The best thing you can do to boost your immunity is tweak your diet. There are a number of nutrients found in foods that can improve your constitution and paired with hand washing can bolster your chances of fighting off the flu and other seasonal ailments.
Your body will be in tip top shape with the addition of fruits and vegetables, preferably the dark, rich colored ones as they hold the key to the most powerful nutrients available in food. Add plenty of water – eight to ten glasses per day – and you will create a well-oiled machine, known as your body. Of course, there are a few immunity boosting foods besides vegetables and fruits that can really help fight off illness.
Yogurt – Probiotics
There are live active cultures found in yogurt which are beneficial bacteria that keep your intestinal tract free of illness-causing microorganisms. Probiotics is the proper term for these active live cultures and while you can find them in supplement form, they are more potent when consumed in yogurt, yogurt-based drinks, and other enhanced products. These beneficial bacteria help regulate your digestive system as well as boost white blood cells which aid in overall immunity.
Garlic
Garlic contains an ingredient called allicin which is a potent, natural way to fight bacteria and infection. Garlic helps you fight colds as well as lower your chances of developing certain types of cancer. Garlic supplements are popular these days but don’t deliver adequate protection. Rather, cooking with fresh cloves of garlic several times a week is the best way to boost your immunity.
Chicken Soup
Grandma’s advice of chicken soup was spot on in treating colds and other ailments. There is an amino acid called cysteine that is released in the cooking process which blocks the inflammatory white blood cells that rush to your head and chest to cause congestion. The broth of the soup thins mucus and if you add other ingredients like onions and garlic, you boost your immunity exponentially.
Barley and Natural Oats
You should add at least one serving of barley or oats to your daily requirements of whole grains. These two grains contain a fiber called beta-glucan which has both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Oats and barley will boost your immunity as well as speed the healing of wounds. If you are on antibiotics for any reason, these grains will enhance its germ-fighting powers.
A Cup of Tea
Certain kinds of tea have powerful antioxidant properties which fight free radicals in your body that can cause illness. L-theanine is an amino acid found in green and black tea that is quite powerful in fighting viruses. Drinking tea when you feel a cold or other illness coming on will help you fight it, while boosting your immunity.
Mushrooms
Certain mushrooms pack quite the immunity-boosting punch with certain compounds that work to increase your production of white blood cells, the very cells needed to fight infection. Reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms are the most beneficial and you should try to incorporate them in foods such as omelets, pizza, and stir fry.
While sneezing into the crook of your arm, washing your hands and using anti-bacterial gel can help reduce your chances of becoming ill, these activities do not always do the job. However, adding some of the immune boosting foods above can greatly improve your chances of good health so you don’t have to waste any vacation days on the flu or a bad cold.
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