Boost Your Immunity With Food
Improve Your Health and Your Natural Defenses Through Diet
Mother nature has provided us with many wonderful foods that can help us achieve a healthy lifestyle balance. In the rush to acheive our daily goals, little time is devoted towards making or choosing healthy foods.
Instead, we gravitate towards fast food with little or no nutrients and junk food, full of empty calories. The following foods should be eaten on a regular basis for the benefits they provide. Doing so can help in the fight against everything from the common cold to more serious ailments such as cancer.
Yogurt
Everybody should include yogurt into their diet. The live cultures found in good quality "active" yoghurts not only improve and strengthen the intestinal flora, but have shown in studies, to decrease colds by 25%.
Shrimp/Prawns
Eating shrimp also has benefits. Shrimp is very low in fat and very high in iron and zinc, which can help bolster the immune system. This is why getting adequate protein is important for vegetarians. Protein, in general contains not only zinc and iron, but also contains vitamin B, known for its immunity enhancing effects.
Wheat Germ and Garlic
For non-vegetarians, vitamin B can be supplemented through the ingestion of wheat germ. This can be used in cereals, salads, meat loaves and yogurt to name a few.
Adding garlic is another good benefit to health. Garlic contains selenium which can increase the number of immunity cells we have.
Antioxidants and fruit
Other important foods include eating 5 to 6 servings of brightly colored produce daily, such as cherries. These are high in vitamin C and beta-carotene, both known to improve immunity.
In addition, brightly colored foods contain high levels of antioxidants that protect our body from cell damage, caused by free radicals. Some of these foods include blueberries, dried kidney beans, cranberries, red delicious apples, pecans and artichokes. Substituting green tea for coffee is also an option. Tea contains an enzyme L-theanine which is an immunity booster and also possible appetite suppressant.
Adding a multivitamin supplement is also an option, especially if you're looking to get those trace minerals that normally aren't found in the majority of foods that we eat. Take vitamins without iron, since iron can be toxic and dangerous in large doses. Only take iron if advised by your physician.
Want to say healthy? Then cut down on....
These foods should be consumed in moderation as they can effect one's immunity. Limit alcohol to 1 glass a day. Limit sugar intake. Avoid fat as well. Studies have shown that fat decreases our immune system and that people who consumed 15% less fat daily had stronger protection than those who didn't.
Balancing one's diet to make it the proper mix for each of us individually is a challenge. By incorporating the above, it will at least give us all a start towards better health and a better immune system.
