How to strengthen the immune system? Healthy food recipes

How to strengthen the immune system? Healthy food recipes

Our body needs special care. Lack of sunlight can weaken the immune system and lead to diseases. However, a properly formulated diet will help strengthen the body’s defenses and save you from colds. How to strengthen the immune system.

What to pay attention to? How to strengthen the immune system.

Loss of strength, dry skin and frequent colds can signal a lack of vitamins. Seasonal vegetables and fruits are the best way to make up for their losses. But there are other pleasant ways to regularly replenish the stock of necessary items.

(1) – “DIET
Having a healthy diet has been shown to have a huge impact on the immune system and on health in general. Hippocrates famously stated: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ In modern times, nutrition for a healthy immune system has been labelled as immunonutrition. According to the NHS website, following a healthy diet is described as ‘eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.’ The basic principles of a healthy diet, especially the right proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibres, fruit, and vegetables are explained in an easy way. The Eatwell Guide by the British Nutrition Foundation is also helpful, with colour schemes, drawings and explanations, which can be followed by anyone without any previous knowledge about nutrition. An important part of having a healthy diet also means that the food should be as fresh and unprocessed as possible, allowing nutrients to remain intact. This means that ready meals should be avoided and food cooked from scratch. If possible, organic food should be chosen as the soil on organic farms is less nutrient depleted than on conventional farms and contains less harmful pesticide residues. Organic food could also be grown in allotments and community gardens, giving people control over where their food is coming from.”

#1. Of vegetables, first of all, pay attention to pumpkin, beetroot, carrot, radish, parsnip. They retain their useful properties for a long time and can be easily found in any supermarket. The easiest way is to bake vegetables in the oven or cook a thick mashed soup.

#2. Among fruits, the most popular defenders against seasonal vitamin deficiency are citrus fruits, kiwis and bananas. They can be used to make a nutritious smoothie or bake a pie.

#3. For a snack, keep a bowl of nuts and seeds on the table. They contain essential vitamins and healthy oils, for which your skin will be grateful. You can add this mix to a salad.
#4. Cereals and legumes are another valuable aid to the diet at any time of the year. Simple oatmeal porridge with dried fruits and a drop of sesame oil, and thick lentil soup for lunch are very healthy. Another interesting “life hack” is to germinate seeds and legumes to provide yourself with a portion of fresh greens.

#5. You are often drawn to sweets, and then spring comes, and we hurry to get rid of the consequences of winter habits. You can do it another way: replace desserts made of flour and sugar with natural dried fruits and honey. This way you will get an extra portion of vitamins and save your figure.
#6. A balanced water regime plays an important role for immunity and skin condition. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day and do not forget about healthy herbal tea.

mousse
mousse. Photos from pixabay

How can I support immunity? How to strengthen the immune system.

Spices and various vegetable oils are another source of useful elements. For example, pumpkin oil contains large amounts of zinc, selenium, and vitamin A. Turmeric prevents the development of colds. When choosing oil, give preference to cold—pressed or raw-pressed products – they contain much more vitamins.

White cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and red cabbage contain even more vitamin C than citrus fruits. Frozen vegetables retain most of the useful elements, so we recommend keeping a stock of them in the freezer and adding a portion to the morning scrambled eggs or when baking your favorite dishes in the oven.

To maintain immunity, it is worth eating foods containing probiotics and prebiotics. It’s easy to do: drink natural yoghurts regularly And also eat sauerkraut, cucumbers, beets.

Add to the diet foods containing useful elements “for mood”: almonds, bananas, nuts. A small piece of good bitter chocolate will also do you good.

(2) – ” Being healthy doesn’t just mean having a body that functions well. It also means being happy and leading a fulfilling life. The environment we live in, the people we meet, and the opportunities we get all have an important influence on our health and immune system. The measures described in this article help a person to take responsibility for their own health. It is important to see them as a long-term investment. These measures are not a quick fix but rather something that needs to be integrated and maintained throughout a person’s life.”

Pomegranate
Pomegranate. Photos from pixabay

Sea buckthorn tea with orange. How to strengthen the immune system.

This drink will give you a portion of useful elements, but also cheer up on a cloudy day. Brew a kettle of sea buckthorn tea with hot ground pepper at the first signs of a cold.

Ingredients:
sea buckthorn 5 tablespoons
oranges ½ pcs.
honey 2 teaspoons
anise 1 pc.
cinnamon to taste
ground red pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cooking time is 15 minutes
Defrost the sea buckthorn and crush it to a soft, homogeneous puree. Put it in the kettle.
Cut half an orange and add it to the sea buckthorn. Put honey and spices in the same place.
Pour hot water over it and let the tea brew for 5-7 minutes.

Berry tea with orange
Berry tea with orange. Photos from pixabay

Vitamin drink made from lemon, ginger and turmeric. How to strengthen the immune system.

It is better to use such a delicacy in the morning.

Ingredients:
lemons 3 pcs.
tangerines 1 pc.
lingonberry 3.53oz
ginger root 1.76oz
turmeric 3 teaspoons
ground black pepper to taste
Instruction:

Cooking time is 12 minutes
Slice the lemons arbitrarily along with the peel, peel the tangerine and divide into slices. Cut the ginger into slices.
Put the prepared ingredients in a blender bowl, add lingonberries and spices. Puree until smooth.
Transfer the resulting mixture into ice molds and send it to the freezer.
It is important to remember that proper nutrition is only one way to strengthen the immune system. Regular physical activity, adequate rest and stress reduction are equally important aspects of protecting the body from ailments.

Yogurt dessert with granola

In the recipe, you need to take ready-made granola, but you can make it in the oven: from oatmeal, honey and nuts. A spoonful of homemade jam will be an excellent dessert decoration.

Ingredients:
natural yogurt 5.29oz
granola 6 tablespoons
almonds 1 tablespoon
honey 1 tablespoon
tangerines 1 pc.
kiwi 1 pc.

Dessert of yogurt, nettle and honeysuckle
Yogurt dessert. Photos from pixabay

Instruction:

Cooking time is 10 minutes
Preparing such a healthy dessert is very simple. Put granola, honey and yogurt in a jar layer by layer.
Chop the almonds, divide the tangerine into slices (we will need one or two pieces), and cut the kiwi into slices. Decorate the drink, and a healthy snack is ready!

It is important to remember that proper nutrition is only one way to strengthen the immune system. Regular physical activity, adequate rest and stress reduction are equally important aspects of protecting the body from ailments. Take care of your immunity now so that this season is active and joyful, like all the others.

(1),(2) –  National Library of Medicine (US); A multifactorial approach to improving immunity; Regina Ford; Published online 2021 Nov 26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8686428/