Nutrition Nugget: Immune Health
Bite-Size Reads for Your Health & Your Waistline
In the time of a global pandemic, who could turn down a boost for our immune systems? Bolstering our immune health can help us fight disease and stay strong and healthy; perhaps never in our lifetimes have we been so aware of this than now! But, how do we boost our immune health? Do I follow what I see on Instagram? What does “boosting immune health” even mean, or look like? Do we really need to power our insides, or do I just bathe in hand sanitizer? These are the questions I hear every day and here are the answers.
1. Gut Health
When trying to elevate our immune health and function, it is paramount that we focus on gut health. Some studies say in excess of 90% of the human immune system is in the gut; safely I think of it as well over 70%. Bottom line: we must keep our gastrointestinal tracts healthy. Most effective gut health practices start with how we fuel our bodies; a.k.a. nutrition. Eating whole foods, vegetables and fruits, helps us ensure our guts are clean and supports a healthy microbiome. While we could pretend we are perfect eaters, we’re not. None of us are…we’re human! So, we must also be mindful of what can impair gut health. Consuming too many grains can degrade our immune health as the flour mixes with liquid in our bodies and creates a paste which coats the villi of our intestines. When this paste coats our intestinal villi, our body struggles to absorb nutrients, damages the health of our gut and therefore inhibits immune health.
2. THE RIGHT FOODS TO FUEL YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Here’s your cheat sheet: foods that support immune function. For those villi, focus on fiber from vegetables and sometimes fruit (more on this in a future Nutrition Nugget).
- Citrus fruits
- Red bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spinach
- Almonds
- Turmeric
- Green tea
- Papayas
- Kiwis
- Sunflower seeds
- Shellfish (in moderation)
3. SUPPLEMENTS TO FIGHT OFF THOSE VIRUSES
Beyond the food we consume, supplements can also be extremely effective in keeping our immune system happy! Personally, I am a huge fan of Vitamin D3 (with k2), in therapeutic doses of 5,000 IUs per day. Vitamin D is an absolute force in fighting off disease, found a study by Queen Mary University in London. In this study, researchers proved that when administered a flu shot, only 1 in 44 people were protected from the virus. However, 1 in 33 people that took vitamin D were protected. Plus, Vitamin D isn’t strain specific, like the flu shot. Clearly, there must be something to it! Icing on the cake is that immune support is only one of the many benefits of Vitamin D.
Aloe and beta glucans are also high-quality resources for immune and gut health support. They are both supplements that are antifungal, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory. Make sure to do your research, or ask a trusted advisor, when purchasing these products because ingredient lists are super important!
4. GOOD HYGIENE = HEALTHY BODY
This last tip is one we have been hearing since we were five years old: practice good hygiene! Remembering to wash our hands (for over twenty seconds) and to cover our faces when sneezing or coughing go a long way in supporting optimal health. Beyond this, brushing our teeth, flossing and showering are also important daily habits. This could be one of the best outcomes of our Coronavirus experience. If we all get in the habit of washing our hands regularly and properly, I think we will see a noticeable decrease in a variety of illnesses in the future.
With all that is going on in the world, we have enough to think about. Everyday life and tasks are somewhat complicated at the moment, but your immune health doesn’t have to be. Let these tips support you and ease the way toward your optimal health.
