How to Boost Your Immune System
I hate that we are living through such cirumstances, and it geninuley is hard to believe. This is what we grew up watching movies about, and now it's our reality. We are facing a pandemic and for my generation this is the first of its kind for us. I can tell you that I personally feel very confused as to how I am supposed to feel or act. G and I have taken the decision to distance ourselves from society for at least a couple of weeks. This means no restaurants, no public transport, no bars, no theatres, no cinemas, and no gatherings with friends. This is to make sure we are protecting oursleves but also anyone vlunerable that we can come across. I definitely do not want to be the reason ends up in the hospital in critical care. Two weeks at home should be a piece of cake right? Well technically yes sure, we have all we need here, but let's be real this is a major disruption of life. So it's tough, on all of us.
My goal during these hard and uncertain times is to help as many people as I can (from inside my house). This is the perfect time for me to use my platforms to help everyone stay healthier, safer, happier and maybe add a little smile to your day!
I have already been asked about this quite a few times so I thought I would address it first: What can you do to boost your immune system?
I am not a doctor and it is not my place to give medical advice so I will stick to what I know: nutrition aka food but I will say this "Please wash your hands regularly". Now that that's out of the way let's dive into the foods that can help your immune system.
- Vitamin C:
Good old vitamin C. It has the reputation of being great for us and that's because it is. Focus on having whole foods rather than juicing your fruits as this causes a huge nutrient loss. Raw apples, carrots and crudités are packed in vitamin C. If you want to have it in a supplement form then I recommend getting liposomal vitamin C as it's more effective because of it's slow delivery. Other good sources of vitamin C are lemons, oranges, broccoli, bell peppers, kiwi and papya. Keep your diet full of these foods at the moment to help your immune system.
- Zinc:
Zinc is essential for the immune system and a lack of it can make the immune system more susceptible to disease and illness. What zinc does is help the body make new cells and enzymes, process macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs) in food. It also increases the the speed of healing muscles and wounds. There is some evidence that zinc also helps prevents colds and viruses. So where do you get it? If you are a meat-eater then good news as red meats are high in zinc and so is selfish and eggs. Vegans can go for nuts, wholegrains, and legumes.
- Fermented foods:
If you are following everyone's shopping trends you are by now all stocked up on pasta, rice and toilet paper it's time to head over to the fermented foods aisle.
Sauerkraut, miso, and kefir are great for the immune system and it's as easy as adding a spoon or two each day to your diet. Fermented foods encourage the growth of good bacteria in your gut and when their levels are high, so are your immune levels, defending you from viral infections.
- Ginger:
Ginger is one of these ingredients that's always recommended when you are feeling under the weather. The antioxidant is believed to fight off cold and flu symptoms, combat nausea, and is full of iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium.Studies have shown that fresh ginger may help boost the body’s respiratory system, but dry ginger did not show the same results. Ginger stimulates defensive responses in the upper respiratory and digestive mucosa helping the body fend off infections.
- Garlic:
Garlic, before being used in cooking, was used for medical purposes. From manganese to vitam B6 and C, as well as selenium and fiber, it is high in immune-boosting compounds. Garlic is a potent anti-viral, anti-fungal agent, and eating it raw, or as an uncooked puree alongside your normal food (add it to salad dressings) will wipe-out most miscreants.
Add these to your diet on a daily basis to help you boost your immune system in these times of need!
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If you have any questions or need more information feel free to email me on projectsirine@gmail.com
