The Practical Nutritionist, LLC

Audrey J Pellegrino, M. Ed, M.HN,CNW®

Nationally board Certified Nutritional Wellness

Holistic Nutritionist/Educator

603-768-3214

practicalnutrition@gmail.com

www.pnutritionist.com

It is that time of the year again…flu shot time. There has been a lot of talk about the swine flu (H1N1) and who should get the shot and whether or not it will be ready by mid October ….

Last year I wrote an article about boosting your immune system with the foods you eat. This way of eating is beneficial whether or not you choose to get a flu shot. I am reprinting some of the same article because it is worth reminding us all that the daily choices we make are vitally important to our overall health. In a world where we may not have as much control as we would like over things, our food intake is one area we can control.

Were you aware of the fact that 70% of your immune system is in your gut (digestive system)? That is right, once again a healthy you comes back to not only what you eat but how your body uses it. There are environmental and dietary factors that weaken our immune system every day, but there are things you can eat to strengthen your immune system and decrease the impact of these factors?

It is common knowledge that vitamin C helps your immune system, but remember that vitamin C only likes working with friends, such as vitamin A, Vitamin E and bioflavonoids. Peppers are your best source of vitamin C (which strengthens your blood vessel walls and wards off invaders), Seeds and Nuts are your best sources of Vitamin E (helps to preserve fatty acids) and Orange foods such as apricots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are high in Vitamin A (known for warding off infections). Eat some daily and you have a powerhouse of antioxidants that are working for your immune system, not against it.

The antibodies that your body needs to fight colds, viruses and other immune disorders are all made from amino acids and we get amino acids from proteins. Your body can manufacture some, but only if you have a healthy digestive system, and the rest you have to get from your foods. Brazil nuts, Walnuts, beets, lean organic meats and cabbage are foods that are high in two important amino acids, Glutamine and Arginine.

Your best sources of fatty acids (which help to control inflammation and autoimmune disorders) are flaxseed, fish, flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. And you should never forget the mineral that affects hundreds of reactions in your body, the powerhouse zinc. High sources of zinc are oysters, fish, rye, oats, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and black pepper.

Eating right is one of the hardest things to do, but this cold season, before you eat ask yourself, “ is this going to help my immune system?” If you answer yes more often than not, you will probably discover you have colds of shorter duration and when people around you are picking up the newest virus and saying “achoo”, you are the one simply saying bless you.