Top 7 Foods to Supercharge Your Immune System

As a busy peak performer, maintaining your health is crucial to keeping your momentum going strong. To stay at the top of your game, one of the most straightforward and powerful strategies is to fuel your body with immunity-boosting foods.

Let’s dive into how some smart dietary choices can keep you healthy and unstoppable this cold and flu season, ensuring you continue to excel in your career.

The Diet–Immune System Connection

When it comes to boosting your immune system against the common cold and the flu, your diet is one of your greatest assets.

Here are some of the immunity-boosting benefits of eating a healthy diet — flurona season or not:

• Strengthens your gut microbiome: Having a healthy gut microbiome, sometimes referred to as the “forgotten organ” because of how much it impacts your overall health, makes you more capable of fighting off illnesses.
• Boosts your vitamin intake: Having a diet rich in vitamins can make you less susceptible to illness, especially when you’re getting enough vitamin C and D.
• Gives you high-quality energy: You need long-lasting energy to get through the day and protect yourself from disease.
• Makes you less susceptible to sickness: When you fill your plate with healthy foods, it leaves less space in your diet for foods that can make you more susceptible to illness — namely sugar. Sugar is an inflammatory substance and is also known to harm your microbiome.

7 Immune–Boosting Foods

Here are seven healthy foods you can incorporate into your diet to improve your immune system, year-round.

1. Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C is like your immune system’s superhero, boosting your white blood cell count to help fight off illness. Citrus fruits are packed with this powerful vitamin, so try to include them in your meals. Whether you’re snacking on oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, clementines, or tangerines, these fruits are a delicious way to keep your defenses strong. For the best benefits, enjoy citrus fruits in their natural form instead of juice to skip the extra sugar.

2. Ginger

Ginger is a powerhouse when it comes to reducing inflammation in the body. Many people swear by it to soothe a sore throat or ease nausea. Incorporating ginger into your daily routine is a breeze—whether through capsules, powders, tonics, or teas. Plus, there’s a buzz around this super spice’s potential to help combat chronic pain.

3. Yogurt

If you want to help support a healthy gut microbiome, yogurt is an excellent addition to your diet. Be sure to get plain, full-fat yogurt to reap the most benefits. It won’t do you much good if all the nutrients have been replaced with sugar. Yogurt also contains vitamin D, which can boost your immunity even more.

4. Spinach

Spinach is loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and beta-carotene — all of which help your immune system fight off infection. Spinach is healthiest when consumed raw. So, to get the most from this leafy green, try eating it in a salad or blending it into a smoothie.

5. Turmeric

Turmeric is a staple spice in many curries, but it can also be used in teas or tonics to help fight inflammatory conditions and illnesses. Not only will turmeric help your body fight viruses, but it has also been shown to treat both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

6. Green Tea

Why not shake up your morning routine with a twist? Swap out your usual cup of coffee for a soothing mug of green tea. Packed with a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea is like a superhero for your immune system, helping it fend off diseases.

7. Garlic

If you’re a fan of flavoring your meals with garlic, keep it up. Garlic has been used for centuries to help fight against infections. It also aids the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and helps prevent the hardening of arteries.

The Bottom Line

Adding some healthy immune-boosting foods and supplements into your diet may be just enough to tip the scales in your favor the next time you’re exposed to a virus or bacteria — especially during the colder months. What you eat has such a big impact on your health, but it’s not always easy to change overnight. Creating a diet you enjoy and that keeps you from getting sick is a habit like any other.

If you’re looking to create changes and habits that stick, learn how an Arootah coach can support you on your path. Schedule a complimentary call to get started!