By Marcey Klein BS, NC
Yes, we can eat to enhance and help our immune systems stay healthy, and in fact, we can eat to nourish all of our body systems. Sometimes we feel a disconnect from what we put in our mouths, we eat for pleasure, convenience, or what just tastes good, not really checking to see if it’s a rich source of clean nutrition. Here is some information that can guide us in choosing our meals in a more educated direction to help not only our immune systems, but to help bring down our inflammation, assist our digestive system, our livers, and the elimination process. Tip one, more than 70% of our immune system lies in our digestive systems. The beneficial bacteria in our gut create a barrier from harmful intruders, it also communicates and updates our immune system since what we consume was once outside the body and can give the system new information. It’s important to eat what our good gut bacteria like in order to keep them happy and more likely to stay put. These are prebiotics, also known as soluble fibers. Some foods that are high in prebiotics include Jerusalem artichokes, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, bananas, barley, oats, flax seeds, jicama, potatoes, leafy green vegetables, avocados, wheat germ, and wheat berries. There are also several prebiotic fiber supplements we carry at Wild Roots Market that mix easily and are very effective. Another important food for our immune health is cooked mushrooms. That is because they are high in selenium, a necessary component for our immune system to fight the flu, and a great antioxidant helping us combat those free radicals trying to break down our cells and DNA. Shiitake and maitake mushrooms are high in a nutrient called beta-glucan that helps our immune cells to communicate more efficiently. If you find that you have a severely deficient immune system, or just want to stay healthy while others out there are getting sick around you, there are several mushroom immune formulas we carry at Wild Roots that can help you out. Fermented foods help to replenish our good bacteria. Try to get some in your body every day in various ways. I will have yogurt or kefir with my breakfast, there are probiotic strains in my green drink, I have kombucha with my lunch, and I will have a splash of the gutshot (which is the brine from raw sauerkraut) with my vegetable juice with my dinner. These bacteria in turn keep us happy; literally, our gut is referred to as our second brain. It produces a significant amount of serotonin along with communicating with our immune systems. Ginger and turmeric can help support our immune systems and also help keep our inflammation down, important in overall health and prevention. Make a delicious soup with these grated in and also some garlic, which is a terrific antimicrobial. Be sure to squeeze in some lemon, great for liver detox, and throw in some of the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, brussel sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, or kale. The high sulfur compounds in them make them great for liver detox, helping the body remove harmful estrogens linked to cancer. Be sure to watch your refined sugar, flour, and processed food intake, as these depress the immune system, use up necessary vitamins and minerals to metabolize them, and feed the bad bacteria. Also, remember to stay hydrated, warm teas are wonderful this time of year, and citrus fruits and juices with the pulp give us bioavailable vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Stay well, eat for health, move the body, and stay positive! And stop on by to Wild Roots in Boulder Creek to say hi, or if you want more tidbits on health and nutrition. Bon Appetit, to your health!