Our immune system needs to be strong enough to fight off germs and viruses now that the Winter season approaches.  Eating nutrient-rich foods is a great way to keep your family healthy.  We are all running on tight schedules these days, many of us eating on the run and sacrificing good nutrition, but this can sabotage our health.

Colds and flu can sneak up on you and your family.  Over 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms.  Luckily, eating healthfully can boost one’s immune system to help battle these bugs.

A healthy immune system is your best defense against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and carcinogens that can make you sick.  Immune cells are found throughout your body, lymph glands, endocrine system, bone marrow and tonsils.  By focusing and adding nutrient rich foods to your diet instead of high-calorie denatured foods, your family can ward off illness.

FOODS THAT BOOST IMMUNITY

• FISH – As a Nutritional Health Counselor, I recommend consuming at least 4 servings a week of Omega 3 seafoods such as tuna, salmon, sardines, mahi mahi, tilapia, also shrimp and fresh shellfish.

• PROTEINS – such as lean chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, calves liver, pork (hormone free – organic) as well as eggs, and some  organic cheeses not processed such as goats cheese, raw milk cheese.  These all contain high levels of zinc which is an important mineral for boosting the immune system.  As a matter of fact, certain types of immune cells, including white blood cells, cannot function without zinc.

• For vegetarians – you can get your zinc from whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, tofu, nuts and seeds, especially pumpkins seeds one of our high sources of zinc.

• PLANT FOODS – serving your family a variety of fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks ensure you are getting your photonutrients.  These compounds help boost your immune system, strengthen heart and blood vessels and even fight various cancers.

If you can’t always get fresh, frozen vegetables may even have more nutrients than produce that has spent days in transit.  In Winter, try hubbard squashes, greens and root vegetables such as yams and sweet potatoes,  as well as cranberries, and  organic dried fruits in moderate portions

Citrus Fruits are primary, in fact eating them in the morning first thing continues the body’s natural detoxifying process from accumulated fats and toxins from the day before.  Not only is grapefruit a potent detoxifies, but is packed with high levels of Vitamin C, beta-carotene and potassium, but rich in glutathione, an antioxidant which battles killer T cells.  Oranges inactivate histamines, which cause runny noses and congestion as well as helps reduce inflammation.  Don’t forget the berry family, strawberries high in silicon for tissue and bone strength, blueberries, one of the highest antioxidants known to man, lemons and limes.

• NUTS AND SEEDS – Instead of grabbing for potato chips, grab a handful of nuts or seeds.  As mentioned above, they not only are high in zinc, but contain Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant which fights respiratory infections including colds and boosts the response to antibodies and certain immune cells when we are under stress.

• YOGURT AND KEFIR – In addition to the probiotic effect of yogurt and kefir which keeps good bacteria in your intestines and crowds out the harmful bacteria, but yogurt and kefir increase the production of a substance called gamma interferon which helps knock out viruses.

• ONIONS AND GARLIC – We forget how important these wonderful foods that most of us use daily.  Both onions and garlic contain compounds that stimulate the activity of immune-system cells also called the Tcells.  The old saying “a clove a day keeps the doctor away.” Really is a truism.  Garlic is natural anti-microbial and antifungal compound that increase production of white blood cells which defend against invading pathogens.   The key ingredient is called allicin, which activates when eating the garlic raw or smashing it and letting it sit for a minute or two before cooking with it.  Try pressing a clove raw in your salads.

• AVOCADO – These delicious creamy fruits have different properties which provide strong defense against imminent colds.  Vitamin E is the main defense which combines with B complex vitamins promoting antibody production.  They also contain essential fatty acids which are necessary for reducing inflammatory conditions associate with colds and flu.

• MAITAKE AND SHITAKE MUSHROOMS – These delicious mushrooms contain lentinan, a compound that stimulates production of interferon a potent antiviral and antibacterial protein which activates natural killer cells at the site of infection.  Research has recently discovered that these mushrooms deliver 40 time more disease-fighting antioxidants than many others.  These properties as well as many others contained in these fungi have drawn widespread attention as an immune strengthener.

As a Nutritional Health Counselor, I recommend and encourage including all the above foods for maintaining a healthy immune system as well as reaching a healthy weight, taking multivitamin/mineral supplements, exercising at least 30 minutes 4 times per week and sleeping 8 hours every night.  A good night’s sleep detoxifies the body as well as burns excess fat, so this is good news for dieters.

Last but not least, keep the sugars and added fat low – studies have shown that diets high in both sugars and fat reduce the number of killer cells.  Even as little as 2 sugary drinks a day can lower the power of your immune cells by 40 %.