Nutrition Tips to Boost Immune Health
The best immune boosters are everyday foods that support your immune system health, like fruits, vegetable, lemons, apple cider vinegar, lean protein & probiotic’sWith the prospect of the annual cold and flu viruses on the winter horizon, it's a good time to be thinking about boosting the immune system. The following are five easy ways to improve immune health without the flu shot, simply by paying a little bit of attention to everyday foods.
Protein to Build Strong Cells
Protein is a vital nutrient, necessary for the human body to produce enzymes and other biochemicals. It's also needed to grow new cells, including the white blood cells that defend the body from invaders like viruses and bacteria.Eating enough protein can make a difference in clear thinking, reaction time, energy levels and stamina. Most people consume a minimal amount of protein, focusing on starchy carbohydrates or vegetables instead, so adding more lean protein to the diet can be a great immune booster.
Fruits and Vegetables
Are you getting your 7-10 servings of produce each day for their vitamins and minerals, fiber, water, and healthy natural sugars? What's more, uncooked fruits and veggies contain some of the most essential nutrients for health, weight loss, and immunity: living enzymes. Enzymes are an important part of digestive health, and are also used in every other part of the body to break down toxins, for cellular metabolism, and to fight disease – an ideal immune booster.
Healthy pH: for a vital body
The balance of acidity and alkalinity (known chemically as "pH") in the body is important to almost every aspect of health, and diet is one of the biggest ways to alter pH.Most sweet or acidic foods worsen pH by making the body more acidic, but there are two healthy acids that have an "alkali ash" – they are alkali when they are burned or digested – and they make the body healthier and less acidic. These are lemon and apple cider vinegar.A daily dose of fresh squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a great way to improve digestive health, lower the body's acidity, and create more energy. A tablespoon (or less) of lemon or ACV can be taken first thing in the morning, in a glass or water, or used as part of a salad dressing or sauce in a meal.
Probiotics: for an ‘army’ of good bacteria to fight invaders!
Studies have begun to reinforce the long-held belief that a large portion of the body's immune response resides in the gut. Healthy gut flora improves digestion and waste elimination in the body, as well as acting as a natural immune booster. These friendly bacteria, like acidophilus and bifidus, fight infection, lowering the incidence of colds, flu, gas, bloating, and yeast infections.
Sugar Weakens a Healthy Immune System
This maybe the hardest of all, but it's one of the most important changes anyone can make to their diet: avoid refined sugar of all kinds (both white and brown) as much as possible. Natural sugars provide energy, vitamins and minerals, but refined sugar is so heavily processed that it is robbed of any nutritional value, and has a very different effect on the body.
Refined sugar interferes with absorption of vitamins and minerals, makes pH more acidic, and changes the way white blood cells responde to invaders, sabotaging immunity. Eliminating sugar from the diet is the single best thing that anyone can do for their immune health - and the results are usually appraent in a matter of days or weeks.
Whatever your level of health and fitness, these five food tips are sure to make a difference in preventing or fighting off that winter cold or flu - or any other worries about immune health this winter.
Available at reception from April 13th, "Winter Wellness Packs" which includes immunity info, immune boosting food ideas and supplements for winter wellness - all in an effort of course to turn all you pro-active 'Minties' into GERM STOPPERS and to keep you fit and healthy throughout winter.
Or book a 30 minute nutrition consult with the nutrition clinic for specific immune system advice.
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