Foods to Boost your Immune System:
Although there are several powerful foods that can help boost your immune system, the true fact remains that a clean and vital body does not get sick. The more you stay away from mucoid forming foods – such as pasteurized dairy, refined sugars, and processed foods – the stronger your immune system will be. The strength of your immune system is directly related to the integrity of your lymphatic system. When the lymphatic system is sluggish due to a build-up of too much waste and toxins coming from an improper diet, this is when the immune system gets compromised. Toxins spread throughout the body generating unhealthy mucus in the sinus cavities.
Many people think they are eating nutritious foods, but they get into the bad habit of eating the same foods every day. To get all the nutrients our bodies need, we must have a variety. If we eat the same foods day after day, we are bound to have deficits of vitamins and minerals. A lack of nutrients, combined with daily stress makes the body more susceptible to colds and flus. It is not what you do when you feel a cold coming on, but more importantly how you eat on a daily basis beforehand.
Juicing is one of the most powerful healing tools available. Fresh juices supply the body with the concentrated nutrients and enzymes needed for the nourishment and regeneration of the body’s cells, tissues, glands, and organs. Juicing is an easy way to ensure that your diet includes the five to seven daily servings of raw fruits and vegetables that are necessary to keep your immune system strong. Any variety of vegetables will supply you with an abundance of minerals. My favorite combination is kale, celery, beets, carrots, parsley, ginger and lemon. If you are feeling a cold coming on, try taking beets, cabbage, carrots and garlic together. This will help remove acid waste and boost your immune system instantly.
In cold weather, soups can help release stubborn mucous and in general help to make us feel better. Chicken soup is a perfect example. Although there is no scientific research to back up the benefits of “grandma’s good old chicken soup”, it does make us feel better and mindset is huge! In the heat, fruit and real fruit smoothies or juices are your best bet, especially when it comes to our kids. A delicious combination for a smoothie is a pear, some frozen mixed berries, coconut oil or flakes, and water or coconut water.
“Some of the most potent immune-supportive agents come from mushrooms”. This statement is taken from a great article titled, Eat mushrooms During Winter to Radically Reduce Your Risk of the Cold and Flu, by Joseph Mercola. I highly suggest reading this to get all the scientific based research on medicinal mushrooms.
In conclusion, never allow yourself to become too hungry. Eating three nutritious meals and two snacks throughout the day is one way to balance blood sugar and lessen the adrenal burden. Long periods without food make the adrenals work harder by requiring them to release more Cortisol and adrenalin to keep your body functioning normally.
