But what is a healthy, balanced diet? Studies have shown that the so-called ‘Mediterranean diet’ can offer protection against obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and contains adequate amounts of oily fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, diary products, lean meat or meat substitutes. Saturated fat, salt and sugar intake are limited, and processed, refined foods are off the menu entirely. Olive oil, the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, is an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol. It is also rich in vitamins and antioxidants that fight cancer and lower the risk of developing degenerative diseases.
In a nutshell, research suggests that the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on a wide variety of fresh whole foods – along with the odd glass of antioxidant-rich red wine – is the template for a healthy immune-boosting diet.
2 Double take
The nutritional benefit that you receive from fruits and vegetables is unparalleled. Experts advise eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day; one way to maximise the variety of immune-boosting vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, is to make sure you eat two different colours of vegetables and fruits with each meal.
Each different-coloured fruit and vegetable contains unique health components that are essential to our health. The phrase ‘eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables’ is a simple way of remembering to get as much colour variety in your diet as possible, so that you can maximise your intake of a broad range of nutrients.
Red: Tomatoes, berries, peppers and radishes contain nutrients that can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumour growth and cholesterol levels, eliminate harmful free radicals, and support joint tissue in arthritis cases.
Orange and yellow: Carrots, yams, squash, oranges, papayas and other orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that can reduce age-related macular degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.
White: Mushrooms, pak choi and pumpkins contain nutrients that can activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.
Green: Kale, spinach, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, mustard greens and collard greens are all examples of green vegetables that contain nutrients that can reduce cancer risk, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, boost digestion, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free radicals, and boost immune system activity.
Blue and purple: Blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, elderberries, aubergines and prunes contain nutrients that boost healthy digestion and act as anti-carcinogens in the digestive tract.
3 Drink your lemons
Drinking a glass of lemon juice diluted with filtered water every morning is the perfect way to kick-start your digestion and boost your immunity at the same time.
Lemons contain bioflavonoids, a group of nutrients that boosts immunity by protecting the cells of your body against environmental pollutants. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavonoids fill up these parking spots there is no room for toxins to park. Bioflavonoids also reduce cholesterol’s ability to form plaques in arteries and lessen the formation of microscopic arterial blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Studies have shown that people who eat the most bioflavonoids have less cardiovascular disease.
Lemon is also the ideal food for restoring the acid–alkali balance in your body. Drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in water first thing in the morning or adding it to tea, salad dressings (in place of vinegar), baking or cooking, helps maintain your body’s internal balance at a pH that supports healthy bacteria, instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria that thrive in more acidic environments. Apple cider vinegar is another great way to improve your body’s alkalinity, but the taste of lemons is much more pleasant!
Fresh lemon juice drink
To make a glass of fresh lemon juice, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass, add 300 ml (10 fl oz) pure, filtered, slightly warm water and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup for sweetness. Stir and drink immediately. Remember, first thing in the morning about fifteen minutes before breakfast is the optimum time to drink lemon juice.
4 Alkalise, alkalise, alkalise
Your immune system is strongest in an alkaline environment. Many bacteria and viruses love an acid environment, but cannot survive in a healthy alkaline state. If you’re feeling run down, eating lots of green vegetables and drinking plenty of water will boost alkalinity and therefore your immunity.
Your immune system relies on water. It carries nutrients to the cells, carries waste, bacteria and toxins away from the cells and out of the body, keeps body temperature stable, protects joints and keeps the lining of your mouth hydrated and moist, reducing susceptibility to colds.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, as thirst is – along with headaches and dark yellow urine (healthy urine is pale yellow) – a sign of dehydration. Your body’s need for water is constant and experts recommend that you drink six to eight glasses a day, more if you are sweating, exercising or if the weather is hot. And it’s best to drink filtered water only, as tap water may be contaminated by lead and other toxins that your body doesn’t want or need.
5 A yoghurt a day
Look for yoghurt that contains live active cultures indicating helpful bacteria and try to eat one every day for breakfast or dessert, or use live yoghurt in salad dressings, smoothies and dips.
A live natural yoghurt per day might help keep infections at bay. That’s because these yoghurts contain probiotics – bacteria that stimulate immunity cells in the gastrointestinal tract (GI). Normal, healthy bacteria that colonise the GI tract help you resist bad bacteria and detoxify harmful substances. In addition to their protective effect in the GI tract, probiotics may also help stimulate immune-cell production system-wide. In a recent study of 33 women from the University of Vienna, those who ate yoghurt daily for two weeks raised their immune-boosting T-lymphocyte cell count by nearly 30 per cent. (See ‘Part Three, pages 217–19 for advice on taking probiotic supplements.)
6 FOS power
A bowl of oatmeal porridge or shredded wheat for breakfast will give your immune system a much-needed prebiotic fix.
We need both pre- and probiotics in our body. Probiotics are many and varied. The most commonly known is called Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in natural live yoghurt, but more are being discovered all the time.
Prebiotics – also known as FOS (Fructo-oligo-saccharides) – on the other hand, are a kind of natural fibre that nourishes and supports the good work of friendly bacteria, or probiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, asparagus, spinach, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, peas, beans, lentils, oats and bananas. Including more of these foods in your diet will therefore be giving both your digestive system and your immunity a boost. One of the best ways to ensure you are getting enough FOS power in your diet is to have oatmeal, shredded wheat or another wholegrain cereal for breakfast.
7 Good coffee habits
Coffee doesn’t help your immune system do its job efficiently,