Steps to Building a Healthy Immune System
As most of you know having a healthy immune system is your best defense against those nasty viruses that seem to lurk on every door knob and hand rail. Ok, I may be a bit of a germ-a-phob but I hate being sick as I'm sure you do.
Since it's good to have your immune system nice and strong before viruses come your way, what types of food should you be looking for as you grocery shop? The good folks at The Florida Department of Citrus sent us a good list and no they're not telling you to only drink Florida orange juice.......
Point your cart to produce
Load up on vegetables to support the immune system. Dark leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, and yellow or orange vegetables like carrots, winter squash and sweet potatoes supply a healthy dose of disease-fighting antioxidants. And don't forget canned, frozen and dried vegetables are convenient, nutrient-rich choices that may also be more economical.Spice up your winter
Hot peppers are a tasty way to break up nose and chest congestion during cold and flu season. Look for any fresh green and red hot peppers or hot sauce, which will allow you to taste your food better and feel less stuffy with the added bonus of natural antioxidants.Squeeze out sniffles
100 percent fruit juice is a tasty way to get the important vitamins and minerals as well as critical antioxidants needed to help support your body in its fight against winter sniffles. Just be sure it says "100 percent fruit juice" on the label. A vitamin C-rich juice such as 100 percent orange juice is all natural and a key source of nutrients that help support the immune system as well as overall health.Pack some protein in your winter wellness plan
Protein is important for building, repairing and maintaining all of the body's cells, tissues and organs, which help to sustain the immune system and energy levels. Good sources of protein include lean beef, lean pork, skinless poultry and fish. If you are a vegetarian, try canned and dry beans, lentils or soy products such as meatless burgers, edamame, tofu and soy milk.Get nutty about nuts and seeds
From almonds and peanuts to walnuts, pistachios and sunflower seeds, nuts and seeds are packed with fiber, folate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin E - making them nutritional superheroes during cold and flu season or any time of year.Top off your cart with whole grains
Whole grains are great sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are essential to keeping the immune system healthy. Substitute the whole grain version for your favorite breads, cereals and pasta. Oats, brown rice, and quinoa are also great choices.Besides eating right, adequate rest and moderate exercise are also important for your immune system to be in high gear. Oh, and don't forget to wipe off that nasty grocery cart handle with an antiseptic wipe before doing all that healthy shopping!
List contributed by Kim Galeaz, RD, CD, and contributor to 4 Weeks to Maximum Immunity
42 Comments
Add Your Comment
ADVERTISING
New
- FROM DIET BLOG
- On-Off Fasting: Does It Work?
- 400 Calorie Fix
- 5 Factor World Diet
- Quick Giveaway: Powerhouse Weight Loss Game
- FORUM
- Low Carb Atkins Diet- Tips to Cut the Carbs.
- How Can I Gain a Healthy Weight and Keep it?
- How Do I Eat Healthy at University?
- Starving Myself and Exercising, But Not Losing an Ounce?
Categories
| Body Image Celebrities Diet Pills Diets Exercise |
Fast Food Funny Stuff Success Stories Teens and Kids Tips and Tools |
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
I don't think I've been legitimately sick since the year 2001 (maybe it was 2000, not sure exactly). I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and other foods rich in antioxidants. I do eat a lot of nuts (probably 2-3 ounces a day or so) and I exercise six days a week. I also make it a top priority to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night (sometimes it's only 5 1/2, but that's rare).
When it comes to germs, be aware that if you have a mindset of "all germs are bad", you're going to be fighting a losing battle. Germs are absolutely everywhere, so you're not going to be able to avoid them. Wiping off the shopping cart handles and using those toilet seat liners is sort of like spitting into the ocean, so to speak. A better idea is to make sure you get a lot of fiber in your diet and eat yogurts to promote a good intestinal flora that could help crowd out the growth of any "bad" bacteria that can get in. Also, wash your hands. Often. And use regular soap and be sure to scrub for at least 30 seconds. If you have kids, teach them good handwashing habits too...I'm sure a lot of kids bring home tons of germs from day care/school that can make the rest of the household sick.
Reply"Germs are absolutely everywhere, so you're not going to be able to avoid them. Wiping off the shopping cart handles and using those toilet seat liners is sort of like spitting into the ocean, so to speak."
My thoughts exactly.
ReplyInterestingly, a recent study suggests that use of anti-bacterial wipes in hosptials was more likely to spread germs and increase infections, rather than reducing infections.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Germs/story?id=4989093
ReplyAccording to medical statistics, the #1 transmission route for germs is allegedly through your hands. It's therefore recommended to always WASH your hands well before eating and to avoid touching your nose or mouth while outside in public places. (of course all next to a healthy lifestyle)
ReplyAnd yet I'm still sick :(
ReplyI'd skip the whole grains, personally. It's not like you can't get vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and roughage from fruit and vegetables...
ReplyYou would skip the grains Methuselah why? Are you on a keto/veg diet.
ReplyBecause grains are neither a necessary nor very healthy part of a diet. Fruits and vegetables contain FAR more vitamins and minerals than grains could ever hope to. Further, fiber can actually bind to minerals and take them right out your backside with them. I promise anyone that if they cut out or drastically reduce their grain intake, they will lose more fat and be healthier.
Cheers
ReplyScott Kustes
Modern Forager
Scott nice scare mongering you've got going there, because grains aren't unhealthy. If you look into the past history of many civilizations they were dependent on grain crops to keep them alive; while grains may not be necessary for one to live they are not harmful nor do they make you fat.
Fiber binds to materials inside of your body, yes that is true but grains in general don't have that much fiber to do damage to you. You could point out that anything eaten in excess does damage to the body, but you would never do that would you, since you only believe in the parts of science that backup your diet.
ReplyAre you serious? Look at civilizations that subsisted on grain based diets and compare them to their forebears that subsisted on non-grain based diets. What you see is a DECLINE in health with the move to an agricultural lifestyle...decreased height, decreased dental health (Dr. Weston Price noted this), vitamin deficiency diseases (pellagra, beriberi, etc).
It happened time and again, worldwide, with the move from a hunter-gatherer subsistence to a grain-based diet. Grains may have "kept them alive," but it didn't keep them healthy, just healthy enough to survive until the child-bearing years, which is all that's required for a diet to "work".
I challenge you to try cutting back on your grains or cut them out completely...replace them with fruits and vegetables and see what happens to your health. Until you're willing to do that, you really can't say one way or the other can you?
I'll leave you with this thought...if grains are so healthy, why do they have to be fortified with vitamins and minerals? Food for thought if you actually care to put much thought into it.
Cheers
ReplyScott Kustes
Modern Forager
Hi there,
Judging from your being versed in Weston A. Price, I'm sure you'd dig my recently released self-published book "Immune: How to Beat AIDS in Your Kitchen" at http://immunethebook.com --it's based on my personal story of healing from progressive muscle wasting + HIV+ (=AIDS according to the CDC et al), and illustrates an alternative inter-linking causation paradigm for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(s) and how to address these causes via 1) nutritional compensation therapy and 2) a traditional foods-based approach to where to get such a therapy.
Enjoy,
ReplyPaul
There is a big difference between refined grains and whole grains...vitamin deficiencies like pellagra and beriberi were mostly caused by diets that consisted of primarily refined grains (like the wallpaper paste-like gruel fed to children in orphanages). That's why they started fortifying breads and flour with B vitamins...but if you keep the germ and bran with the grains when you harvest it, you won't need to fortify the grains.
Also, fruit and veggies also have fiber, so I don't really get why you say that fiber from grains is so evil. I don't tend to eat a lot of refined grains myself; I prefer whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole wheat.
ReplySpectra, not classifying fiber as "evil" per se. Just tired of reading about how fiber is going to save us from so many health problems when the data doesn't support it. Gut health (i.e., probiotics in the intestines) is far more important for bowel movements than fiber intake. It's more the issue of intentionally and artificially increasing fiber intake with things like psyllium and bran.
Some unprocessed grains aren't going to do any real harm. I include some grains in my diet, though they are FAR from a staple and typically are only consumed about once a week.
Cheers
ReplyScott Kustes
Modern Forager
Look out for the "100% Fruit Juice". A girl I babysit was claiming her juice box was healthy, despite the nutrition information when I looked it up. I am not sure how brands can get away with listing that way, but the ingredients tell all, thankfully.
ReplyI heard a lot about Green Tea & Wu Yi Tea lately and how it improves your health and benefits weight loss. Has anybody tried this and would like to share their experience....might be even worth an article about all the different teas out there?
cheers
ReplyJon
You blame grains for civilizations ill health,are you serious, that is really overlooking the multitude of factors that were going on ,and just focusing in on grains is just plain ridiculous.
Do you have any new scientific information that shows grains to not only cause a deterioration of ones immune system but also reduce the ability to loose weight. I haven't been sick in almost a decade, so I doubt dropping grains will actually improve my health.
You obviously don't think very much because grains don't need to be fortified with vitamins and minerals. I would suggest you think about things more critically instead of latching on to the dietary dogma of Weston A. Price.
Stop oversimplifying societal complexities to make your points.No one thing is likely to ever cause the drastic problems you mention; it is instead a collection of events.
Replycereal, you have a real issue with not resorting to personal attacks I see. I have spent plenty of time critically thinking through things. Weston Price is but one of my sources of information and I'm far from dogmatic about WAPF. Critical thinking requires using many sources and keeping what is useful while discarding the rest.
More importantly, I've used myself as a testing ground. I have experimented with diets to see how my body responds. I know many others that do the same thing and unequivocally, a diet with few grains results in superior athletic performance...go hang around the CrossFit or Performance Menu forums and see what the top performers are eating.
You've obviously latched onto the "grains are good" dogma promoted so heavily by the politically correct media. Keep up the good work.
And again, you're not willing to even give it a try for a month. Yet you call me dogmatic.
Cheers
ReplyScott Kustes
Modern Forager
Scott ,I've went quite some time without grains far more than a month, and it had no determinable affect on my health.
I have no problem with any food or dietary choices ;my problem was with your spurious claims against grains.I still haven't seen anything that you've said that separates you from the rest of the dogmatic heard.
You were the one who first decided to attack Scott, I just replied back with equal fervor.
ReplyCereal - there is a quote I see a lot, which is "Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy." The point is that the effects are very slow but ultimately can be profound. You asked about scientific information - in fact yes, there is plenty of scientific analysis, experimentation and research to support the notions that grain consumption affect health and weight loss. I am not going to list it here, but let me know if you are genuinely interested and I can send you the references.
But it's important to be clear on what is being said here. Grains will not kill you. They are not even dangerous. Hey - my folks have been eating a couple of slices of wholemeal bread with every meal since I can remember and they are in great health. But appart from that, they do everything else right. So you are correct to suggest that it's complex. However, just because consuming something in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle does not show significantly adverse effects and just because there are some benefits such as roughage, it does not mean that it's an optimal way to live. No one's demonising grains - but they are saying that excessive consumption does lead to profound effects over time and that there is evidence that avoiding them altogether leads to even better health.
So I suggest you continue to eat your grains if that's what makes you happy - which is the advice I give to my folks too. Just like the person who chooses to smoke a couple of cigarettes twice a week on social occasions, chances are there will be no adverse effect. But I prefer to do the best I can where possible, so when I know that a big chunk of broccoli can give me everything and more that a slice of bread can, then my decision is easy.
Let me know if you are interested in the references - I'd be appy to find the right ones to make it easy for you to see where we am coming from, rather than hit you with some huge Pdf I know you'd never read :)
ReplyOver consumption of any thing is bad for you Methuselah I've already stated that; go ahead and show me the evidence. I assume I've already seen it, but maybe you'll show me something new. Don't hide behind a weak argument by saying "over consumption" and "over time" be specific how long and how much.
You should have been clear earlier, and Scott flat out misrepresented the facts to make grains out to be one of civilizations woes.
ReplyActually you stated that some civilizations were dependent on grains. I stated that civilizations were dependent on grains tended to have vitamin deficiency diseases that just happened to be the vitamins that the grains they were dependent on lacked. You don't have to like the truth, but it's there for all to see.
Cheers
ReplyScott Kustes
Modern Forager
I already addressed this Scott, reread the previous posts.
ReplyCereal, rather than looking for measures on how much grain and over what time period will cause a healthy person to become ill, why not look at it from a different angle?
Are you aware of what refined grains do a diabetic's blood sugar levels?
What conclusions could you draw from this?
ReplyWere not talking about refined grains were talking about whole grains.
Diabetics have problems with all carbohydrates, so I don't no were your going with this line of thought.
ReplyWhether you use 'whole grains' or 'refined grains', from a blood sugar point of view, the response can be the same.
ReplyDo you have evidence of such? Or even evidence that under hypocaloric conditions with adequate protein that insulin is even an independent factor in fat storage in long-term studies?
I don't want to get too far off track here, but there I'm not ready to drink the ultra-low carb cool-aid mentality that whole grains just "suck less" than refined grains.
Most of the evidence presented here has been observational and anectdotal. I don't think you "need" whole grains per se, although I think including them contributes positively to health. It's a smaller part of a much bigger puzzle. It's funny how people blame ALL grains for our health woes when so many other confounding factors over the past 100 years have contributed to poor health.
Scott mentions "anti-nutrients"... if you are even the least bit worried about this (I haven't seen evidence of deficiency because of grain consumption) soak them and eat a varied diet with enough other nutrients.
ReplyHi Mike, I am not talking about fat storage, I am talking about insulin response. Cabohydrate is a long chanin of sugars. For the gut to absorb carbohydrate, it must be broken down in to a simple sugar. The body's most immediate and urgent use of insulin is to regulate blood sugar levels.
ReplyCereal - you are right to pick up on my use of overconsumption and 'over time', so let me clarify. In fact there is an interplay between consumption type (as alluded to by spectra), duration and time. In other words, if you eat low quality grain-based food in very large volumes it will not take long to see the ill-effects, whereas eating high quality, whole grains in small amounts may never elicit ill-effects that are noticed. So the answer to the question 'how much and for how long' is that it depends on the types consumed, the lifestyle context and the physiology of the person. This may make my argument appear weak to you but it is no weaker than any other area of nutrition where the numbers of confounding factors and individual differences make it almost impossible to define empirical certainties. But that doesn't mean strong cases cannot be developed for and against certain foods.
I don't want to over-egg this discussion, so I'll lay out the basic premise behind the assertion that grains are not optimal nutrition for us and you can demand evidence for each points as required. I apologise if this is all stuff you have heard before but at least it ensures we are on the same page.
1. Grains are predominantly composed of carbohydrate, which is broken down in the gut into glucose. Once in the blood, the glucose engenders an insulin response as the body seeks to shuttle that blood sugar into the cells.
Reply2. Prior to the neolithic period, in which agriculture became commonplace, our diet was lower in carbohydrate because we had no access to grains and instead subsisted on animal products and gathered fruits, nuts and vegetables.
3. The period for which we have been consuming this grain-rich, carbohydrate-rich diet is roughly 10,000 years, a drop in the ocean when compared to the time prior to that for which we were eating a less carbohydrate-rich diet.
4. Our bodies are therefore not designed to consistently deal with the amounts of carbohydrate we eat with an agricultural, grain-based diet.
5. The constant presence and amounts of insulin required to deal with the blood sugar from digesting the carbohydrate leads our cells to become resistant to the insulin, as a result of which, more needs to be produced to achieve the same effect. This is a vicious cycle that leads to worsening insulin resistance.
6. Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes and other health problems - the severity and types of health issues a person will develop will depend, as I mention above, on the circumstances.
I've heard that hypothesis before Methuselah, but correct me if I'm wrong it's still just a hypothesis.
Let me be clear Methuselah ,I did not reply to your post to turn this into an argument. You seemed to state that whole grains somehow affected are immune system. Which was what the original post was about, and I asked for clarification on this subject.
I have no problem with not eating grains. Their definitely not necessary for one to survive in many of today's societies , but I see no scientific evidence that one should avoid them in fear of becoming sick or it somehow making them fat.
ReplyCereal - not sure where you got the idea I think grains affect the immune system. I simply said "I'd skip the whole grains, personally."
Yes, it's a series of hypotheses, which together form a larger hypothesis. However, the belief that eating grains does NOT do us harm is also a hypothesis.
Nevertheless, the fact that you can call something a hypothesis is by no means an indicator of how much evidence there is to support it. There is evidence to support hypotheses 1-6. Is there one about which you are particularly sceptical?
ReplyThe post was about building a healthy immune system,that's were I made the connection Methuselah .I was confused as to what your statement had to do with the immune system ,that's why I asked for clarification.
What was the point of your comment if it had nothing to do with the post topic?
"The belief that grains does us no harm is a hypothesis" so you discredit all previous studies done on health and whole grains.Could you point out the flaws you find in said studies that led you to your conclusion.
Does any of the research you have link whole grain consumption to insulin resistance in particular?Any long term studies would also be most interesting.
I wouldn't really call those six listed a series of hypothesis, more like one hypothesis broken down into a six part summary,but I digress.The thing that first drew my skepticism to this hypothesis was the belief that we are the same genetically, and haven't adapted as a species over such a great period of time.It also doesn't account for the many cultures that are quite healthy that routinely consume grains.
ReplyMy opinion is that eating whole grains regularly is helpful. In terms of how much, how often... who knows... but I would guess that any problems that may allegedly arise from eating whole grains would be due to a couple of factors:
1. The rest of the diet isn't great, it's part of a diet too low in good fat and otherwise higher in sugar.
2. You are eating whole grains by the barrel and in the process consuming too much fiber causing GI irritation. Concomittently, you are pushing other healthy foods aside in the name of eating more grains.
I think we need to look at things within the entire context of the diet. You can consume whole grains dialy, weekly or sparingly and be wonderfully healthy in each case.
ReplyThanks for the interesting article on helping our immune system healthy. Besides trying to eat the right foods, I use nutritional supplements to keep my immune system healthy. I firmly believe that a healthy immune system is the key to good health both now and later in life. By making small investments in my health now, I hoping to avoid serious diseases/illness later in life. I've researched and written articles about several supplements (such as Cordyceps, Reishi, Resveratrol, Pine Bark, and Vitamin C) on my health and nutrition blog. Here's a link for anyone wishing for information: http://essential-nutrition-plus.com/health/blog/
This strategy is working for me as I rarely get any colds or flu type symptoms.
ReplyCereal, now you are just being obtuse.
The post said "Whole grains are great sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are essential to keeping the immune system healthy."
My comment said
"I'd skip the whole grains, personally. It's not like you can't get vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and roughage from fruit and vegetables..."
So my comment had everything to do with the original post. I was suggesting, clearly, that you could get the same immune system benefits from fruit and vegetables and that, therefore, I would be skipping the grains myself.
I am happy to point out any flaws, Cereal, but cannot do so unless you cite the studies that support your hypothesis.
ReplyMethuselah are you actually going to show me any of the evidence that you said you had or are you going to continue to dance around the issue.
I thought you wouldn't need me to give you links to studies about the benefits of whole grains considering your position so stoutly against them. I assumed you must have already seen the studies and found some flaw in them any of them.
Here's a couple for starters Methuselah http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8970176?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed,http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12740067?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=5&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
ReplyCereal, I asked you to tell me which parts of my hypothesis you think are most sceptical about so that I can find the best research to support the case. Much as I want to help explain my point to you, I have limited time and would like to target the most important areas.
My main problem with the research article you cite is that it's an epidemiological study, showing an association and nothing more. It means that grains might be good for you, but not that they are.
As I say, let me know which part of my hypothesis you are sceptical about - for example, do you not believe that eating a high carbohydrate diet, whether composed of whole grains or other carbohydrates, leads to insulin resistance?
ReplyAgain I think leading back to fruits and veggies. That is the best immune booster. I also like taking oil of oregano when I am getting sick.
ReplyI don't know how much clearer I can be on this Methuselah. Does any of the research you have link whole grain consumption to insulin resistance in particular?Any long term studies would also be most interesting.
If your studies get there results by simply voiding common sense, and having there subjects over consume grains then keep it. I've seen plenty of studies were the only way they could properly scare the public into believing them was to create a slanted study.
There should have been two links there Methuselah;I don't know what happened to the other one. If your voiding all epidemiological studies Methuselah then what do you want me to show you.
I'll state again if your so insistent on grains being bad for you then what research led you to this conclusion.
Overwhelming evidence shows that whole grains are beneficial too many peoples diet, and should not be feared as a health hazard.
ReplyOkay Cereal, I can see how this is panning out so I am going to try to bow out on a conciliatory note. If there's one thing I have learned from this exchange it is that there is no conclusive evidence on nutrition. People like you and me who take opposing stances on an issue could argue until we are blue in the face about this sort of question and never prove anything. Yes, there is evidence to suggest that whole grains are good for you. There is also evidence that not eating whole grains is good for you. Neither sets of evidence stand up to total scrutiny - that is the nature of diet: it cannot typically be easily controlled (or if it can it's very expensive to run) so most studies in the field are epidemiological (including some I would have cited myself) and so subject to the accusations that causality is not proven I levelled at the study you posted. The fact is that eating whole grains could be good for people who would otherwise eat refined grains, but bad for people who would otherwise eat a diet entirely free of grains. The evidence I have been reading supports this idea, but does not prove it.
It's been a pleasure discussing this with you and in the unlikely event that either of us can come up with compelling evidence to prove beyond contradiction that grains are either good for you or bad for you, I am sure we'll be back to post them.
ReplyIt would have been nice Methuselah if you would have actually contributed some scientific evidence before bowing out of this debate ,but I understand
I was prepared to take away your one scientific point, insulin sensitivity, by pointing out the various studies that show it helps not harms in this area. Their just unsure how much it helps. That's why I wanted to see your research to make sure I new everything on the subject before posting.
ReplyHere's another one.... positive emotions like compassion have been found to increase the antibodies in our saliva whereas emotions like anger suppress production thereof for up to 5 hours after the emotion has passed. I wrote about this in The Joy-Filled Body: Eat! Play! Love and Live!
ReplyIt is important to get all the vitamins and minerals you can into your diet so that you can fight off colds before the blow up into something huge.
Reply