Meal plan to boost immunity
The immune system lives primarily in your gut and forms your defensive barrier through proteins, cells and organs to outside invaders such as bacteria, virus’, toxins and fungi.
The immune response helps you fight the infection or neutralise these invaders.
This begins at all of your mucosal layers (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, gut lining from throat to bowel) including your skin.
Great digestion is key with strong robust digestive fire (stomach acid), assimilation (your small intestine and liver helping nutrients become available) and excretion (💧) which isn’t only pooping, that’s breathing, sweating and frequently urinating.
Nutrients that help bolster the immune system:
NAC (a precursor to glutathione) and sulphurous compounds
Glutathione
Vitamin C, D, A, E
Zinc & Selenium
Quercetin & pectin
Beta glucan fibre
Glutamine
Prebiotic & Probiotics
When fighting and warning off infections, iodine (think seaweed snacks, fish, seafood, fish sauce, samphire, capers - things that came from the sea just like us) is a potent anti-bacterial.
Here’s some meals to try.
Smoked salmon omelette and fresh orange juice
Smoked salmon and eggs will give you a whack of protein, good quality anti inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, vitamins A, D, E and a side of freshly squeezed orange juice provides more vitamin A and C and may contribute to your quercetin intake.
Try this recipe:
Snack: grab an apple for its quercetin and pectin content.
Pectin was used with survivors of Chernobyl to reduce radiation poisoning and is a fibre that is potent and eliminating toxins.
Mushroom, miso soup with tofu and seaweed snacks
With beta-glucans, vitamin D and plenty of nourishing fermented miso, this is so easy to prepare! Adding seaweed will also up the iodine intake and provide more fibre for excreting toxins. Mushrooms have been used for their medicinal properties in Chinese medicine for years and eating hot food will help absorption and digestion.
Try this recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/miso-mushroom-tofu-noodle-soup
Snack: cherry cranberry flapjack
Cherries and cranberries again for quercetin but you also get more beta-glucans from the oats, vitamin C from the fruit and vitamin A from using wonderfully yellow butter, but stone fruits have unique properties to build the mucosal barriers in your immune system. Add pumpkin seeds in for more minerals.
Try this recipe:
https://www.farmersgirlkitchen.co.uk/and-now-for-something/
Sweet potato and coconut curry
Curry spices are naturally anti inflammatory and utilising garlic and coconut also increases the anti-viral and antibiotic properties to help clear disease faster. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A and alongside the onions help raise fibre and quercetin. A little heat may also help raise your body temperature to fight off bacteria too.
Try this recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sweet-potato-coconut-curry
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