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 good 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, and help our digestive system, our livers, and elimination organs.
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, they also communicate and update our immune system since it was once outside the body and can give it new information. It’s important to eat what our 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 mixes we carry at Wild Roots Market that mix easily and are very effective.
Another important food for our immune health is 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. Shitake 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, l like miso soup and kimchi, I have kombucha with my lunch, and I will have a splash of the gut shot (which is the brine from raw sauerkraut) with my vegetable juice with my dinner. These good 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 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 great antimicrobial. Be sure to squeeze in some lemon, great for liver detox, and throw in some cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, and kale. The high sulfur compounds in them make them great for liver detox, helping the body remove harmful toxins that make us tired and sluggish.
Super grains like quinoa are high in antioxidants. I have found that they give me sustained energy. I also like organic brown rice, and millet because they’re easy and gluten-free. I like to cook my grains in bone broth to give me extra protein to balance blood sugar and to give me extra nutrients that help with gut health.
Protein is very important for a healthy immune system, after all that is what we are made from. I like to get my protein from pastured chicken eggs, bone broth, seafood, tofu, and clean animal meats free of hormones and antibiotics. Good fats help keep us satisfied longer from our meals and give us fat-soluble vitamins. If
you can digest dairy, grass-fed butter has vitamins A, E, D, and calcium. Coconut oil and cream have medium-chain f
ats to stoke our metabolisms. Olive oil and avocado oil have anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties.
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 Wild Roots in Felton to say hi, or if you want more tidbits on health and nutrition.
