Optimising your immune system
Probably, some of you might wonder why I spend so much time on writing articles about boosting and optimising the immune system. Well, you might probably realise that you can’t and shouldn’t really do any fitness exercises when you are ill. Additionally, smart food and fitness is not only about providing recipes on unprocessed foods but also about providing some background information regarding why you should eat this or that. And the most important point is health. And how can we get and stay healthy? Probably by optimising our immune system to make it capable to fight pathogens,throughout the year and particularly in the cold season.
So, there are two ways to optimise the immune system through nutrition: 1. by eliminating immune system suppressors and 2. by adding immune system builders.
1. Eliminating immune system suppressors from our meals
sugar (particularly refined sugars)
white flours
processed foods
alcohol
chemical additives and preservatives
heavy metals
saturated fats
medication overload
2. Adding immune system builders to our meals
There are lots of compounds which are able to substitute aforementioned ingredients while acting in much healthier way:
fresh, regional vegetables, e.g. garlic, onions, peppers, dark leafy greens, etc.
fresh fruits, e.g. berries, oranges, lemons
vitamin C from acerola cherry or oranges
zinc from pumpkin seeds
antibacterial agents, e.g. echinacea, colloidal silver
probiotics, e.g. kombucha, apple cider vinegar, coconut kefir
antiviral herbs, e.g. oil of oregano, una de gato, lapacho, olive leaf
teas, e.g. peppermint, chamomile, stinging nettle, horsetail, elder, etc.
pure, clean water
In addition to these nutrition-based tips it might be useful to reduce stress, inactivity and erratic sleep patterns, but rather focus on proper sleep patterns, moderate exercises and meditation.
Take care :-)