Immune-Boosting Foods to Eat Right Now

Many of us want to know, “how can I build my immune system?” The type of nutrition you choose determines the fuel that will keep your immunity strong. Here are some immune-boosting foods from Mai Trinh to give your body the nutrients it needs.

Did you know certain foods can increase your immunity power against viruses to help prevent getting sick? Learn how to help your body become a virus-fighting machine by giving it the nutrition it needs.

How Your Gut Health Helps Keep Infection Away

Research shows that the most significant part of your immune system resides in your digestive tract in the form of bacteria. Your gut health affects your whole body and is called the microbiome. Your body’s gut bacteria boosts your immune system to activate key enzyme production and help balance your hormones. The microbiome breaks down toxic food compounds as well, so it can protect your body from invaders. As a result, your gut bacteria help convert vitamin-rich food into things your body can use to help fight infection. An instant way to boost your health today is by feeding your microbiome foods that make good bacteria flourish in your body!

Focus on Plant-Based Immune-Boosting Foods to Jump-Start Your Health

Eating smart can help you fight off viruses! The rule of thumb for immune-boosting foods and nutrition is to load up on high-fiber fresh vegetables and fruit. Dietary fiber is essential for improving your gut health because it helps rid your body of toxins. Research shows that unprocessed dietary fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain helps lower your risk of chronic disease, heart disease, diabetes, and different types of cancer. You can maintain a healthy weight by focusing more on green leafy vegetables and low-sugar fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Adding colorful vegetables and a rainbow of colors into your diet, like red bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli, will rev up your gut health.

Aside from focusing on low-sugar fruits and vegetables, whole grains keep your bowels moving. They’ll also help keep heart disease at bay. Focus on whole grain foods like steel-cut oatmeal, wheat germ, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, and barley that are high in fiber and nutrient-dense. Look for fermented foods like sauerkraut, Greek yogurt, and pickles to help feed the good bacteria in your digestive tract.

Immune-Boosting Foods to Fight Disease

Focusing on anti-inflammatory foods that strengthen your immune system is critical to avoiding infections. Significantly, these specific foods reduce inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation in the body weakens your immune system and causes damage to your bodily tissues. Certain foods can increase inflammation and cause your body to be too weak to fight viruses and infections. These include fast food, soda, refined white sugar, alcohol, highly processed flour, and saturated fat.

You can load up on healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, and avocados that are great for your heart! Remember to eat fat-soluble vitamin-rich foods like sweet potato, kale, and cantaloupe to keep your body balanced.

Fortunately, other types of foods can reduce the inflammatory response in your body. Be sure to incorporate garlic, onions, turmeric, and fresh lemon into your cooking daily. They’re all anti-microbial foods that boost your immunity. Start your morning with a mug of warm water and lemon juice. Be sure to throw in diced garlic and onions to your chicken and soup dishes. If you want to add turmeric to your savory dishes to add color, this superstar herb used in India has potent medicinal compounds. Eating turmeric can help decrease oxidative damage in your body caused by environmental factors.

Zinc-Rich Foods Protect You Against Colds

Another mineral to boost your health is zinc. Zinc helps your immune system stay strong and balances the body’s immune function. It is an essential mineral that is necessary for wound healing. Zinc even protects your sense of taste and smell. Getting a lot of colds can mean that you are low in zinc.

Eating plenty of zinc-rich foods now is vital for your immunity. Healthy foods high in zinc include lean meats, shellfish, legumes, nuts and seeds, eggs, and whole grains. Good news for chocolate lovers: dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao is also rich in zinc and great for your health.

Low-Sugar Immune-Boosting Foods for Your Body

One easy tip you can incorporate right now to increase your chances of robust health and longevity is lowering your sugar intake. Refined white sugar does not have vitamins and nutrients to help your immunity. Instead, sugar breaks down your immune system and can lead to Type-2 Diabetes.

Sugar is lacking in nutrients and causes weight gain, tooth decay, and makes your blood sugar levels unstable. Focusing on a low-sugar, low-glycemic lifestyle will stabilize your insulin levels and can lead to better health outcomes for your whole life. A low-sugar lifestyle can also help with maintaining a healthy weight.

Probiotic-Rich Foods Keep You in Balance

Probiotics are active bacteria and yeast that keep your gut in balance. Eating probiotic-rich foods that feed the good bacteria in your digestive tract is vital to keeping your immunity healthy. Top probiotic-rich foods that help digestion include Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, miso soup, soft fermented cheeses like Gouda, fresh sourdough bread, Tempeh, and pickled vegetables.

You can also take live probiotics as supplements, which are not a substitutes for probiotic-rich food. Be intentional about how you feed your gut bacteria, and feel good about adding an extra helping of sauerkraut and pickles at your next meal.

Infection-Fighting Steps to Take Today

There are many ways you can choose to fuel your body with immunity-boosting foods. Consider having a plant-based dinner theme night where you load up on your vegetables and fruit. Powerful anti-inflammatory foods include garlic, ginger, onions, lemons, and turmeric, so think about adding those to your daily cooking.

One of the most critical steps to fight off sickness is to pause on the sugar and instead say yes to leafy greens and high-fiber unprocessed meals. Toss that green salad and add your red peppers and colorful veggies so you can eat for excellent health! Taking charge of the fuel going into your body will help you live longer and fight off disease and make you feel better each day!