Recharging our immune systems, part one

Jan here, talking about our immune systems.

I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV, but I have been thinking about this subject for the past few years. 

That’s when I started getting very tired of the yearly flu/cold/virus that knocked me out for two weeks every winter. And the weekly round of exposure to the germ-factories (my pre-school Sunday School students) and a day of feeling lousy every Thursday (three to four days after being exposed to the germ-factories.) The next week it would happen again. All winter long. Add seasonal allergies on top of that and you’ve got a good idea of what my life was like.

The last thing I wanted to do was to pump my body full of medicines. Decongestants, antihistamines, pain killers… Yes, I took them all on a daily basis, just to keep my allergies and colds from turning into sinus infections or bronchitis.

And I was miserable. But no longer! What changed? I started working on restoring my immune system naturally. I read theories from different medical organizations and some not-as-medical well-meaning folks, and I used my common sense. I learned a lot.

In our current situation with the Covid-19 virus, I’ve been concerned about my friends and family throughout the country. It seems that a lot of things we are doing are counter intuitive. But most concerning is that someday we’ll go back to normal life and be exposed to other people again. However, our bodies – our immune systems - won’t be prepared. We'll be the perfect target for every germ out there.

Think about it – how many germs (viruses and bacteria) have you been exposed to in the last three months? Through isolating ourselves from the Covid-19 virus, we’ve also isolated ourselves from all the other viruses and bacteria…even the good ones. And that can serve to deplete our natural immunity to the germs that used to surround us every day.

I’ve learned some simple tools that can help us prepare our immune systems for the future. I’m sharing the biggest one today, and I’ll go through the rest of them next Monday.

1) Eat a healthy diet.

This is a “duh” moment, right? We all know a healthy diet is important for a healthy life. Foods can help give your immune system a boost - foods rich in Vitamin A, C, E, B6 and B12, zinc, folate, iron, selenium, copper…the list goes on. I’m not saying you need to memorize the nutrients in all the foods you eat. A healthy diet is much easier than that.

The best way (best because it’s so easy you’ll stick to it) is to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, quality protein, and healthy fats like butter, coconut oil, and olive oil.

A very important thing to remember, though, is to not gorge yourself on any one food. Just because I CAN eat butter doesn’t mean that I down a cup of it a day. A half teaspoon of butter on a serving of steamed broccoli helps make the vitamins in the vegetable more accessible to my body, so I enjoy the bit of butter on my veggies.

The key to getting the large variety of nutrients in our diet is to eat a large variety of foods. Simple? Yes. Fruits and veggies are high in vitamins and antioxidants, which help prevent inflammation. Meat, including red meat, has a lot of quality protein, along with micro-nutrients you can’t get in any other foods.

We've all done our research. We need to use our common sense, eat the foods we enjoy, branch out to try unfamiliar foods once in a while, and eat a varied diet. That practice should supply almost all the vitamins and minerals we need.

But one nutrient isn’t readily available in food. Our bodies manufacture it easily, but there’s a catch. We need sunshine to do it. If you live in the northern hemisphere, there are very few months that the sun’s rays are strong enough to allow our bodies to produce enough vitamin D. On sunny days I make sure I get some sun exposure (10-20 minutes with no sunscreen is not a recipe for skin cancer but for increased health!) In the winter months I take a vitamin D3 supplement.

Here are some foods that can give our immune systems an extra boost:


Berries, especially blueberries

Berries are high in vitamins and fiber, but blueberries have a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin. In a 2016 study (you can read it here,) researchers found that flavonoids appear to play an essential role in the upper respiratory tract's immune defense system.

Dark Chocolate

Okay, this one is a bit controversial. I've heard that the studies claiming the antioxidant benefits of dark chocolate weren't good ones...but hey. I'm going with it. Because even if dark chocolate doesn't provide all the health benefits those studies said it did, it appears that there are some antioxidants in it. Besides, the darker the chocolate, the less sugar you're adding to your diet. I call that a win/win.

Turmeric

We've talked about this one before in the Cafe. High in curcumin, turmeric can improve our bodies' immunity. Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants.

Oily Fish

Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish are a great source of Omega-3's. Much of our diet is overbalanced with Omega-6, and we need Omega-3 to bring it back into balance.

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables

Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts...all these vegetables are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Some other veggies with the same benefits are kale, arugula, cabbage, bok choy, etc.

Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

These veggies are high in beta carotene, the antioxidant that give them their orange color. Beta carotene is a good source of vitamin A.

Spinach and other leafy greens

These veggies are high in vitamin C. Beware of eating too much raw spinach since it can lead to a build-up of oxalic acid. So eat your spinach in salads, but also cooked. I use frozen spinach (slightly cooked as it is blanched) in my smoothies to add green power.


I've suggested only a few of the many ways foods can boost our immune systems. What are some of your favorites?

Next week we'll look at other ways we can use our lifestyles to boost our immune system. Here's to good health!

*all photos courtesy of PicMonkey

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.