Stay Strong and Healthy by Developing a Quarantine Routine
Part 2: Nutrition for a Strong Immune System
How is your quarantine routine going? Are you feeling stronger and more centered?
Now that you are (hopefully!) feeling stronger with your movement and breathwork routine, it's an excellent time to add another key element of staying strong and healthy; your nutrition intake. What we eat and drink plays a vital role in how strong our immune system is. A diet lacking in key vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients can leave our body in a state of chronic inflammation, similar to what is found in type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome (1).
While every person is unique, and healthy eating can mean different things to different people, everyone can benefit from focusing on increasing our intake of antioxidant-rich foods, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. These essential components help decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in our bodies, thereby enhancing our immune system and responses. (Disclaimer: if you have a clinical condition or food allergy, consult with your regular healthcare provider as necessary).
Antioxidants are a naturally occurring substance in many foods, but let’s focus on fruits and vegetables for now. Including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables each day will provide your body with many different immune-boosting compounds, such as Vitamins A, B, C, and E, along with phytochemicals, such as quercetin (apples, broccoli, kale, onions), catechins (berries, cherries, pears), resveratrol (berries, grapes), coumaric acid (berries, olives, tomatoes), and anthocyanins (blueberries, strawberries) (2). These antioxidants and phytochemicals help protect our cells and keep them healthy. As part of your quarantine routine, add one to two ADDITIONAL servings of fruits and vegetables to your current intake. Remember, the more color variety, the better variety of antioxidants!
Omega-3 Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that play an essential role in our cell membranes and functions of our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune system while also decreasing inflammation in our body (3). Some food sources of omega-3 fatty acids are walnuts, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, soybean oil, and fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. As part of your nutrition quarantine routine, try to add one serving of an omega-3 fatty acid food per day!
Fiber has many health benefits; however, its role in decreasing inflammation is important for our quarantine routine. The minimum recommendation for fiber intake for adults is 25 grams per day. Increasing your daily fiber intake can positively affect your gut microbiome, providing prebiotic effects with positive health benefits for our immune system. As part of your quarantine routine, I suggest to gradually add in an additional 5-10g of fiber to your daily intake. This has been shown to reduce inflammation and keep our immune system healthy, while also protecting us from respiratory diseases both before and during an infection (4). Adding fiber can be as easy as sprinkling chia seeds on your daily yogurt or cereal, having an extra serving of vegetables with one meal, and snacking on a piece of fruit during the day. If necessary, you can use a fiber supplement to help meet your goals.
Setting a small daily goal of adding in these three health components to your daily nutrition intake can make a big impact. Adding fruits and veggies, omega-3s and fiber will decrease inflammation, boost your immune system AND help you feel good. These small changes can make a substantial difference, equipping you to emerge from quarantine as a healthier, stronger you!
References:
(1, 4)
Iddir, M., Brito, A., Dingeo, G., Fernandez Del Campo, S. S., Samouda, H., La Frano, M. R., & Bohn, T. (2020). Strengthening the Immune System and Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress through Diet and Nutrition: Considerations during the COVID-19 Crisis. Nutrients, 12(6), 1562. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061562
(2)
Antioxidants. (2019, November 14). Retrieved February 8, 2021, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/
(3)
National Institutes of Health, Office of dietary supplements - omega-3 fatty acids. (2020, October 1). Retrieved February 8, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
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