A 'Clean Dozen' Dietary Changes That
Can Boost Immune System Strength?
What can you do to boost your immune system naturally when you keep suffering this, that and the other ailment that keeps on running you down? This was the gist of a question I recently tried to provide a summary answer to. Here is that answer:
"Your body needs an internal 'spring clean' to boost immune system response. Here are a 'Clean Dozen' things you can do that will help strengthen immune system and build your health:
(1) Stop eating any sugary foods/sugar (that is ALL cakes, sweets of all kinds, sugar in tea/coffee, and processed foods). Sugar feeds yeasts and other microorganisms infecting your body and helps them flourish in your system. An overload of yeast can lead to all sorts of nagging problems both internally and externally, they are one of the main things to eradicate when you boost immune system function.
(2) Give up eating mass-produced, processed foods (this applies to all tinned, frozen and chilled varieties!) they are generally likely to contain too much sugar, the wrong kind of salts, and various other potentially toxic chemicals that can all undermine your natural immunity. All these either contribute to acidification of the system and/or have toxic effects.
(3) Eat loads of green vegetables -- the chlorophyll strengthens and supports healthy blood production. Also green veges are a potent alkalizing influence on your body, helping to neutralize any acidity, and ultimately creating a positive alkaline balance -- a major key to sustaining good health (see reference at bottom of this page).
(4) Consume plenty of clean, fresh water -- a good quality mineral water is OK, or home-distilled water is good. You should aim to drink at least 2 to 3 liters a day (if you don't do it already). Drink about half a pint/half a liter an hour steadily through the day. This will take some getting used to, as it will initially make you wan to go to the toilet frequently, but this will also help flush toxins from your body.
(5) Use only mineral rich, quality (preferably organic), sea salt on your food. Contrary to popular mythology salt is NOT bad for you IF it is the right kind of salt. In fact it is absolutely essential. Cut out any other kind of salt (and salty products) -- and be sure to season food only with good sea salt.
(6) Generally consume a diet of freshly prepared foods, with the accent on veges (ideally organic -- to reduce any intake of agro-chemical residues). One way to increase your vegetable intake in a tasty way is to make your own juices. Prefer vegetable juices rather than fruit juices -- although that some of the high anti-oxidant fruits are ok in moderation (generally these are the red or 'black' berry fruits, which contain anthocyanins -- this is the basis of both their color, and anti-oxidant value). Most fruits generally contain too much sugar if you are trying to reduce it in order to 'starve' any lingering sugar-loving yeasts and parasitic micro-organisms. (NOTE: Avoid commercial juices -- especially if from concentrates -- they are too sugary and too acidic).
(7) Keep meat consumption to moderate levels (if you have to eat any meat at all). Prefer organic if you eat meat (you do not have to spend more -- just spend the same as you do on non-organic, BUT buy less!) this avoids consuming residues of anti-biotics, growth chemicals and any other agro-chemicals to a minimum. Poultry counts as meat and should also be only organic -- non-organic mass-reared birds are now both high in fat and full of anti-biotics and chemical residues and should not be consumed. You can eat white fish fairly freely, and whilst oily fish has got some good oils in it, eat it no more than twice-a-week due to the fact that it is now, sadly, likely to be contaminated with heavy metals. Again choose organic or wild caught varieties whenever possible. Farmed fish can also harbor anti-biotic residues and may be affected by other fungal and parasitic infections.
(8) Give up salty/fatty snacks completely -- this is ALL crisps, extruded and expanded snacks of all kinds, grits, chips, and so on. Instead make it a habit to consume some nuts every day (if you are NOT allergic of course!). Choose raw nuts -- not salted or roasted and flavored varieties. Almonds are particularly good, but walnuts and brazils are also good in moderation, as are filberts/hazel nuts. Nuts contain some of the trace minerals that are good to have. Avoid peanuts though (which are actually not nuts) as they are almost always contaminated with mold spores. Chickpeas snacks (or used in freshly prepared dishes) and pumpkin seeds are also god sources of zinc to boost immune system requirements.
(9) Avoid fatty foods, and frying in deep oil. Use a good oil like olive oil when you REALLY MUST fry but minimize the amount you use (work towards little or no fried food at all) and definitely avoid mass produced seed oils such as canola oil. Prefer to 'steam' foods (great for green vegetables and fish), or if you must, boil in minimum water -- then dress food with some virgin olive oil, or flax seed oil (which contains Omega 3). Avoid consuming overly browned foods -- whether fried, grilled, barbecued or roast! This will help reduce potential acrylamide intake (known to be carcinogenic -- cause cancer). An alternative good fat to use for dressing foods (great on rice) or cooking generally is virgin coconut oil. It IS rather pricey, but is healthful and does not deteriorate easily.
(11) Reduce to a minimum or cut out alcohol altogether (if you do drink it). It acidifies the system and is, naturally, a toxin. Linked to this in some ways...
(12) Cut out any yeast products as far as possible. This means anything that uses yeasts in its production -- such as beers, wines, breads. The aim is to minimize your systems exposure to sources of yeast and mold micro-flora, whilst rebuilding your immunity.
Your overall objective with these strategies to boost immune system response is largely to 'de-acidify' your system. As you reach a positive balance of alkalinity, your body will free itself of many of the bugs that hang around when it is an acidic/sugary state. You should consequently discover a new lease of health and vitality as you boost immune system effectively.
Some additional ideas to boost immune system:
To further boost immune system response you might also consider taking a good quality probiotic. We don't NOT mean a little yogurt drink! But a proper probiotic strong enough to really reclaim your intestinal health. This is actually really important because a very high proportion of 'Western diet victims' have seriously impaired 'digestive health'. Even if you don't suffer a lot of obvious indigestion, your gut can be compromised... SO you may be consuming a fabulously healthy diet BUT you will not be getting everything that you should out of it. In fact it is becoming more widely appreciated that... gut health is KEY to overall good health and a strong immune system -- PLUS gut health is also key to effective, sustainable weight loss: If you are struggling to lose weight just take a look at this woman's inspiring journey that involved total rehabilitation of her GUT HEALTH! This aspect of improving your natural immunity, well-being and helping with weight loss cannot be under-estimated.
If you currently suffer lots of niggly little complaints, colds, bugs, etc. these strategies should turn things around dramatically within 2 to 3 months, by which time you should feel as if you are bursting with health! (actual time will depend on how compromised your system is, it could be longer, and you do need to keep up the 'healthy eating strategies' in the long term, to boost immune system effectively.)
...and some more thorough information about alkalizing and why it is good for you here:
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