Fight with Food: Build your immune defense system (and the power of Zinc)
With the current situation in our lives, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed, lost, alone and - above all -helpless.
What we do have is the one thing I felt I could never get enough of - TIME.
But even that can make you feel overwhelmed. So what do you do? Embrace it. Shift your focus from everyday mundane things and start focusing on things you have put off doing or placed at the bottom of your to do list.
Chickpeas are a great source of Zinc, a powerful mineral for your immune system. Try roasting them and adding them to salad for a nice crunch! Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash
You’ll never have a better time than this moment to be gently forced into focusing on your health and well being. To be honest, that’s all we can control at this time. We can make our health a priority.
It is imperative that our body is ready to fight this virus that is looming around us. This pandemic is not an age-related issue. This isn’t something that may happen to us when we are older. This virus is in search of a place to survive, an environment that is conducive to its existence.
What we don’t want to do is weaken our system. We do not want to take away its ability to fight this battle. So what do we do? We fight from within! Our body's own defense system, our Immune System, is going to have to prepare to protect and defend. You can help it by focusing on maintaining a balanced, healthy diet.
Protect yourself
Focus on “purposeful” foods. This is not the time to resort to foods that aren’t necessary or beneficial to your health. Food we tend to rely on for mental and emotional comfort can do us more harm than good right now.
“ I highly recommend we begin to take care of our body now, so that when all these constraints are removed, we come back to our new ‘Normal’ stronger and healthier than ever before.”
Our physical health should be a higher priority than comfort. For example, eat a baked apple with healthy sweetener like dates (syrup), agave or honey instead of ice cream. You have more to gain from an apple, which is more nutrient dense, than you do from the ice cream, which has more added sugar and calories without purpose. Again, be mindful of your choices and practice moderation.
Keep it Clean Avoid foods that weaken your system, cause inflammation and hinder your body’s ability to fight off foreign matters, like the virus. Stay tuned to the blog for a follow-up on those inflammatory foods!
But rather than what we should avoid, let’s focus now on what you can add/do.
Enough Hydration More than the usual amount of water is a good idea. Our daily recommendation is half your body weight in ounces, more if you’re exercising, sweating or warding off illness! So if you weigh 150 pounds you would need at least 75 ounces a day.
Green Leafy Vegetables If you’re looking for a vegetable that packs a lot of nutrients and vitamins, look no further than the leafy green. They provide Antioxidants, Vitamins and Minerals!
Fruits and Veggies Get lots of these to balance your food intake. How much? Think about your dinner plate, fill it with ¼ protein, ¼ grain and let the other half flow with veggies, especially the dark green leafy kind! They can be fresh, frozen or in a smoothie. Dried fruits, kale chips, carrots with hummus and cherry tomatoes can go a long way with the whole family. Keep it simple and real. Do this and you can be sure that you are getting adequate Vitamin D, Zinc and other vitamins and Minerals.
Supplement with vitamins If you feel that your intake is unable to meet your body’s needs take supplements as needed, but always check the labels and make sure you recognize ingredients.
Power of Zinc
Have you noticed the stores are selling out of Zinc? First it was the toilet paper and now it’s Zinc! It might have a lot to do with the fact that when our body is low on Zinc, it is a threat to our body’s immune system. Although Zinc has many different functions in our body, characteristics of a malfunctioning immune system, especially as we age, is quite similar to those of zinc deficiency. Zinc is also crucial for our DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Immune cells, like macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells are examples of proliferating cells that are dependent on adequate zinc availability for growth and function.
Lots of food options for getting your daily Zinc needs!
Adults need 11mg/day for Men and 9mg/day for Women. Food sources like beans, meat, cheese, or seeds can provide Zinc. Oysters are one of the best food sources of zinc. Below is a table of a few other food sources of zinc.
Given the current situation in our world today, it would be beneficial to have a well equipped immune system. Even if you do follow a well balanced diet, it would be beneficial to focus more on foods that are high in zinc and consider adding a Zinc supplement to your daily routine. Zinc supplements are available online or at any grocery store. As always, there are many brands and choices available but you are just looking for one that says Zinc in order to “supplement” your daily intake. With anything, all in moderation! I use Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Zinc (each 30mg of Zinc), because it was what was available! Suggestions are not meant as a cure or a promise that we will never be impacted by this virus. It is a tool to defend ourselves best we can.
What else can we do to improve and sustain a healthy immune system? We can work on attaining and maintaining a healthy immune system through our diet which should be rich in essential nutrients. A diet rich in these micronutrients supports a better immune function which increases our ability to fight respiratory illnesses. More antimicrobial and immune boosting foods, like fruits and vegetables are highly important at this time.
I highly recommend we begin to take care of our body now, so that when all these constraints are removed, we come back to our new “Normal” stronger and healthier than ever before.
Bottom line is DO NOT Weaken your IMMUNE SYSTEM. Keep your only fighting machine well equipped and ready to protect.
Bamini is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and member of the Spears Strong team! Contact us if you want direct guidance on food and how to better your nutrition so that it supports a strong and healthy immune system.