Improving Our Immune Systems By Foods To Avoid And Consume
By James Schofield
With the current worldwide virus health concern, we are all looking for ways to stay healthy. A prudent route to take is to make our bodies as strong and resistant to sickness as possible. This boils down to improving and strengthening our own natural immune systems. We can all take commonsense measures to, individually, eat better and improve our diets and gain a nutritional advantage. This article will discuss some foods to avoid and others to consume to strengthen our immune systems.
Foods to avoid:
Avoid sugar, sweets and an excessive amount of grains like cereal, pasta and bread. These all contain carbohydrates which, when digested, cause high blood sugar. They also cause the body to become acidic. High blood sugar and an acidic environment weakens the immune system.
Avoid traditional dairy cow’s milk. Many people are unable to digest lactose, which is a sugar, in traditional milk. Too much lactose exposure can increase inflammation in the body and weaken the immune system. Alternative forms of milk that are low in lactose are almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. Try these individually to determine which taste you prefer. Some people are able to digest dairy cow milk if it is fermented, such as cheese and yogurt and can be experimented with on a case to case basis.
Avoid high gluten foods. Gluten is a protein found in certain grains. Gluten may not be digested well by many people and can create an allergic sensitivity when consumed. This sensitivity can interfere with our immune system. Wheat is the one food that has the highest concentration of gluten and is best avoided. Oats and rice do not contain gluten and are recommended, safe grains.
Foods to consume:
Consume good fats. Fat is misunderstood and is an important food for our body. All of our hormones (thyroid, insulin, adrenaline, estrogen, testosterone) need fat for their production. Each of our body’s cells contain fat in the cell wall. Our brains contain a high amount of fat. We can help our immune systems immeasurably by consuming good fats. Examples of these fats are coconut oil, olive oil and flax seed oil. Vegetable oil is not a fat that is recommended.
Eat cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables are those such as kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. This category of food is vitally important in eliminating toxic metabolites. They help to purify our digestive system and, in turn, strengthen our immunity.
Most football fans have heard the phrase: “The best defense is a good offense.” Avoiding certain foods and consuming others is among best ways to strengthen our immune system and resist disease.