Looking for meal plans that can help both you and your family stay healthy? There are plenty of food items that have a direct impact on how well your immune system responds to outside threats. Here’s some you should try.
1. Fruits
Fruits come packed with plenty of nutritional value, and for good reason. Remember, the intended purpose of a fruit is to protect and nourish the seeds within it so that those can grow into healthy trees, which is why nature makes sure fruits are nutrient-rich. They are also designed to be delicious; a lot of trees need animals to pick their fruits in order to spread their seeds.
When it comes to boosting your immune system, you want to look for citric fruits, as those are rich in vitamin C. Start shopping for grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and tangerines.
There are other fruits who are rich in Vitamin C. A single papaya, for example, contains over 200 percent the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, making them a great way to get a boost at the start of your day. Papayas also come packed with potassium, Vitamin B, and folate, which all offer health benefits.
2. Roots
Although they are often less immediately appetizing than fruits, the benefits of having roots in your diet cannot be overlooked. A lot of food items in this category are full of nutrients and health benefits.
Ginger, for example, has anti-inflammatory properties, making it generally good for treating the symptoms of diseases. There’s some indication that ginger may also be useful for lowering your cholesterol. Both health benefits can indirectly boost your immune system, as having a healthier body frees up resources that your body can use to improve its defenses.
Garlic is another beneficial root, one that is capable of lowering your blood pressure and of helping your body fight infections. Turmeric has similar effects. Turmeric is often sold in powder form, but the substance is originally sourced from the roots of the Turmeric plant.
3. Seeds
In the seeds category, there are two food items you should keep an eye on to benefit your immune system: almond seeds, and sunflower seeds. Both of them are rich in Vitamin E, as well as many other nutrients.
Vitamin E is often overlooked when it comes to boosting your immune system, but it is almost as important as Vitamin C. Vitamin E can only be found in food items that contain a good amount of healthy fats.
Lucky for you, almonds are both delicious and rich in healthy fats. Half a cup of almonds will give you almost 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of this vitamin. Almonds also provide a healthy dose of calcium and iron for your organism.
Sunflower seeds also come packed with an incredibly high amount of Vitamin E. In fact, just one ounce of oil-roasted sunflower seeds will give 76 percent of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin E. Not only that, but these seeds are also rich in phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin B6, and antioxidants.
4. Green tea
Green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate, an immune-boosting substance that can only be found in high amounts in green tea and nutritional supplements. To reap the most benefits, experts recommend that you drink three to five cups of green tea a day. This is a routine you can make healthier and more pleasant by mixing CBD51 products into your tea.