The secret to boosting your immunity
With the autumn months upon us, we are back into facing the routine stresses of school and work and our vitamin D levels will start to decline……
When it comes to immunity we want the essential focus to be on eating natural, unprocessed food as often as possible. Follow the 80/20 rule (for the avoidance of doubt, this means eating healthily 80 of the time!) Meat and fish, fruit, vegetables and wholegrains all contribute to a stronger immune system and offset the occasional indulgence.
In order to keep our immune system robust and to take us through the winter, really focus on veg and fruit as these contain plenty of plant chemicals that are packed full of antioxidants which contain immunity-boosting ingredients.
And did you know that up to 80% of our immune system lies in the gut? The mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the gut is part of the first line of immune defence, so getting the right balance between beneficial, or ‘good’ gut bacteria, and the ‘bad’, or potentially pathogenic ( disease causing) bacteria, is key.
How to do this:
The gut environment takes a beating over the years, due to poor diets, too much sugar, stress, alcohol, antibiotics and other medications and other factors. Even if you have no obvious tummy troubles, digestive health is vital, so it’s worth the extra effort to take care of it.
Add probiotic and prebiotic foods to your diet, as these re-populate the gut with good bacteria and feed them well enough to crowd out bad bacteria.
Here are some gut-friendly choices to get you started:
Organic, probiotic, natural yoghurt (such as Yeo Valley or Rachel’s)
Kefir – fermented milk. It’s very much like yoghurt, only runnier
Always buy full-fat, as the 0% or no-fat options have increased levels of milk sugars and added sugar for flavour – and fat isn’t the enemy, either in life or in weight loss
Miso soup or miso bouillon paste (add these to soups and stews)
Oats (soak first, as you would to make overnight oats, in order to release the goodness)
Onions, garlic and Jerusalem artichokes
Green bananas – our digestive enzymes can’t break down the carbs in green bananas, but the gut bacteria can. Ripe bananas, on the other hand, raise our blood sugar levels fast and high.
Beans
Cooked, then cooled potatoes
An invitation to you
If you have been struggling with your health, digestive distress, or an unhappy relationship with food and need some support, I can help. I work with people just like you who are ready to say ‘yes’ to transforming their health and life. I warmly invite you to book a free call with me to discuss how I can help you on your journey. Contact me on email@marcellerosenutrition.co.uk or 07961 166582 to book your call.
And why not join my Facebook community Fuss Free healthy Eating, dedicated to making healthy eating easier!