Foods That Boost Immune Health
Boost your immune system with nature’s arsenal! Using food-as-medicine will help you beat the bug and keep healthy all winter long!
Throw in the mushrooms!
Lightly steam them, add them to your salads, soups, and broths. Mushrooms can often be forgotten in the kitchen but remembering to incorporate these babies will seriously boost your immune system’s function! They help to kill bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and even cancer cells according to Christa Orrechio, clinical nutritionist out of San Diego.
Reishi mushroom: fights cancer! Rich in beta glucans which are polysaccharides or helpful sugars that boost immune function by activating certain immune cells that can trigger an immune response. This “primes” the immune system and makes it more sensitive to and efficient at recognizing cancer cells.
Maitake mushroom: also fights cancer by inhibiting tumor growth! Rich in beta glucans, they help to alter white blood cells and improve immune responses against foreign bodies such as viruses, bacteria, and abnormal growths such as cancer cells.
Shiitake mushroom: contain beta glucans to kill inflammation, bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and cancer cells. They’re also rich in B-vitamins to help energize the body and improve the breakdown of macronutrients like fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Don’t eat them by themselves. Instead, add them in combination and see the results for yourself!
Keep it Spicy with these Hotties!
Turmeric: Turmeric contains a powerful antioxidant that scavenges free radicals and boosts your body’s defence! It’s the superfood that stimulates your own body to stimulate the production and release of glutathione, the mother of all antioxidants according to this Huffington Post article. Have you tried our potent Turmeric Ave.?
Ground Black Pepper: enhances gastric and digestive enzyme secretion to promote digestive health. Black pepper with turmeric also increases the absorbability of turmeric by 3-fold according to Orrechio!
Cumin: enhances pancreatic enzyme secretion to significantly boost digestive function.
Coriander: helps improve liver function and works even better when combined with fennel.
Fennel: soothes gut pain and enhances digestive and gastric enzyme secretion to improve digestive function. Try it in juice form from our Online Juice Shop!
Ginger: contains anti-inflammatory properties to help kill bacteria and viruses. Ginger also helps to deactivate cytokenes which cause pain and swelling in the body.
Cinnamon: add it to help stabilize blood sugar and improve overall energy and immune health.
To learn more, check out Christa Orrecheo's post about combining spices as your immune system's secret weapon. And don't forget to check in again soon! Leave your comments and questions below!
