Page 7 - Leisure Living Magazine: May 2020 Edition

Eating for Health And Boosting Your Immune System Naturally
Registered dietitian for California Strawberries, Colleen Wysocki, explains what factors play a role in immunity, eating for health, and how to boost immune systems naturally:
Factors Influencing the Immune System
Factors that can influence immunity include:
• Diet
• Sleep
• Stress
Eating for Health
Eating for health means increasing whole foods
while cutting back on processed foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. People are cautioned not to look for a single “super food” to prevent illness, but rather, start eating a balanced diet to build a strong immune system over time.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans promotes the “My Plate” method of eating for health:
•1⁄2 of your plate: Colorful fruits and non- starchy vegetables
•1⁄4 of your plate: Lean protein
•1⁄4 of your plate: Whole grains or starch •Low-fat dairy is also encouraged at each meal
for those who tolerate lactose.
Consistently building your plate this way
prepares the body to fight illness and stress. Eating for health is a long-game; popping a few berries in your mouth when you start to feel a cold coming on will have limited effect. However, if you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables each day, your cells will be better prepared to overcome viruses and infections when your body does encounter them.
The Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables is at the Heart of Immune-Boosting Foods
Eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day is key to increasing immune cell responses to bacteria and viruses. The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables that promote health depend on the color of the food.
For instance, red, blue, and purple fruits provide antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. These immune-boosting foods help protect cells from damage and may reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease.
Green vegetables, on the other hand, are recognized as foods good for the immune system
• Exercise
• Microbiome • Germs
Eating protein and foods high in vitamin C such as strawberries is key. Try this recipe for Strawber- ry & Tuna Kebabs on californiastrawberries.com.
and they have anti-cancer properties and protect against neural tube defects in pregnancy.
It’s important to strengthen the body against
Continued on page 8
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