healthy food

From turmeric to yoghurt, we discuss four foods that you must include in your diet

What we eat is the key to supporting our immune system and living a long, healthy life. Ensuring that you are eating a balanced diet, which includes a mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, along with vitamin and mineral-rich foods is crucial. While avoiding processed and high sugar foods is important, eating specific foods that promote a healthy immune system is crucial to avoid diseases. Here are some foods to boost immunity that you should include enough of in your diet.

Lean meat and legumes

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Protein is important for enhancing immunity because it helps to form the cells that the immune system functions on. Amino acids are found in protein and are responsible for forming the building blocks of all cells, including the immune cells, which fights viral and bacterial infections. Include lean meat like chicken, fish, and eggs or plant-based protein like lentils, beans, pulses, and legumes, which are all foods to boost immunity. They should make up 1/4th of your plate in each main meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

Vegetables and citrus fruit

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The inclusion of citrus fruits in one’s meal plan is a sure-shot way of solidifying your immunity. All citrus fruits and vegetables are foods to boost immunity. Fruits like oranges, lemons, and tangerines and vegetables like broccoli, peppers, kale, have vitamin C, vitamin B, magnesium, fiber, and flavonoids. Vitamin C prevents iron deficiency and drastically reduces the risk of catching chronic diseases and the flu. Citrus fruits also keep one hydrated and have a low-calorie count. These fruits and vegetables are credited with reducing cholesterol and kidney-related ailments.

Turmeric

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Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and is specially added in dishes to speed up injury recovery. It has been seen in several studies that curcumin, the active ingredient that gives turmeric its immune building properties, is a naturally-occurring chemical that gives turmeric its distinctive yellow color and is useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Other than that turmeric has antiviral tendencies that prevent cough. There is a study that contends that curcumin’s inclusion in your meals helps with muscle soreness, inflammation induced by exercise, and hyperlipidemia. Turmeric has flavonoids, zinc, ascorbic acid, and potassium. It is studied that there are close to 300 vitamins and minerals in turmeric that make it one of the most important foods to boost immunity.

Yoghurt and fermented foods

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Probiotic food items like yoghurt, tempeh, kefir, sauerkraut, and Indian pickles are highly effective in maintaining a healthy gut. Yoghurt is a super food to include—it has active cultures such as lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. These two bacteria facilitate the strengthening of bones and also improve digestion. Today there are several flavored yoghurts storming the market aisles. These yoghurts are full of sugar and artificial flavoring agents that are bad for one’s health and can also trigger allergic reactions.

There is a saying that you cannot control everything in your life but you can control what you put in your body. So eat with thought and the next time you plan your meals, make extra efforts to include more of the above-mentioned foods for a natural immune boost.

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It’s the question I’m often asked: How nuts can we go about coconut? Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but most of my clients indeed want to know how they can integrate coconut healthfully into their daily diet. Its reputation as a high-fat food has indeed preceded it, but coconut is so much more than its calorie count…

Builds Immunity

There are good fats in coconut — like caprylic, capric and lauric fatty acids — that provide antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions, all of which build your immunity. In addition, there is also something called monolaurin (present in coconut fat) that gives viruses a knock-out punch.

Rich Mineral Source

Coconut is also loaded with minerals, all of which do wonderful things for your body’s regular functioning. Minerals in coconut include manganese, copper, selenium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. That makes this food a veritable bounty of goodness.

Reduces BP

Raw coconut is high in fibre, which gives it its ability to lower blood pressure. Never a bad thing, no matter what your health profile is.

Better Bowel Movements

Foods high in fibre ensure regular and smoother bowel movements, which, of course, reduce the incidence of constipation and bloating.
Having said that, coconut is also a source of saturated fats, which is a bad fat. It cannot be denied that per cup, raw coconut contains almost 24 gm of saturated fat alone, the intake of which should be limited if weight management is a goal.

Considering that adults should have anywhere between 10 and 20 gm of fats a day (depending on their body composition and weight loss needs), how do you eat coconut healthfully without tipping the scales? You can, if you:

1. Avoid it during weight loss phases

Given its high saturated fat content, I would recommend avoiding/limiting it during your weight loss phase. You can always come back to it in your weight maintenance period. The same goes for coconut oil.
2. Moderate its intake

If weight loss is not your goal, a good estimate would be to consume 30-50 gm of raw coconut per week, once a week. You can integrate this in anything to include curries, chutneys, pastes, and even healthy desserts.

3. Use fresh, grated raw coconut

The best source of coconut is freshly grated from the coconut you bought recently, preferably that day. This ensures that all its vital nutrients remain intact, and its numerous health benefits can be passed on to you.

4. Avoid coconut milk

Coconut milk is high in fat, and most cooks underestimate how much actually needs to be used when putting it in a dish. Try and avoid it as much as possible.

5. Avoid processed and pre-packaged coconut

And definitely avoid desiccated coconut, pre-packed shredded coconut, pre-packaged coconut milk, and any coconut that does not come in its natural, brown, nutty, hard casing. You want the taste of this widely-available wonderful food, yes, but why sacrifice its glorious benefits?

Four Foods to Boost Immunity