A Strong Immune System: It’s a Lot About What We Eat and Don’t Eat
In this Pandemic Era, there’s been a focus on the body’s immune system and its ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. One of the best ways to ensure our immune systems are at full strength is to make changes in the foods we eat. This is especially important during times when bacteria and viruses are more present in our environments, like indoor spaces during the winter.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends making dietary changes to improve our defense against illness and to enable us to recover more quickly. “There’s no doubt that a healthy diet improves your immunity to illness,” says the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Cassandra Calabrese. “What you put in your body is important for your overall health, including your immune system.”
The key is to avoid foods that produce inflammation since they compromise the immune system. This is a good time to consume foods that we are comfortable reducing or eliminating, in addition to those that benefit our immune system. One by one, we can reduce foods that inhibit us from having a well-functioning immune system and, on the other hand, incorporate more foods that support it.
One inflammatory food that wreaks havoc is sugar, in all its forms; sucrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, etc. Sugar is often a surprising ingredient to find in certain “healthy” foods, so it takes reading ingredient labels to find it. The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than 25 grams of sugar daily. And grams of sugar add up quickly. For instance, someone who sweetens an eight-ounce coffee with two teaspoons of sugar and drinks two cups per day is consuming 16 grams of sugar in coffee alone. That’s 64% of the recommended daily amount of sugar!
While not a complete list, other foods to consider reducing or removing from your diet include:
Saturated fats found in foods like cookies, cheese, and red meat
Foods that contain “partially hydrogenated oils” (some margarines, cookies, and crackers)
Additionally; processed meats like hot dogs, fried foods, and white breads
Foods to consider adding or increasing are ones that contain omega-3 fats and that are found in the famous Mediterranean diet. These include:
Albacore tuna, salmon, and trout
Canola oil, chia seeds, edamame, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds
Fruits and vegetables, especially fruits high in Vitamin C
Legumes
Nuts and seeds
Olive oil
As you move into winter, pick a few foods to eat less of and a few to eat more of, then; add to that list as your daily choices become routine.
You’ll thank yourself for strengthening your immune system this winter.