A Healthy Diet: Great for Weight Loss and Your Immune System
It seems like everyone is reaching for the hand sanitizer these days to prevent getting sick. Here’s something else you can do to protect against infection: eat nutritious foods.
“A strong immune system doesn’t guarantee your body can fight off every flu bug, but it’s a powerful defense,” said Heather Mangieri, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in a news release.
“Good nutrition is essential to a strong immune response,” she said. “A relatively mild deficiency of even one nutrient may make a difference in your body’s ability to fight infection.”
If you’re uncertain whether you’re getting all the nutrients you need, meeting with a registered dietitian can help you make the healthiest food choices.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association, recommends the following eating plan to help build immunity:
- Eat a variety of protein foods. This includes seafood, lean meats, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, unsalted nuts and seeds.
- Choose foods with vitamin A to help keep your skin and tissues healthy. Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, milk and eggs are all good sources of vitamin A.
- Meet your body’s vitamin C requirements by eating citrus fruits or foods fortified with vitamin C, such as some cereals.
- Include vitamin E in your diet to neutralize free radicals. Try eating sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter or spinach.
- Make sure you eat foods that contain zinc, such as: lean beef, wheat germ, crab, wheat bran, sunflower seeds, black-eyed peas, almonds, milk and tofu. Zinc can help wounds heal and keep your immune system working.
+ Learn more about healthy eating habits with Bon Secours Registered Dietitians.
+ Need help losing weight? Learn about the Bon Secours In Motion Fitness and Weight Loss Program.