Do you eat these foods, and do you eat them in the right amounts? What do Vitamin A and Vitamin D actually do for your immune system? Using the list below, do you think you’re getting enough? Get all this and much, much more in our 12-Dec-20 Nutrition & Yoga Workshop 11am – 1:30pm!
Your immune system is made of an army of cells
Last time we talked about your immune system needing to grow and become strong. It depends on you to be fed the right things for its survival and development. Two very important nutrients are Vitamin A and Vitamin D. They’re needed to create a sufficiently large number of skilled immune cells to coordinate together, and defend your body and organs against “invaders”.
Imagine a battle scene in a film, with the good guys and bad guys on either side of the screen. The good guys need to create a big enough army in order to withstand the imminent attack. This growth of cell numbers is called ‘proliferation’.
Your army of cells also needs a variety of specialist skills to be used at different points in the battle. In our film scene, some are scouts identifying the invaders, some shoot arrows to fend them off, some fight hand-to-hand with swords and some ride out on horses to round up the troops when they’ve done enough. Taking on these different immune cell roles is called ‘specialisation’.
All of this needs to be coordinated for it to be effective, so that the right cells, are in the right place, at the right time. Like army troops, cells communicate with one another, so they know how to recognise invaders, where to go and find them, and who should be sent in to defend.
Vitamin A – Top Foods for Immunity
An easy list of key foods for you to get your daily recommended amount of Vitamin A (for adults). At least 1 of:
- Carrots, 1 cup
- Spinach, 1 cup
- Kale, 1 cup
- Sweet Potato 1/2 cup
Your immune system also needs a supportive environment, which we’ll be sharing tips on:
- Quality sleep
- Probiotic foods
Vitamin D – Top Foods for Immunity
An easy list of key foods for you to get your daily recommended amount of Vitamin D (for adults). At least 1 of:
- Fortified Plant-Milk, Alpro, 650ml
- Supplements, D3, Vegetology, 600-800iu (amount recommended by BANT)
- Sun-Dried Mushrooms, Dirfis (amount varies)
- Carrot sticks with hummus
- Spinach (baby-leaf) in a salad box (use as you would lettuce)
- Kale sautéed with garlic, or shredded into vegetable pasta, or blended into a smoothie
- Sweet potato baked as wedges, or blended into a warming soup
Immunity Workshop – Don’t miss out!
Remember to book your place on our 12-Dec-20 Nutrition & Yoga Workshop 11am – 1:30pm. Don’t miss out on fast-tracking your immune system health!
If you’ve experienced ongoing or worsening immune system responses (such as chest infections, urine infections, viral infections, more coughs and colds), and if you’ve taken several courses of antibiotics over the years, there may be more at play. I can conduct a comprehensive health assessment for you, to help you get to the bottom of your symptoms, and advise on foods and supplements to address the full picture, and get you back to health – Sangeeta Squires, Registered Nutritional Therapist, Plant-Based Therapeutics Specialist
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