Eating to Boost Your Immunity
Sep 20, 2022
Are you ready for the winter months?
I know it doesn't feel like it, but they are right around the corner.
This year you can be prepared to protect your immunity with these three simple nutrition strategies:
- Be Pro-Active - studies show that 70 to 80 percent of the immune system originates in the gut, and the 10 trillion microorganisms that reside there are mostly responsible for your overall health. If you are struggling with gut health, probiotics can help improve digestion and optimize overall health by balancing the "good" and the "bad" bacteria in your gut. Include the following probiotic foods in your diet: yogurt, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut and sourdough bread.
- Cutting Calories May Equal Colds and Flu - research from Michigan State University found that cutting back on calories can make you more susceptible to the flu. The reason? With fewer fat stores, you body breaks down your lean tissue to help fight infection, decreasing your metabolic rate. This affects the hormone leptin, which helps regulate your metabolic rate. Low leptin levels initiate an inflammatory response, which further compromises immunity. If you are concerned about weight loss during the winter months, rather than cutting calories, adjust your macronutrient balance or increase your activity to optimize your fat-loss potential.
- Stay Hydrated - staying hydrated ensures that your blood carries enough oxygen and nutrients to cells, flushes toxins, prevents insomnia and can even reduce your risk of depression. Water also helps produce lymph, which circulates white blood cells, and keeps your eyes, nose and mouth clean to repel dirt, dust and parasites. Also, without adequate water, your GI tract is susceptible to bacterial overgrowth, compromising immunity. Make it a goal to drink one large glass of water per hour. Add a little lemon to your water and get a boost of vitamin C to help fight colds and protect cells, help digestion and aid in detoxification.
Implementing these three simple strategies will help you to increase your immunity and remain healthy through the winter months.
Always...Take Care of You!
Do you find yourself eating for every other reason than being physically hungry? Do you find that food is the thing that gives you courage and comfort when nothing else can? The thing is, in order to change any habit, you have to be aware of what the habit is that you want to change.
Do you struggle with eating emotionally? Getting the mindset right is the hardest thing. Figuring out the why around emotional eating is key. When you have your mindset right, your food and your life will follow.
Unpacking the "layers of stuck" in your mind will set you on a path to emotional eating freedom.
This workbook will help you develop a healthier relationship with food by identifying triggers to emotional eating and help to develop healthier coping mechanisms so that you can learn to live your life with food.
Click the button below to get your copy of the workbook.
