What is most vital to understand about the immune system is it defends each and every cell of your body although it comes to centre stage when winter looms, doesn’t it? But how to support it?
Immune support through a healthy diet is the preferred way to build the immune system and achieve outstanding results. Fresh foods are always preferred as they offer the very best nutritional value. A mix of many different foods will also assist the immune system. Dr Petro Ph.D suggests ‘to a large extent, your ability to maintain a healthy immune system depends directly on what you eat … in parts of the world where healthy, nutritious foods are in short supply, people frequently have weak immune systems’ (p. 293).
Keith Block M.D medical director of the Cancer Institute of Edgewater Hospital Chicago offers ‘ food is powerful medicine’. So there you have it, foods are powerful medicines and a brief look at a short list of foods and the role they play in health should convince even the most sceptical that foods are impressive and most effective medicines.
The following list offers the foundation to support the immune system and help build a defence against environmental irritants and truly offers why foods should be the first port of call to help your immune system defend you each and every day. The list is not meant to be extensive yet offers enough variety to start with even for the fussiest of eaters.
| Food | Benefits |
| Leafy greens | Chlorophyll as a blood tonic, immune enhancing and great nutritional foods. Packed with Vitamin C, E and beta-carotene making for a good blend of anti-oxidants to help cleanse and support the body. |
| Apples | Anti-viral and immune boosting |
| Citrus | Vit C and immune boosting |
| Cloves | Immune enhancing, anti-viral and overall tonic and pain relief, antiseptic |
| Cinnamon | Powerhouse of healing , acts as a digestive aid, assists peripheral circulation, fights fungal infection particularly yeast infection and overall tonic |
| Figs | Good fibre, excellent as a nutritious food when appetite is poor which is often the case when your immune system is challenged, great source of potassium |
| Chilli | Warming and great for the circulation, Vit C content and beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A, lowers bad cholesterol, clears sinuses |
| Carrots | Outstanding source of beta-carotene and makes more natural killer cells |
| Sweet potato | Outstanding source of beta-carotene and makes more natural killer cells |
| Onion | Powerful immune enhancing |
| Garlic | Powerful immune enhancing |
| Orange peel tea | Anti-histamine properties |
| Immune enhancing tea | Blend builds the immune system |
| Oysters | Link with Zinc an immune booster |
| Horseradish | Warming and immune protecting, clears blocked sinuses. Grow your own and you will always have it on hand. |
As stated previously this list is not meant to be exhaustive, however it should be seen as a starting point to help build a powerful immune system to support each and every cell in your body.
Until next time
Find happiness in every moment