Boosting your immune system is always a good idea. While immunity supplements have grown in popularity over the last year, there are other things you can do in your everyday life to help. You may have heard of the basics such as washing your hands, getting enough sleep, exercising, keeping a positive mindset, and even meditation, but have you heard about foods that can also be immunity boosters? We want to let you in on how certain foods can help your immune system.
Ways to Boost Your Immune System
With your immune system, the first line of defense is living a healthy lifestyle. This means following good health guidelines and keeping your system working correctly. Some ways to ensure you are doing this are not to smoke, eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight, drink alcohol in moderation, minimize stress and keep current with recommended vaccinations. Your diet can be a huge help with immune-boosting if you are taking in the right foods in the recommended amounts.
Immunity-Boosting Fruits
If you are looking to prevent the common cold, the flu, and other infections going around the workplace and school, you can take a trip to the grocery store and pick up a few fruits that can help. Some fruits are beneficial in boosting your immune system. These can be fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, and limes. These fruits and some others are all high in vitamin C and are thought to increase the production of white blood cells that are used to help fight infection.
Your body does not produce or store vitamin C; therefore, you need a daily dose to stay healthy. Other immune booster fruits loaded with Vitamin C that are not considered citrus fruits include papaya and kiwi. The next time you are at the grocery store, hit up the fresh fruit aisle and stock up on some extra fruit for your daily dose of Vitamin C.
What Are the Three Top Foods That Boost Your Immune System?
When trying to stay healthy, it is best to eat an array of foods, but it does not hurt to add in some foods that can give you the extra boost. Eating healthy and antioxidant-rich foods helps you ward off infections and illnesses. While no one food will prevent everything, there are a few you should add to your diet. The best immune-boosting foods include:
Garlic
This is one thing that can be found in numerous dishes, and it adds a little flavor to most meals. Garlic is recognized because it helps fight infections, slow down the arteries' hardening, and lower blood pressure. Garlic's immune-boosting properties come from the heavy concentration of sulfur compounds such as allicin.
Mushrooms
Looking for a potent weapon to help ward off colds and other infections? Mushrooms will do just the trick! Studies have shown that fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and extracts have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-tumor effects on most individuals.
Red Bell Peppers
If you think citrus fruits have a lot of vitamin C, then you need to grab a red bell pepper. Red peppers can contain almost three times as much vitamin C as oranges and are rich in beta carotene.
Which Superfoods Help Boost Your Immunity the Most?
Your body is exposed to germs every day, and they are trying to attack your body. Your immune system works hard to protect and defend you from these germs trying to make you sick. When supporting your immune system with a healthy diet, there are some foods we consider superfoods that offer immunity-boosting in adults.
We call them this because they help give your immune system the boost it needs at just the right time. Some superfoods include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, tea, ginger, garlic, broth, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, yogurt, nuts, fatty fish, poultry, and seeds. There are so many options for superfoods that it is easy to find something you like that will also keep you healthy.
Foods That Weaken the Immune System
Since we have let you in on the foods you need to add to your diet, it is only fair we let you in on those that do nothing for your immune health and weaken your immune system. No doubt limiting your intake of sugars can improve your overall health but you should also avoid foods high in salt content. These foods can have adverse effects on your body's immune system and leave you feeling tired with no energy.
Foods That Boost Your Immune System Quickly
So despite your best efforts, you now have a cold, you aren't sure if you caught it from work or your kids, but you know you need something fast to help you feel better and boost your system. What immune-boosting foods can you stop and grab at the grocery store on the way home?
Head to the fruits and grab a few limes and lemons; these are great to throw in a glass of water for taste or to squeeze over salads for taste. Either way you use them, they are helping you. Next, grab some fresh garlic and fresh salmon; they can be used to make a quick meal that will send your immune system into overdrive and help fight the nasty cold.
Lastly, grab a few leafy vegetables such as spinach, add in a few bell peppers, some chilis, and you have yourself a small salad that will help you feel better. Still, feeling under the weather? Try eating a few elderberries and oranges to help with your vitamin intake.
Foods That Have Omega 3s
Omega # is a fatty acid that is found in foods such as fish and flaxseed and some dietary supplements such as fish oil. Omega 3 is important to your body cells, provides calories to give your body energy, and helps your heart, blood vessels, lungs, and immune system. The recommended amount you need daily depends on your age, but on average most men need 1.6 grams, and women need 1.1 grams.
To ensure you are getting enough Omega 3, you can consume fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines. Some nuts as seeds such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts also help. While plant oils such as soybean and canola and fortified foods such as eggs, yogurt, juices, and milk also contain Omega 3. Boosting your Omega 3 intake is simple if you pick up a few immune system booster foods on your next trip and incorporate them into your diet.
Supplements Can Help
When it comes to proper nutrition, the best thing to do is keep a variety of immune-boosting foods in your home. Eating just one of them is not enough to make a difference and will not help you fight the flu, cols, or other illnesses; paying attention to your daily intake is essential to ensure you are not getting too much of a single vitamin. Eating right is a great start, but adding in supplements will help you even more.
