes. Using just simple yet quality ingredients, this young baker manage to capture the hearts of many customers with her home-baked delicacies.

She started off in November 2020 but before taking her business online, Simran took about two months to prepare not just the ingredients but also herself as she wanted to increase her knowledge in the baking field.

Simran has always loved baking but hesitated to turn it into a business. She often ponders on how other cake businesses have grown and wondered what would it feel like for people to taste her baked goods. Thanks to her supportive family and friends, Simran managed to convert her passion into home-based entrepreneurship.

Not only is she a baker, but Simran is also a full-time student at IUMW, doing her Bachelor in Finance. Being a full-time student with a business to handle is not an easy thing but Simran manages to pull it off with the strength and support system she has. Using her knowledge in finance that she gained through her degree journey, Simran single-handedly manages the monetary documentation for her home-grown business. That’s a proud achievement, isn’t it!

Best-Selling Cakes

Every cake baked with love is special. The fact is that cakes baked at home are extra special because it is made with love and that it comprises of original products. This means homemade goods can be delivered to others, packed with the warmth of classic homemade taste.

Some of Cake O’Clock’s best selling cakes and a must-try are :

• Almond cakes
• Orange cakes
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Brownies with various toppings

Not only does Simran bakes these scrumptious cakes, she also does cakes such as:

• Eggless/ with egg cakes that comes in butter, almond and orange flavour
• Customized buttercream icing cakes
• Loaf cakes
• Cupcakes with customized frosting and fillings
• Strawberry, Oreo and other types of cheesecakes
• Vegetarian cakes

The cake that caught my attention is the loaf size cake. Sometimes we crave just a slice or a small portion of cake. However, most bakers and bakeries only sell whole cakes. But with Cake O’Clock, you can purchase their loaf size cake to satisfy that tiny craving of yours. You can even order plain cakes without any frosting.

Besides that, all the ingredients used in these cakes are halal, so you need not worry more. Also, for vegans and vegetarian cake lovers, this is definitely a must-try cake for you as they offer vegetarian cakes too.

To order, simply head to Cake O’Clock Instagram or Facebook page and order 2-3 days in advance.

So what are you waiting for? You don’t really need an occasion to savour these yummy cakes. Head to Cake O’Clock and place yours now!

Sources: Cake O’Clock