In these crazy Corona times, people are eagerly Googling ways of boosting their immune system. All kinds of weird therapies - including eating spoonfuls of crushed silver or rinsing with bleach - have popped up, all meant to provide resistance against Covid-19. There are two things to be said about this. First, there is no foolproof way of protecting yourself against the virus. Second, Google is your worst enemy at times like these.
Your Immune System Running? Avoid Comfort Foods
There are, however, some ways of naturally boosting your immune system to at least get your body in better shape and give you and those around you more of a fighting chance if you do happen to get a whiff of the infamous Corona.
We are hooked on all kinds of processed food, including fast food, cookies, and ice-cream. That stuff our bodies with sugar and starch, which are known as natural immune-suppressants. Hence, they will make your body weaker if you do have to fight the virus. And yes, you might be on the lookout for those kinds of comfort food in these rough times, but it is not advisable.
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Protective foods, on the other hand, will boost our immune system and make us more resilient. Not just the better option for us, but also for society at large - the more healthy people, the less of a burden they will prove to be for the healthcare system. And most of it starts in your gut.
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Sustainable Food: Keep Your Gut Healthy
A whopping sixty percent of our immune system is holed up in our gut. Thus, keeping your stomach healthy is vital. This can be done by eating lots of probiotic and prebiotic foods. There is a difference: prebiotic foods are a fertilizer, allowing the ‘good guys’ in your gut to grow and multiply. Safe options include asparagus, artichokes, jicama, bananas, and plantains.
Photo by: Martin Adams
Probiotic foods, on the other hand, help you in keeping your gut bacteria thriving, healthy, and happy, preventing inflammation. You should be looking at sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, miso, yogurt, and kefir.
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Your Immune System Running: Protein And Vitamins
Besides these gut-friendly options, you might also want to include lots of protein in your diet. This is another crucial player in boosting your immune system: all of our natural antibodies are made of protein. Great options include eggs, almonds, chicken, oats, cottage cheese, milk, broccoli, lean beef, tuna, and quinoa.
10 Foods to boost your immunity - How to boost immunity naturally
Much has been said about viruses going away in summertime. This has a lot to do with the amount of vitamin D in our bodies, another natural immune system booster. If you are not yet lucky enough to find yourself in a sunny place (even 20 minutes spent outdoors between 10 am, and 2 pm will get you enough vitamin D for the day!), supplements will do.
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When taking multivitamins, make sure that it includes vitamin C, this highly coveted vitamin D, and some zinc. Would you like to ‘naturally’ increase your vitamin levels? Vitamin C can be found in chili peppers, guavas, sweet yellow peppers, blackcurrants, thyme, parsley, kale, kiwis, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lemons, lychees, strawberries, and oranges. You can look for vitamin D in fatty fish, including tuna, mackerel and salmon, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.
Photo by: Johnny Martínez
Which Sustainable Food Keeps Your Immune System Running? The Pillars Of Health
Eating your daily dose of broccoli will not get you there. Your total diet has to be rich in nutrients, while you should not forget about the other three pillars of health: sleep, exercise, and stress reduction. Your immune system will thank you later.
Cover photo: Henry Jager
Before you go!
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