1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet
If you keep your immune system well nourished with a healthy, balanced diet, you can literally ‘eat yourself well’.
Nutrients are needed for every part of your immune system, and for renewal, repair and defence against infection and illness, so its strength will depend on the quality of your diet. No single food can provide all the essential nutrients that your body needs, and any kind of nutritional deficiency may lead to more frequent and prolonged illnesses. It is therefore important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that provides an adequate intake of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.
But what is a healthy, balanced diet? Studies have shown that the so-called ‘Mediterranean diet’ can offer protection against obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes and is the template for a healthy immune boosting diet. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and contains adequate amounts of oily fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, diary products, lean meat or meat substitutes, plus the odd glass of antioxidant rich red wine. Saturated fat, salt and sugar intake are limited, and processed, refined foods are off the menu entirely. Olive oil, the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, is an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol. It is also rich in vitamins and antioxidants that fight cancer and lower the risk of developing degenerative diseases.
2. Drink your lemons
Drinking a glass of lemon juice with filtered or mineral water every morning is the perfect way to kick-start your digestion, and boost your immunity at the same time because lemons contain bioflavonoids, a group of nutrients which boost immunity by protecting the cells of your body against environmental pollutants. To make a glass of fresh lemon juice, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass, add 300 ml (10 fl oz) slightly warm water and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup for sweetness. Stir and drink immediately.
3. Drink up
Your immune system relies on water. It carries nutrients to the cells, carries waste and toxins away from the cells and out of the body, keeps body temperature stable, protects joints and keeps the lining of your mouth hydrated and moist, reducing susceptibility to colds. Drinking plenty of water will also help your body deliver nutrients, flush out waste and dilute mucus, helping eliminate bacteria and viruses that can make you ill.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, as thirst is – along with headaches and dark yellow urine (healthy urine is pale yellow) – a sign of dehydration. Your body’s need for water is constant and experts recommend that you drink between 6–8 glasses a day, more if you are sweating, exercising or if the weather is hot. Herbal teas count as a glass of water but drinks containing caffeine e.g. black tea and coffee, do not as they are dehydrating. And it’s best to drink filtered or mineral water only, as tap water may be contaminated by lead and other toxins that your body doesn’t want or need.
4. Get your pre and probiotics
We need both pre- and probiotics in our body to boost our immunity. Probiotics are many and varied. The most commonly known healthy bacteria is called Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in natural live yogurt. Prebiotics – also known as FOS (Fructo-oligo-saccharides) – on the other hand, are a kind of natural fibre which nourishes and supports the good work of the friendly bacteria, or probiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, peas, beans, lentils, oats and bananas. Including more of these foods in your diet will therefore be giving both your digestive system and your immunity a boost.
5. Cut down on coffee
Coffee doesn’t help your immune system do its job efficiently, so keep your coffee consumption down to no more than one cup a day or take a break from it completely during the week and keep just to the weekend.. Caffeine can also leach important immune-boosting nutrients, like zinc out of your body and dehydrate you. In fact, too much caffeine may lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure, brittle bones, sleep disorders and just plain irritability. (See also page 00 of this newsletter)
6. Pass on the sugar
The next time you’re tempted to grab a bar of chocolate, down a sugary drink or tuck into a sugary cereal, give your immune system a break and have a piece of fruit or a bowl of porridge instead. The impact of refined white sugar on your immune system can be enormous. Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tablespoons) of sugar – the equivalent of about two cans of a full-sugar fizzy drink – can reduce the ability of your white blood cells to kill germs by forty per cent. If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick.
7. Go for raw power
Cut down on the amount of cooking you do, because cooked food –especially overcooked food – diminishes the amount of immune-boosting nutrients. Try to eat more raw (preferably organic) food. The fresher and less processed your food is the better, and the higher the immune-boosting nutrient content of your food.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cook at all. Certain foods such as eggs and fish can be dangerous to eat when raw, and need to be cooked thoroughly. There are also some foods like tomatoes where the antioxidant benefit is stronger once the food is cooked rather than raw. Try to balance cooked food with raw food: perhaps 50:50, and cook gently, at a lower heat and for longer if necessary. (It’s always best to avoid aluminium cookware as this can increase the toxic load on your immune system.) Steaming is the ideal way to cook vegetables, stir frying is a good way of cooking fish, and poaching is useful for eggs and fish.
8. Enjoy a curry
Enjoying a curry every week, or a dash or two of spices with your meals, could help keep bugs at bay. Several animal and laboratory studies have shown that capsaicin – the compound that gives chilli peppers their fire – can help stop sickness before it starts. In one study, mice were given a daily dose of capsaicin and had nearly three times more antibody-producing cells after three weeks than those given no capsaicin. More antibodies mean fewer colds and infections. Results of other studies suggest that eating food containing hot components such as capsaicin may improve immunity by flushing out toxins.
9. Antioxidant protection on a plate
Stockpile antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables on your plate, and your immune system will grow stronger by the day.
Antioxidants are a group of vitamins, minerals and unique compounds with incredible immune-boosting benefits, protecting your cells from free radical damage. Free radicals cause cellular damage and can trigger disease, and are produced by all kinds of combustion – environmental pollution, smoking, radiation, fried foods (high levels of heat damages the oil). Fortunately, nature supplies us with rich sources of antioxidant nutrients to disarm the free radicals and offer instant protection on a plate.
To protect against free radical damage, your diet needs to be rich in the following antioxidants: vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium; of all these antioxidants, vitamin C is the king. Vitamin C is antibacterial as well as antiviral, and is a natural antihistamine that helps with the body’s response to allergens. High-level sources of vitamin C include: citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, papaya, strawberries, blackcurrants, green vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, red and green peppers, and parsley.
To ensure you are getting enough antioxidant protection try to make your snacking fruitful, add more fruit and vegetables to your cooking, and get used to serving two vegetables with your meals instead of one. And don’t forget that vegetable and fruit smoothies and juices count too.
10. Iron ore
Snacking on some iron-rich dried fruits, such as raisins, during the day will give your immune system a kick-start.
Iron is a mineral that is needed for the production of white blood cells and antibodies. Without sufficient iron you are more likely to suffer from frequent colds or infections. Dietary sources for iron include fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, dried fruits and green leafy vegetables.
11. Go to work on an egg
Having an egg (organic where possible) for breakfast is a great way to boost your energy and to make sure you get a fix of immune-boosting magnesium. You’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of calcium for building healthy, strong bones but less about the importance of making sure you eat enough foods rich in its immune-boosting partner, magnesium.
Calcium protects and strengthens your bones, helps improve blood sugar balance and is essential for a healthy immune system. Good food sources include dairy and soya products, seeds, tinned fish with bones, and dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and kale.
Magnesium is required for antibody protection and low magnesium levels can increase the risk of allergic reactions because a magnesium deficiency can cause histamine levels to rise. Good food sources include nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, egg yolks, whole grains and dried fruit.
12. More omega 3s
Eating oily fish at least twice a week is a powerful way to give your immune system a boost. Well documented for their ability to protect us from heart disease, omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon, trout and fresh (but not tinned) tuna. They help immunity by stimulating the activity of white blood cells that attack bacteria.
If you’re vegetarian or don’t like fish, you can increase your intake by incorporating flax oil (linseed) into your diet. One simple way to get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is to add 1–3 teaspoons of flax oil to a fruit-and-yogurt smoothie, or to salads or other dishes. Flax oil is delicate and will be damaged if heated so use it raw.
13. Put the kettle on
Every time you put your feet up and enjoy a cup of tea, your immune system gets a natural boost. Many studies support the view that between one and three cups of tea a day is good for your health. Scientists tend to agree that tea, both black and green, may contribute positively to the promotion of health and the prevention of chronic disease. Recent research has revealed that the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, support dental health, increase bone density and strengthen cardiovascular health. Although the research mentions both black and green tea, I would suggest you just use the green tea because it has less caffeine than the black.
14. The magic of garlic
Add a touch of immune-boosting magic to your diet by cooking or preparing your food with garlic. A member of the onion family, garlic has been used for centuries and in many different cultures and is known for its protective properties. Acting as a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, garlic boosts natural killer-cell activity and increases the efficiency of antibody production.
Crush garlic into stews, use it in salad dressings or mash it with avocado and lemon juice to make an immune system friendly guacamole. If you don’t like the taste of garlic (or are worried about garlic-smelling breath), then I would recommend Aged Garlic in capsule form (see the Resources Page).
15. Green leafy defence
Green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, kale and cabbage, are packed with immune- boosting, cancer-fighting antioxidant power so be sure to eat some green leafy vegetables every day or every other day.
16. Brilliant berries
All berries are brilliant for immunity boosting because they are power-packed with vitamin C, but two berries in particular stand out: blackcurrants and blueberries.
Blackcurrants contain nutrients which can improve iron absorption, boost metabolism and enhance oxygen transport to the tissues. They aid liver function, help regulate blood sugar levels and encourage wound healing. They may also offer protection against heart disease and cancer.
Blueberries are one of the richest sources of immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, anti-ageing antioxidants you can eat, and scientists have discovered that they possess many other health benefits, such as improving brain function and balancing blood sugar levels.
17. See red
Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants including vitamins A and C, together with lycopene, which can improve your immune response, boost resistance to infectious disease, encourage wound healing, and keep the skin and muscles in good condition.
18. Instant immune boosters
Every time you include the following in your meals and snacks you give your immune system an instant boost.
Cinnamon: This culinary spice has wonderful antibacterial and antifungal properties. To make yourself a warm toddy, fill a cup with boiling water and add two teaspoons of tea tree honey, the juice of a lemon and one quarter of a cinnamon stick. Allow the drink to steep for 10 minutes and then remove the cinnamon stick; relax and enjoy.
Nuts and seeds: A handful of nuts and seeds as a between-meal snack or sprinkled on your salad or soup will give your immune system a welcome shot of immune boosting protein, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium and essential fats.
Parsley power: Parsley is a must for every fridge or window box because it is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as magnesium and cancer-fighting chlorophyll.
Seaweed: A wealth of immune boosting minerals, vitamins and amino acids can be found in seaweed, so try adding a little to your soups or mix with mashed potato.
Shiitake mushrooms: Great in stews, soups and stir fries shiitake mushrooms possess antibacterial, antiviral and anti-parasitic properties and are a natural source of protection against viruses.
Sweet potato: A rich source of vitamin E, sweet potato can contribute to heart health and is a good source of dietary antioxidants. It can help to regulate high blood pressure and its vitamin A and carotenoid content may offer protection against inflammatory conditions. Why not give sweet potato mash or sweet potato curry a try?
19. Treat yourself to a small glass of red wine occasionally
Recent studies show that drinking red wine may have immune-boosting benefits by protecting against certain cancers and heart disease, and can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Drinking wine with your meal, in addition to being good for your heart, may also help ward off food poisoning before it happens. Scientists at Oregon State University recently found that wine can put the kibosh on three common food pathogens: E. coli, listeria and salmonella. In lab studies, the wine’s combination of ethanol and organic acids appeared to scramble the bugs’ genetic material. All wines have a similar effect, say researchers, but reds are the most potent. Excessive or binge drinking, however, doesn’t produce the same benefits. In fact, excessive alcohol intake can harm your body’s immune system because it produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune- boosting nutrients and because, like sugar, when consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs.
20. Enjoy your food
Every time you sit down and really savour every mouthful of your food, you are – believe it or not – boosting your immunity. Most people think that digestion begins in the stomach but the process actually begins in the mouth. Taking time to sit down and chew your food properly allows your saliva to alkalise it (remember, bacteria prefer an acid environment) and stimulates the production of essential, digestive enzymes. The process of chewing is a vital component of the digestive activities that occur in the mouth, being inextricably linked to good digestion, and therefore, good health and immunity.
Taking time to enjoy your food isn’t as easy as it sounds – most of us rush our meals and gulp food more than we realise. In order to get the maximum immune-boosting nutritional benefit from your food you need to slow down and chew it thoroughly. So don’t eat at your desk and don’t try to grab a bite to eat as you run from one appointment to another. Set aside the time to ensure that the food you eat is a proper meal rather than simply fuel you need to take on board as quickly as possible.
The next time you have a meal or snack, concentrate on noticing every morsel; what it looks, smells and tastes like. Count to five between each bite, or put your knife and fork down between bites. In reality it doesn’t really take much time and effort to chew your food, and what you get in return is better digestion, better health and stronger immunity, as well as a greater enjoyment of your food.
(Next month: Boosting immunity with lifestyle changes)
