Tag: prevention

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How we can help our immune system

As we are in the midst of the cold and flu season, making sure that we consume a sufficient amount of foods beneficial to our immune system is a top priority! Last week, I mentioned bone broth, which is one of those foods that can help us boost our immune system. And there are many more: fermented foods, bee products, and whole foods like dark leafy green vegetables, garlic, mushrooms, fatty fish, and grass-fed/grass-finished meats. Since I have been on a paleo type of diet (for almost 6 years now) I very rarely get a cold. While before, for sure I had a cold/flu about twice each winter. Foods we eat can matter that much!

The main beneficial foods

In a recent article by Amen Clinics regarding “What to do about the coronavirus,” it is recommended to consume foods like these:

  • Garlic, onions
  • Mushrooms (shiitake, white button, portabella)
  • Vitamin-C rich foods (oranges, berries, peppers, dark leafy green vegetables)
  • Vitamin-D rich foods (fatty fish, eggs, tuna)
  • Zinc-rich foods (oysters, beef, lamb, spinach, asparagus, sesame and pumpkin seeds)
  • Selenium-rich foods (Brazil nuts, seeds, grass-fed meats)

In Boundless, by Ben Greenfield, mushrooms are also mentioned: shiitake, maitake, turkey tail, tremella, and chaga (“king of medicinal mushrooms”). Bee products such as bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis are highlighted as being very helpful too to boost the immune system. As a matter of fact, I always have a propolis spray in my bag, just in case. Also mentioned in this book, among other things, are fermented foods, oregano oil, colostrum, and echinacea. All these are beneficial to the immune system.

In summary

As we can see, there is a plethora of foods we can consume on a daily basis that can help us boost our immune system. I think it is wonderful to be able to better our health and wellness with simple whole foods. And I am all for prevention! Even if some of these foods may be slightly expensive, not getting sick is worth it and it ends up saving quite a bit of money down the road. So pick the foods that you like best!

Reference

Greenfield, Ben. Boundless : Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging. Las Vegas, Victory Belt Publishing Inc, 2020, pp. 356–370.

“What to Do About the Coronavirus.” Amen Clinics, 4 Feb. 2020, http://www.amenclinics.com/blog/what-to-do-about-the-coronavirus/ Accessed 8 Feb. 2020.

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