The immune system plays an important role: it protects your body against dangerous invaders. But sometimes your immune system is weakened, then these intruders get free rein.
Especially in autumn or winter our resistance is often a bit lower... Keep your immune system strong all year round with the right food!
In this blog I will tell you more about 8 fantastic types of food that boost your resistance .
The symptoms of a weakened immune system
First this: before we want to work on a strong resistance, we must of course know what the symptoms are.
You can recognize a weakened immune system by the following symptoms:
- Are you tired for a long time, and do you have no energy even at the beginning of the day? Then it may be that your resistance is on the low side.
- You regularly suffer from infections (such as stomach problems, an infection of your urinary tract, a bladder infection, inflamed gums…)
- When you get sick, it also takes longer to get back to normal. The recovery process takes more time, after all, your immune system is no longer able to optimally protect your body. A flu or a cold usually lasts a little longer.
- You often have a cold.
8 foods that boost your immune system
A weak immune system is often related to too little exercise, stress or a lack of sleep. But there is another important cause: an unhealthy diet is often the cause.
If you don't get enough vitamins and essential nutrients, you quickly get deficiencies that prevent your body from functioning optimally.
Do you want to keep your immune system strong?
Then fill your shortages with healthy food. No, not with nutritional supplements, but pass by the fruit and vegetable department more often.
These foods give your immune system a huge boost:
- Citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C. This vitamin ensures that your immune system works optimally. So you can definitely eat oranges, mandarins, lemon, grapefruit and lime more often.
- Spinach is a superfood! It contains many essential nutrients such as folate and minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.) It is a green leafy vegetable that contains a lot of phytochemicals and glucosinolates, these substances have an anti-inflammatory effect. This applies to all green leafy vegetables: broccoli, kale, watercress… All these vegetables boost your immune system.
- Matcha tea is a source of vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium. You need all these substances for a strong resistance.
- Oily fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines are a source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Our body absolutely needs omega-3, but it is not produced enough by the body. These omega-3 fatty acids help prevent inflammation and play an important role within our immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in nuts and seeds.
- Eat fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and legumes. Your gut is an important part of your immune system. Healthy intestines ensure the proper functioning of your body!
- Spices are great for your immune system. Cinnamon and turmeric have an anti-inflammatory effect and are full of antioxidants. These herbs are also in my brand new matcha blends.
- Greek yogurt and kefir contain probiotics. These are living micro-organisms that keep your intestines healthy and stimulate your digestion. I just told you that a healthy gut is important for your immune system. That is also the reason why yogurt is quite part of a healthy diet.
- Nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats, which keep you full for a long time and lower bad cholesterol. But not only that: they are incredibly good for your resistance. So feel free to add some chia seeds to your smoothie and finish your breakfast with a variety of nuts. You can eat a handful of nuts daily.
Nutrition tips for a healthy body
- Eat a varied diet. Your plate should look something like this: 300 grams of vegetables (half of your plate), ¼ protein and ¼ carbohydrate.
- Alternate with a lot of vegetables: by eating a varied diet you get enough nutrients.
- Eat at least 250 grams of fruit per day.
- Of course you should also drink enough water, this ensures that waste products are easily removed.
- Sugars make your body weak. So try to choose fresh food as much as possible, and eat as few unhealthy snacks and pre-packaged meals as possible.
So pass by the fruit and vegetable department more often, because all those goodies give your resistance a huge boost!
