If you’ve been around a while, you know how much the foods you eat can impact your overall well-being.  (If you’re new around here, then we would suggest starting here to learn more about our healthy food philosophy, which will give you a solid background.) That means that your immune system is greatly impacted by what you choose to consume.  Along with aspects of a healthy lifestyle, such as getting enough sleep and working out, what you choose to eat to fuel your body can either help or harm your system.

A strong immune system will always reap rewards, even more so as we move into cold, flu, and allergy season.  As always, we recommend discussing any eating plan with your nutritionist or doctor prior to incorporating them into your everyday lifestyle, though there are certain foods that you can consider immediately bringing into your diet to help support your immune system, many that you may already have in your pantry.

Let’s dive in…

5 Foods to Boost Your Immune System

Baked Beans

Zinc helps your body make proteins and DNA, while also fighting off viruses and bacteria. Zinc activates T cells, which both regulates immune response and attacks any infected cells.

Baked Beans contain 26% of your recommended daily intake of zinc, in addition to containing a high level of fiber and being a strong source of plant-based protein.  You’ll also be getting B vitamins, minerals, and several health-protective plant compounds. So don’t skip over those baked beans next time you’re at the barbecue for an extra dose of immune-boosting power.

Garlic

When crushed, chewed, or sliced, garlic produces a compound called allicin, which quickly converts into sulfur-producing compounds.  These resulting compounds are believed to be what gives garlic it’s medicinal properties, such as boosting the response of some white blood cells in fighting viruses that enter the body.

While garlic always offers health benefits, some studies have shown that the best way to prepare it for maximum benefit is to eat it as close to its natural state as possible.  Heat has the potential to deactivate the allicin, so it’s beneficial to include it in recipes as raw as your family’s taste buds will allow.

Turmeric

Turmeric is widely considered a superfood thanks to the presence of a relatively large amount of curcumin.  While also being responsible for turmeric' slightly spicy flavor profile, research shows that curcumin naturally decreases inflammation, enhances antibody responses, and modulates the immune system.

Turmeric has a delicious flavor, though very unique.  Similar to a cinnamon or black pepper in terms of spice, it’s an ingredient that also becomes a bit of a chameleon depending on what you’re combining it with at the moment.  As quick suggestions, we suggest using ½ a teaspoon within your mashed sweet potato or combining it with hot water or milk to create a delicious tea.

Pomegranates & Pomegranate Juice

Research indicates that there are several health benefits related to pomegranates and their extracts, specifically related to their antimicrobial properties.  Nearly every part of the pomegranate has been studied, with almost every portion showing a potency against a wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens.

There are many delicious ways to enjoy this juicy fruit, from snacking on pomegranate seeds to enjoying a glass of pomegranate juice. No matter how you decide to enjoy, try to keep the pomegranate as pure as possible to remove all unwanted additives and artificial sugars wherever possible.

Shellfish

To bring this almost full circle, certain types of shellfish are packed with zinc.  If you recall, zinc regulates our immune system and helps our body to attack infected cells.  AKA, it’s pretty important to help keep your immune system strong.

Crab, clams, mussels, and lobster are the key shellfish to look for in the store to boost your consumption of zinc and to help your immune system continue to run smoothly.

You Can Support Your Immune System in Several Ways

Though we here at The Seasoned Chef are committed to helping you stay healthy via a healthy diet (that’s one of the primary reasons why we wrote our cookbook “Mix Match, Make Take”), there are several ways you can support your own immune system.  They’re the same methods you’ve likely heard about over the years related to a healthy lifestyle!

Get enough sleep, drink water, exercise regularly, enjoy some time in the sun, and, of course, stick to a healthy diet!

Let’s all keep doing our part to make this world a healthier place.