Boost your immunity with these foods

It’s always important to keep your immunity high. But we’re obviously in a time that it needs to be as strong as possible. Here are some foods you can eat that can help give your immunity a much-needed boost. 

You are looking for foods that are high in antioxidants and Vitamins C and E.

At this point, frozen or fresh, whatever you can get your hands on is helpful. 

Disclaimer

I have my nutrition certification, and while this post provides some basic information about nutrition, it’s just a guide. Please consult with a registered dietitian for specific concerns or needs. They can do wonders to improve your overall health and help you meet your goals.

Some immunity-boosting foods:

Please ensure to wash all thoroughly, especially if you are eating them raw or lightly cooked.

• Red bell peppers: They contain more than twice as much Vitamin C than citrus, making it the 
• Citrus: Oranges, grapefruits, limes, lemons, tangerines and clementines are the most popular and easiest to find. They are packed with Vitamin C, which is key to keeping your immunity healthy. 
• Broccoli: It’s full with vitamins C and E, as well as many other antioxidants. Eat it raw or cook as little as possible to get the best results. 
• Spinach: Similar to broccoli, it’s chock full of antioxidants. Eat it raw or cook as little as possible to get the best results. 
• Almonds: Contain a high level of vitamin E, which is key to a healthy immune system. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin. This means it needs fat to be adequately absorbed, which almonds have a healthy amount.
• Sunflower seeds: They are high in Vitamin E, which helps regulate and maintain your immune system function. The fat in seeds helps to absorb it.
• Avocado: Is also high in Vitamin E. The fat in avocado helps to absorb it.
• Fruit: Cranberries, blueberries and blackberries ranked high for antioxidants. Apples, dried fruits, peaches, mangos and melons are all a good source.
• Acai berries: I put these separate because they contain more antioxidants than other commonly eaten berries. You can eat them in berry form, juice or powder form that you can add to smoothies or other foods.  

Some immunity-boosting spices and others

• Garlic: Has a high concentration of compounds that contain sulfur, which is thought to be the reason why it’s so good at boosting immunity. I’m allergic to sulfur, so I have to use garlic in small doses. So, if you are too, stay away from it or reduce your intake. 
• Ginger: Is fantastic for many ailments. It has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help with sore throats.
• Turmeric: It’s pretty much useful for everything! Turmeric contains curcumin, which is an antioxidant. It also makes it an excellent anti-inflammatory to help with sore throats. 
• Green tea: It contains two powerful antioxidants, flavonoids and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Black tea contains only flavonoids, which is why green tea is overall better.

Stay away from these foods

Poor eating habits can negatively impact your immunity. So, while you may be doing and eating some of the right things, you may be reversing the good you’re doing with bad habits.

Cut out junk food like chips, chocolate and fried foods, alcohol and caffeine. Also, cigarettes if you smoke. I know it’s not food, but I needed to throw it in! If you need to quick smoking, there’s no better time than now. I wrote a post, Kicking the habit. One smoke-free day at a time with some helpful tips.

If you want some more tips to sticking to a proper diet during this time, I wrote a post called The basics of a proper diet.