The swine flu is all over the news right now and leaving people in a panic wondering what can be done to protect against getting the illness. Good nutrition is a great place to start. Adding just a few foods to your diet can dramatically decrease your risk of getting the swine flu by building up your immune system.
Right now our population is overfed and undernourished. Meaning that people are filling up on nutritionally deficient foods, leaving their bodies malnourished and immune depressed. When your immune system isn’t supported with good nutrition your body can’t fight off bacteria and viruses as well putting you at a much greater risk of getting sick.
Foods to boost your immune system:
1) Protein: our bodies are made up of protein and in the every day wear and tear we need to keep up adequate protein intake to help our bodies re-build tissues and cells. Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, beans, and healthy soy products like tempeh.
2) Vitamin C: everyone knows that Vitamin C is essential to a good immune system; this is why it is frequently taken by people at the first sign of a cold. The problem is that people don’t get enough day to day and it is not stored in the body so when your stores are depleted your immune system crashes. Make sure to get Vitamin C in the foods you eat every day to keep your immune system running strong all the time. Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, berries, broccoli, tomatoes, and even potatoes.
3) Garlic: garlic is antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic. It is a wonderful immune enhancer. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, or don’t like smelling like garlic then take it in supplement form. Many supplements out there don’t have a taste or smell. Kyloic aged garlic extract is a great supplement.
4) Probiotics: probiotics keep our gastrointestinal (GI) system working properly. Sixty percent of our immune system lies within our GI tract, thus a healthy GI means healthy immunity. The overuse of antibiotics kills off our natural healthy gut flora and lowers our immunity, ironically. Supplementing with probiotics builds this healthy flora back up. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickles, and in supplemental form.
Including these foods in your daily diet will enhance your immunity and protect you from colds and flu. The swine flu is a very real problem in our society right now and it is important to protect ourselves in the best way possible. Good nutrition is always a win-win situation for our health and the health of our families.
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