Our bodies depend on proper nutrients and a healthy lifestyle to keep our immune system strong.
Your immune system has some “special forces” in the form of white blood cells. These cells produce specialised proteins called antibodies, which seek out and destroy invading viruses and bacteria.
As antibodies are proteins, healthy proteins like fish, poultry, lean meat, soy foods and low-fat dairy products, provide the building blocks your body needs to make these specialised proteins.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are key players in the health of the immune system as they are great sources of vitamins A and C, as well as phytonutrients. Vitamin C encourages your body to produce antibodies, while vitamin A supports the health of your skin and the tissues of your digestive tract and respiratory system.
Healthy fruits like citrus fruits include: (grapefruit, orange, lemon, tangerine, clementine, lime), pawpaw, berries, watermelon, pineapple, banana, almond, papaya and kiwi. You can eat these fruits individually or prepare in a smoothie form and drink.
Some healthy vegetables are:
- Red bell peppers
Red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene. Besides boosting your immune system, vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin. Beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.
- Broccoli
Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fibre, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables to add to your diet. The key to keeping its power intact is to cook it as little as possible — or better yet, not at all.
- Garlic
Garlic is found in almost every cuisine in the world. It adds a little zing to food and it’s a must-have for your health. Early civilisations recognised its value in fighting infections. Garlic may also help lower blood pressure and slow down hardening of the arteries. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.
- Ginger
Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses.
While it’s used in many sweet desserts, ginger packs some heat in the form of gingerol, a relative of capsaicin. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and may possess cholesterol-lowering properties.
- Spinach
Spinach is rich in vitamin C. It’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients. However, light cooking enhances its vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid.
- Yogurt
Look for yogurts that have “live and active cultures” printed on the label, like Greek yogurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Try to get plain yogurts rather than the kinds that are pre-flavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yogurt yourself with healthy fruits and a drizzle of honey instead.
- Turmeric
Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory in treating osteoarthritis, Also source of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive colour, can help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage.
Perhaps not to leave out some good carbohydrates that defends stronger white blood cells.
Some healthy carbs include:
- Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, a type of antioxidant that gives the skin of the potatoes its orange colour.
- Oatmeal
Oats play a vital role in improving our feeling of fullness, and can be a boom to our digestive, cardiovascular, and overall metabolic health. Oats are rich in a specific type of fiber called beta-glucan known to help lower levels of bad cholesterol.
Good carbs also like whole grain foods are simply grains that have all three parts intact. They are typically high in iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, B vitamins and dietary fibre.
Remember, Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting cold, flu, or other illnesses.
Written by:
David Nana Gyamfi
IG: @Gyamfifitness
Fitness Expert, Founder of Fitpath
