Site Search

Stay Healthy By Strengthening Your Immune System With These Super Foods

By Simon Caddy

Winter is drawing in, and our bodies have to defend against an array of sickness and disease. We can strengthen and make our immune systems more powerful by eating these immune system building foods.

The immune system is filled with protective cells called white blood cells. These work to kill bacteria, pathogens, eat harmful cells, and neutralize toxins including metabolic waste. Some even make antibodies. Our bodies must constantly regenerate and build new white blood cells, especially when harmful toxins enter. If we want to truly defend ourselves, there are nutrients from foods that you certainly don't want to miss out on. By eating a diet to build the immune system, you will keep your body ready to defend itself anytime the "bad guys" come to visit.

For Starters...

It is a good idea to know that white, refined sugar has an adverse effect on the immune system - it can literally stop it from working, making trying to stay healthy a real challenge!

Junk foods and processed foods are full of harmful toxins that keep your immune system busy just keeping them out. The problem is, while this happens your immune system has fewer resources available to fight outside invaders such as bacteria and virus. All this happens because the junk and processed foods have no natural nutrients to help you.

Adding these foods to your diet while limiting junk and processed foods can boost your immune system as it fights harder to keep you healthier over the coming cough, cold and flu season, meaning you stay as healthy as possible.

Phytonutrients for Your Immune System

Fresh Whole Vegetables are full of phytonutrients that your body uses to keep your immune system strong. These phytonutrients stimulate the release of enzymes within our bodies to protect cells and rebuild damaged cells. They also fight cancer! Our bodies come into contact with carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) every day. We also constantly make cells, and some rogue cells may reproduce themselves leading to damage or cancer of an organ.

Phytynutrients help our bodies recognise and kill/neutralise these abnormal cells. Phytonutrients help our bodies do this, stay healthy, and they can also shut down pre-cancerous cells and neutralize carcinogens. No vitamin pill can give you this power!

The best veggies to stay healthy with (a kind of immune-building diet) include; carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, kale, red and green peppers, broccoli and the dark leafy greens such as turnip greens, collard greens, spinach and romaine lettuce.

Fresh Whole Fruits are also full of phytonutrients. They are immune building and natural detoxifiers of the body. Fruits are full of antioxidants and enzymes that protect our cells from damage and let the body stay healthy as can be.

Many of the berries and red apples are high in flavonoids that protect us from heart disease.

Fruits that will help you stay healthy as they strengthen your immune system include; pink and red grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, red apples, red grapes, bananas, cranberries, tomatoes, mangoes, tangerines, nectarines, peaches, oranges and watermelon.

Omega 3's are healthy fats that have an immune building quality. They are anti-inflammatory and help prevent auto-immune disorders. They are needed in order for the body to absorb certain vitamins. Without these essential fats it is far harder for you to stay healthy! Foods containing Omega 3's include; ground flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, salmon, mackerel, and herring.

Good Bacteria found in the intestinal lining keep your immune system healthy. These healthy organisms stimulate the immune system, increase antibodies, and inhibit the absorption of pathogenic organisms such as e.coli and salmonella.

Be sure that you and your children consume healthy, live bacteria especially at times of illness. Foods containing good bacteria are; yogurt (check the label for live bacteria), and fermented foods such as homemade sauerkraut, miso and kifir.

Folate is essential for preventing damage to blood vessels and brain cells and ensures DNA integrity. The dark leafy greens are high in folate and include the following; mustard, collard and turnip greens, spinach, kale and romaine lettuce.

Add these immune building foods to your diet, stay healthy and have a healthy and happy holiday season.

About the Author:

Simon Caddy has been a qualified Boxercise, Kick-Boxercise and Cardio-Kickbox instructor since 2005, and delivers several classes each week across a 20 mile radius from his home in Caerphilly, as well as using it in one-to-one sessions with his clients. For more information about these classes or one-to-one sessions, please visit SimonCaddy.com