Food As Medicine & Immunity

Food is medicine.

In addition to doing all of the preventive measures such as wearing a mask or gloves, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing to avoid getting COVID-19, there's another piece to this.

What you eat.

Because at the end of the day, you are what you eat......literally.

And if you're now faced with the reality that you need to step up your game where your immunity is concerned, this is by far the most important thing you can give your attention to.

Food As Medicine

When it comes to your body, wanna know who's ultimately in charge?

The molecules in the food you eat. Boss is in de house.

Yes it true. When you eat, those molecules tell your cells how things are going to be.

The food that you eat is not only important in controlling inflammation levels, it also assists in balancing blood sugar, aids in digestion to process and eliminate waste, regulates blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and much more. 

So it stands to reason that you'd want to eat those foods that tell your cells to act accordingly. Eating real, clean food, will keep you healthy, and your immune system strong. Whereas processed foods, fast foods, chemicals, pesticides, GMO's and other additives increase inflammation which is the cause of most disease.

Keep in mind that food effects all of us in different ways. What you eat is bioindividual. Meaning that one persons food is another persons poison. We all have unique needs and sensitivities, and it's important to know what works for you and what doesn't. 

We don't give food enough credit when choosing what to eat. People typically eat mindlessly - being unaware of whether the food they're eating is actually helping or hurting them. Most of the time the thought about what to eat has more to do with ease, satisfying hunger, or out of emotional comfort.

To add to this, we've become accustom to various symptoms that we view as a normal part of eating or don't connect symptoms to food at all. Such as bloating, excessive gas, headache, constipation, irritability, fatigue, muscle aches, poor memory, difficulty concentrating, allergies...just to name a few.

And.... this is one of the most important indicators and information that you can have in telling you what you should eat and what you should avoid.

First lets cover inflammation.

Most people are most familiar with it in terms of injury, the bodies response to assist in healing. But what a lot of people don't really think about is how chronic inflammation can be a serious problem for your overall health.

Inflammation is when the body releases chemicals and messengers in the body that cause irritation and swelling. Normally this is beneficial in helping the body fight foreign invaders or when injured. However, if your body is dealing with chronic inflammation sustained over a long period of time, it can cause tissue damage, and it's the chemical messengers that tell your body to hold onto fat.

So what causes chronic inflammation? The biggest culprit is the food you eat.

Foods That Cause Inflammation 

Since what to eat is based on bioindividuality, and not one way of eating is good for all, it's important to know what is right for you. Particularly when it comes to inflammation. This information is gold when it comes to keeping your immune system operating as it should to avoid weakening it, or more seriously, the possibility of developing an autoimmune disease in the future.

The most common foods that are known to cause inflammation are:

1. Gluten
2. Dairy
3. Sugar
4. Processed foods (contain hidden sugars and trans-fats with partially hydrogenated oils)

The best way to know what foods are causing symptoms is to remove those foods commonly associated with inflammation for 3 weeks, then add them back individually one at a time to watch for the onset of symptoms. 

You can do this simply by eliminating all of the above, then after 3 weeks, add each one back separately, one a time for 2-3 days to watch for symptoms. 

Truth be told, a lot of people are walking around with any number of the symptoms (or more) listed below, and attribute them to something else. Also, those who do eliminate foods that are causing symptoms, like in my experience, often say, "I had no idea how bad I felt until I felt good". No truer words. It's often an eye opening experience to feel first hand the power of food.

Possible symptoms:

• fatigue
• brain fog
• headache
• bloating
• body aches
• congestion
• diarrehea
• constipation
• difficulty concentrating
• reflux
• joint aches
• skin issues
• changes in mood
• anxiety

These are just to name a few. But if you experience any of these once you reintroduce each food, then you know you're onto something and may consider avoiding or completely eliminating those foods causing any of these symptoms. 

Foods That Improve Immune Function

When thinking about eating food, I want you to always be keeping in mind what real food is, and the two crucial things about food that your body needs.

Nutrients and energy from the sun.

Now you may be thinking, "well of course, duh, that's what food is for", but lets be honest, each time you eat, do you think about how great it is that your feeding your body required nutrients or that your nourishing your body with food that will keep it functioning properly?

When we eat, most people tend to think about just simply getting something tasty down their throats to keep them alive. Well, both are true, clearly food should taste good in order to want to eat it, and yes you need it for survival.

But what's often missing, is considering what food is actually for in keeping the body going, and what nutrients are needed for your cells to do their job so your body can heal, give you energy, create hormones, build muscle, keep bones strong and build your immunity.

So just what should you eat for strong immunity?

1. Healthy fats. Otherwise known as essential fatty acids, fats determine the level of inflammation in the body. Your body doesn't produce essential fatty acids, thus you need to consume them so your body can function properly. Examples are:      
   • Leafy greens
   • Fish
   • Nuts
   • Seeds
   • Avocado
   • Coconut
       
2. Fruits & Vegetables. Eat all of the colors and organic is best. If you cannot afford organic, there are some conventional fruits and vegetables that are ok as they have less pesticides than others. The best way to know what is best, see the Environmental Working Groups Annual list of the Clean 15 (those fruits & vegetables with least amount of pesticide exposure, and the Dirty Dozen (those fruits & vegetables that you want to buy organic due to the high level pesticides. See my blog post on the 2020 list here.
3. Low-glycemic Index Foods (low in added or natural sugars). Foods with a low-GI value are slowly digested and absorbed resulting in a smaller rise in blood sugar. Those foods with a higher-GI level are more quickly digested and absorbed resulting in a more rapid increase and decrease in blood sugar levels.
4. Probiotic foods. Since most of your immune system in in your gut (about 80%) its important to feed it crucial bacteria to keep the gut healthy. The microbiome, (bacteria) in your gut actually helps regulate inflammation as well as assists in controlling weight, appetite, and cognitive functioning. This is amazing as your gut literally can dictate your mood to preventing you from getting sick. (1)
5. High fiber. Fiber helps aid in the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria in your gut that influences immunity, regulates blood sugar levels, helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, strengthens the colon walls, and helps prevent insulin resistance. So eat those greens, fats, berries, nuts and seeds!

As mentioned  before, we're all different when it comes to food. This bioindividuality  is important when deciding what food is right for you. Even with the healthy foods listed, not everyone can eat them. Most importantly, never stop a medication, nor replace a medication with food without consulting with your doctor.

But what you can do starting today, is incorporate the good stuff. Just a little each day to build good long lasting habits and keep that immune system strong to fight the good fight!

Wishing you lasting health and abundance,

Shannon