Make good fats your friend!
A lot of patients are coming to me and asking, what can I do to help my body fight off a COVID infection?
In our previous blog, we examined some specific foods that have been proven to help boost our body’s immune system.
Here are 5 Dos and Don’ts to apply to your overall diet:
- AVOID SUGAR
If there’s one universally acknowledged truth, it’s that sugar is bad for us. Diets high in sugar have been linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease.
It also increases inflammation in our body. After we eat a big dose of sugar, our body has to instantly produce a lot of insulin in order for our bodies to digest the sugar. This means a lot of our bodies’ resources goes to processing sugar, so enzymes and proteins from other “less” important functions are diverted to digestion, instead of our immune response and inflammation. Basically it freezes your white blood cells! It’s why we get so tired, bloated or thirsty, after a big meal.
While this applies to all types of sugars, some are worse than others. Obviously if you have to choose between a donut and an apple – go with the apple. You’ll get some fiber and vitamins in with it.
Yes, citrus fruits are a high concentration of Vitamin C – which is vital in producing antioxidants in the body, but green leafy vegetables like Kale and Spinach also have Vitamin C. You can also use Vitamin C supplements. Note: Vitamin C is not stored in the body, so you can take it every 3-4 hours.
Worried about sugar cravings? This leads us to…
INCREASE YOUR FATS. No, sorry, not your saturated donut/French fry/Fast Food fats – your polyunsaturated, non-trans fats. Specifically your nut or vegetable oils like: olive, avocado, almond, macadamia, grapeseed, coconut, etc. These fats help decrease inflammation in the body. They also have the added bonus of helping to stabilize your blood sugar levels – not only will you feel fuller for longer, you’ll notice you’ll crave sugar less too.
BECOME A MEAN GREEN FIGHTING MACHINE – No, we’re not saying go vegetarian (your body does actually use animal proteins for important brain functions), we’re saying up the green leafy vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are packed with Vitamin C and other antioxidants. The fiber also aids digestion and increases your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, which all goes towards helping your body be battle ready to fight off infection.
DRINK GREEN TEA. 20 years ago, most green tea tasted a lot like grass. Today, Green Tea comes hundreds of varieties and flavors – and if you still can’t find one you like, it even comes in as an extract in a capsule. Green Tea (or extract) helps your body produce powerful antioxidants that stop viruses getting into cells and replicating.
TUMERIC (aka: Curcumin) An essential ingredient for most curries – it also plays a huge role in reducing inflammation in our bodies. So in a nutshell: Sugar INCREASES inflammation, Tumeric DECREASES inflammation. Like Green Tea, Tumeric’s ever expanding medicinal properties have recently been discovered and now you can enjoy Tumeric beverages, as well as concentrated Tumeric extract in capsules.
Questions or concerns about what’s right for you? Want to find out more about how we can help you get virus-battle ready? Call our office today and schedule your free 15-minute consultation!