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Eat fruits to bolster your immune system

When my kids were little, I always braced myself for the ‘back-to-school cold’ that swept through the house during their first week back in the classroom.  With the new school year upon us, kids are going to be bringing home more than just homework and new friends – they’re sure to bring home plenty of germs, too.  And even if you don’t have kids at home, you’re still more likely to get sick as the weather turns colder – so now is a good time to look at all you can do nutritionally to help keep your immune system running in tip-top shape.

Despite what your parents or grandparents might have told you, you don’t catch cold from being out in the cold air (or, as my mother always insisted, from going outdoors with wet hair).  But when the weather turns chilly, we spend more time indoors – which means we’re in closer contact with more people, and there’s less air circulating – so we’ve got more exposure to the germs that can make us sick. 

Your body has a built-in defense, of course – your immune system.  It’s your own personal army of ‘soldiers’ that protects your body by identifying anything foreign – from a virus to a bacteria to a parasite – and then seeking it out and destroying it.  And your body does rely on a good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to keep your defenses up.  For one thing, if you eat a healthy diet and take care of yourself, you’re more likely to maintain your good health.

Fruits and vegetables are key players because they provide an abundance of phytonutrients – natural compounds found in all plant foods that help to promote health by serving as antioxidants.  You need antioxidants to balance out the processes in your body that cause oxidation.  Oxidative processes are a normal part of metabolism, but oxidation can run rampant in cells if it’s not kept in check – and that can weaken the body’s ability to fight illness.  So your body relies on a steady source of antioxidants from fruits and veggies to reduce this oxidant stress and, in turn, help to support immune function.

Your immune system also has some ‘special forces’ in the form of white blood cells.  These cells produce specialized proteins – called antibodies – that seek out and destroy invading viruses and bacteria.  Since antibodies are proteins, you need adequate protein in the diet to ensure you’ll be able to manufacture the antibodies your body needs.   Healthy protein foods – like fish, poultry, lean meats, soy foods and lowfat dairy products – provide the building blocks that your body needs to make these specialized proteins. 

Keeping your digestive system healthy is also important in supporting immune function.  Your digestive tract is home trillions of bacteria that have numerous functions in promoting health.  Some strains of bacteria help you digest the fiber in your foods, others consume intestinal gas, while others produce vitamins, like vitamin K and vitamin B12.  When your system is populated with these “good” bacteria, they also serve to ‘crowd out’ the potentially harmful bacteria that might enter your digestive tract.  Some of the best sources of these friendly bacteria are cultured dairy products – like yogurt and kefir.

Eating well really does pave the road to good health.  And to help your body in the fight against foreign invaders, your internal ‘army’ needs the best nutrition possible.  So call in the troops – and dry your hair.

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

Posted in Nutrition Health Articles By Guy Alony

Meal-replacement shakes are an effective, easy way to drop pounds. They teach you how to eat less and lose weight quickly and permanently – and the right shake can boost your metabolism by 25%. Who doesn’t need that?

 

The fact is, when you’re trying to lose body fat, you can’t skip breakfast – but you may be too busy to think about calories and to make healthy choices. That’s why drinking a protein shake first thing in the morning is a simple, foolproof weight-loss method. When you drink the right protein shake, you give your body the nutrients it needs and you can also:

  • Boost your metabolic rate by 25%.
  • Save calories by avoiding fatty foods (if you drink a shake for breakfast, you can save an average of 400 calories per day).
  • Keep your blood sugar levels balanced, allowing your body to burn stored fat as fuel.
  • Increase your energy levels, which enables you to increase your activity and automatically burn more calories.

Why do meal replacements or protein shakes for breakfast work? Simply put, weight loss occurs when your metabolism gets moving and you put out more calories than you take in. If you were to replace your 750-calorie bagel and orange juice meal with a 155-calorie protein shake, you’d save 595 calories per day. And you’d see the results on your bathroom scale in no time.  

 

We can’t be perfect all the time, so we need calorie safe havens that keep us anchored while we learn how to eat correctly. Protein shakes that contain nutrients offer those safe havens. Most people love them because they don’t have to think about food, plan meals or buy expensive products. You can even make them yourself. To start, try one of my favorite recipes: a mocha madness shake that tastes amazing.

 

Fat-Burning Mocha Madness

  • In a blender, mix ½ cup of cold water (you can add more or less water depending on the consistency you prefer).
  • Add 2 scoops of nutrient-rich chocolate-flavored protein powder.
  • Add 1 tsp of granulated instant coffee.
  • Gradually add 5 ice cubes to thicken.
  • Blend on high for one minute (in a pinch, this shake can also be made by simply mixing ingredients together in a glass with a spoon).
  • Drink yourself skinny!
Posted in Nutrition By Guy Alony
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