When our immune system is low we can charge it by what we feed our body. If you are experiencing an illness, disease, cancer, a virus like Epstein Barr, auto immune disease, thyroid issues or feeling rundown, it is evidence of a weakened immune system. When the immune system is run down we can assist it by supercharging it by incorporate the following into our diet.
1. Incorporate Curcumin in your Diet
This is a bright yellow chemical produced in some plants including:
•Ginger
•Turmeric.
Curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory.
2. Increase Lycopene
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and helps to strengthen the immune system. Lycopene is found in:
•Tomatoes
•Carrots
•Watermelons
•Papayas
•Asparagus
•Parsley
•Pink Grapefruit
•Apricot
•Rosehip
When absorbed from the intestine, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the blood, skin, liver and adrenal glands.
3. Get Sufficient Amounts of Protein
This includes meats such as:
•Fish
•Beef
•Chicken
If you are worried about consuming too many meats you can get protein in high amounts from these fruits and vegetables:
•Spinach
•Avocado
•Broccoli
•Brussels Sprouts
And seeds that are high in protein are:
•Hemp seeds
•Chia seeds
4. Cut Back on Sugars
Definitely rule out refined white sugar, cane sugar and corn syrup. Those weaken the immune system immediately. Replace all of these processed sugars with natural sugars. If you are already at the stage of only consuming natural sugars like fruits, dates, honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar, cut back on these too. The less sugars you have the better.
5. Consume Real Salt
Real salt contains essential minerals that we need to maintain a healthy body. Do not eat table salt that has preservatives as this can make the virus worse. Opt for clean whole salts like sea salt, Himalayan salt or Redmond Real Salt.
6. Focus on Anti-Viral Foods
All of these foods contain antiviral activity and have been shown to improve immune function.
Anti-viral foods include:
•Sea weed
•Lemon
•Cabbage
•Flaxseed
•Onion
Anti-viral herbs include:
•Elderberry
•Garlic
•Cat's Claw
•Licorice Root
7. Limit Grains - go Gluten Free
Gluten takes a lot of energy from the body to digest, and if the digestive system is already having struggles, it just adds to the problem, and your bowels need to absorb as many nutrients as possible. Gluten blocks the digestive system making it harder to absorb nutrition. Grains also turn into sugar when they enter the body. Try committing to being gluten free until your immune system is strong again.
8. Increase Vitamin A Foods
Vitamin A is best consumed with fat in order to have optimal absorption. Foods high in Vitamin A include:
•Lettuce
•Sweet potatoes
•Squash
•Carrots
•Dark leafy greens including kale and collard greens
•Fish
9. Eat More Foods High in Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for our nerve function, brain function and red blood cells. It is found in:
•Fatty Fish
•Eggs
•Crab
•Beef
•Chicken
•Clams
•Oysters
•Turkey
Vegans are more susceptible to B12 deficiency so supplements can be taken.
10. Increase Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for keeping the immune system strong and important for bone health.
•Get plenty of sunshine
•Salmon
•Tuna
•Orange Juice
•Sardines
•Eggs
11. Take supplements
These are immune system superchargers and help to rebuild the body:
•Astragalus
•Bentonite clay
•Echinacea
•Olive leaf extract
•Colloidal silver
12. Drink lots of Fluids
Drink a lot of fluids to flush out toxins like:
•Clean filtered water
•Herbal tea
•Broths
•Soups
•Chicken broth
•Vegetable juice
Here is an anti-inflammatory immune boosting tea, drink this every evening before bed.
Immune Boosting Tea
Serves 1
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
A thumb-size piece of ginger, chopped into small pieces
3 cups water
½ lemon
Dash of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (or thumb-size root)
¼ teaspoon sage powder
Action:
1.Add all ingredients to a pot or kettle. Bring to boil and allow bubbling for a 3 minutes. Let steep and when warm drink.
The right foods can supercharge your immune system so you can restore your body back to a healthy balance.
Stay away from nuts especially peanuts because they are hard for the body to digest ands do not help the immune system. Other than diet make sure you are getting plenty of sleep, rest and relaxation.
*This information and recipe is excerpted from The Earth Diet book.