5 Ways To Improve Your Immune Health With Nutrition
Written by: Jenny Maloney, Registered Dietitian, Midtown Athletic Clubs
In times like these, you may be trying to read up on how to keep your immune system strong. The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs and together they help the body fight infections and other diseases. So there isn’t one specific thing that will keep your immune system strong; it’s many different things. Many factors can impact your immune health negatively like stress, chronic inflammation, lack of sleep, and of course a poor diet. Here are 5 ways to improve your immune health with nutrition and the bonus is these tips will help you with stress, inflammation, and sleep as well.
1. Eat foods that are nutrient dense! It seems obvious but most of us are not eating enough fruits and veggies, veggies being the number one food people don’t eat enough of. I recommend to have 5-7 servings of veggies per day- a serving of veggies is 1 cup of raw and a ½ cup cooked. With fruits and veggies, the rest of your diet should revolve around whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and fats, dairy, fish, and lean meat.
2. Should I take supplements? You may have been one of the many that ran out to the store to load up on Vitamin C and Vitamin D supplements but you may be wasting your money. The research is inconclusive on if supplements are actually effective unless you have a vitamin deficiency. Supplements are not a replacement for foods; nutrient absorption is more efficient from food vs a synthetic substance so if you do take them, think of them as literally a supplement to an already healthy diet. Consider getting your blood levels checked before loading up on supplements- less is more when it comes to this.
3. Preserve gut health- Gut health is the function and balance of the bacteria in our intestinal tract. Your gut works together with your immune system to fight against infection. Probiotics and prebiotics aid digestion and nutrient absorption. Incorporate probiotic containing foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and fermented foods like sauerkraut and prebiotics like garlic, onions, leeks, and lentils. Good sources of fiber also have prebiotics so aim for 25-35 grams of fiber per day. To put this in perspective, an apple, 1/3 cup of lentils, and ½ cup of oats all have about 5 grams a fiber.
4. Have less alcohol, added sugar, and caffeine- I know it’s not what you want to hear but if you want your body to fight off viruses then it can’t be spending all it’s time cleaning up the negative effects of alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. Alcohol, sugar, and caffeine affects your digestive system, organ function, blood sugar control, inflammation level, sleep, stress level, weight control, and your immune health.
5. Say no to fad diets! Cutting out carbs and calories or cutting out multiple food groups can prevent you from getting all those virus fighting nutrients. Many of the fad diets out there are very extreme so consider modifying. For example, instead of going 100% vegan, try to eat more plant based but eat meat and dairy in moderation. Instead of cutting out all sugar and all carbs, cut out white flour carbs and limit your added sugar intake to 25 grams a day. You want to be healthy but you have to be realistic and if you don’t give yourself a little break, you will likely not stick with the plan.
Jenny Maloney offers virtual group meetings and programs where members can receive nutrition tips and tools, menus and recipes, and weekly accountability without even leaving the house.