Nobody likes to get sick. Most individuals spend a lot of time thinking about how to stay healthy and even take immunizations each year to prevent getting the influenza. If you find yourself around someone who has the sniffles, no doubt you will go to great lengths to stay as far away from that person as you can. A lot of places you visit will now have a pump-bottle of hand sanitizer on the counter for visitors to use. I’ve seen this frequently at doctors offices and even grocery stores. Dietary supplements are a billion dollar industry just in the United States alone. Most folks devour new reports and article constantly on how to stay in prime health. But, while we know that a balanced and nutritious diet is important, we don’t all know which foods are specifically geared toward keeping our immune systems boosted and able to withstand the germs that can so easily lay us up with illness. If you want to build a strong immune system – and who doesn’t? – include the following superfoods in your menu each week.
If you want to help your immune system be as healthy as possible, you should eat pork chops. Now, don’t scoff. This is true. However, most non-meat eaters won’t find this very useful. Eating six ounces of pork chops a day can help prevent you from losing weight. It’s not uncommon for an individual to lose weight when they are ill; however, if pork chops are included in their diet, the weight loss should stop. Some folks might groan at the thought of eating pork chops every day. One of the antioxidants that battles cancer cells is selenium. Pork chops contain a lot of selenium. Thankfully there are lots of really great ways to prepare pork chops so you can still get a fair amount of variety.
Kale, if you eat it raw, is great for your health. You won’t find a form of Vitamin C that is better for your health than that found in raw kale. Other benefits of kale include its high fiber and low sugar content. If you must cook your kale, be advised that this kills off some of the valuable Vitamin C your body needs.
Vitamin C doesn’t survive well when it’s exposed to the cooking process. So, when you add kale to your diet, such as in salads, be sure it’s raw. Keep your immune system strong by supplying it with the Vitamin C it needs by eating raw kale each week.
Echinacea is a great herb that you can use to boost your immune system. You probably wouldn’t call the herb Echinacea a superfood because it’s not something you eat directly or add to the foods you prepare, but it’s important for your immune system. Echinacea is the herb a lot of folks turn to immediately when they feel a cold, or the flu, starting. The actual plant, which is an herbaceous perennial, stands about 2-3 feet tall. However, don’t be tempted to chew on any part of the plant itself. While almost the whole plant is typically ground up for the capsules you take, it is not actually an edible plant. Eating raw Echinacea is not a good idea because it can upset your system by causing nausea and bloating.
These are just three of the many superfoods that are beneficial for your immune system. You are no stranger to the types of foods you must eat to maintain your health. It only makes sense to add superfoods to your diet that will keep your immune system strong and healthy, as well. Don’t you agree?
