How Strong is your shield?
Have you ever thought about your immune system as a shield? When I decided to start my own business, I was brainstorming on things that could represent your immune system and a shield made perfect sense. (I would like to take the credit for coming up with it, but it was my husband who thought of it). Your immune system shields you from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins; basically, it protects you from all invaders (even some from your own body). Whether you get sick or not, or how sick you get, does not depend on the strength of the pathogen - it depends on how well your immune system is functioning.
To make sure your shield is as strong as possible, there are a few things you need to consider:
What is your shield made of?
Does your shield need any repairs?
How quickly is your shield able to react to attacks?
What is your shield made of?
I do not know about you, but I’d much rather have a shield made of Vibranium like Captain America then a shield made of plastic. So how do we ensure our immune system is made of the best material possible? It is simple; we eat the healthiest food we possibly can. Our cells all die eventually, some after a few days and some after a few months and those cells need to be replaced. What we eat is broken down and eventually becomes those new cells. So if we’re constantly eating fast food, processed foods and refined foods, then our cells are made of less than optimal materials and they are missing key nutrients that ensure cells are functioning properly. To ensure our shield is made of the best possible materials, we need to be eating lots of fruits and vegetables, good quality protein sources and lots of healthy fats.
Does your shield need repair?
Did you know that 70% of your immune cells are found in the gut? Your microbiome and the balance of good and bad bacteria is crucial to proper immune function. Making sure to take probiotics or eat fermented food regularly will ensure a healthy gut flora. Things like antibiotics and a diet high in refined carbs and sugar affect the balance of bacteria in a negative way. Sometimes antibiotics are unavoidable, but you can take probiotics while on antibiotics just take them at least 4 hours after we take your antibiotics. Check out my recipe for Raspberry Water Kefir for a delicious source of probiotics.
How quickly is your shield able to react to attacks?
You have your own personal army which is made up of macrophages, natural killer cells and T-cells. Think of macrophages like an army of Pac-men. They find a threat and basically eat the infected cell. The natural killer cells are like our own assassin cells. They seek out infected cells and kill them. Cytotoxic T-cells can also take out infected cells with a little help from T helper cells which are responsible for sounding the alarm and letting them know where the threat is. Keeping this army in top form is crucial to how quickly they identify and destroy any harmful substance entering the body.
Here are 2 nutrients to build your shield with:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system. (Both innate and adaptive immunity are two types of immunities that protect the body from harmful pathogens and toxins)
It is known to stop the growth of cancer-causing free radicals in the body
It supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens and promotes the oxidant scavenging activity of the skin, thereby potentially protecting against environmental oxidative stress.
It accumulates in phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils, and can enhance cell movement. It is also needed for apoptosis and clearance of the spent neutrophils from sites of infection by macrophages, thereby decreasing necrosis (cell death) and potential tissue damage.
The role of vitamin C in lymphocytes is less clear, but it has been shown to enhance differentiation and proliferation (cell proliferation is the process which increases the cell number whereas the cell differentiation is the process which alters the morphology and function of cells) of B- and T-cells, likely due to its gene regulating effects. (1)
Some easy ways to get some Vitamin C:
Sprinkle chopped red bell peppers on a salad
Add spinach to your smoothie
Eats fruits like pineapple, mandarins or kiwi for a snack (Eat with a healthy fat or protein if you have blood sugar issues)
Zinc
Zinc ions are involved in regulating intracellular (within cells) signaling pathways in innate and adaptive immune cells
Zinc homeostasis (ie. balance) is crucial for either defending against invading pathogens or protecting the human body against an overreactive immune system causing autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, or allergies
Zinc can be considered as a gatekeeper of the immune system, since the adequate function of virtually all immune cells is highly zinc-dependent (2)
Some easy ways to get some zinc:
Put pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds on your salad or in your smoothie
Put sprouted lentils in your soups and on your salads
Eat grass-fed beef or lamb
I will be posting more immune boosting recipes over the next few weeks so make sure to check out my recipes page here.
Stay Awesome,
Eva
References:
(1) Carr A, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211
(2) Wessels I, Maywald M, Rink L. Zinc as a gatekeeper of Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(12):1286
