Our immune system protects us from germs. Our body is constantly attacked by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, and our only defense against them is our immune system. Therefore to protect ourselves is to support our immune system. Thi guide will tell you how the immune works and how you can make it stronger, how you can prevent diseases, discover what food is best or worst for your immune system and what vitamins and minerals are essential for its proper work.
What is the Immune System?
The immune system is a large network of cells, tissues, and organs that function together to protect our body from foreign body attacks. These invaders are microbes — microscopic, infection-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. The human body provides an ideal environment for many microbes to survive, so of course they want to invade it. The immune system keeps them out, but when it doesn’t work correctly or fails, the immune system starts to seek them out and destroy them.
The immune system is able to recognize and remember the countless intruders and produces cells and secretions that can defeat each of them so our body is safe again.
It works so effectively thanks to a dynamic communication network. In our body, there are millions of cells that move all around the body, passing information from one point to another. When they receive an alarm, the cells start to produce an effective weapon: it’s strong and powerful chemicals. The cells can also regulate their behavior and growth that makes them very adaptive to different conditions.
We wouldn’t be able to fight a huge variety of microorganisms or harmful changes inside the body without our immune system. Its main tasks are:
- fight and remove disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi.
- defeat disease-causing changes in the body.
As long as the immune system is running properly, you won’t feel that it’s there. But if it stops working smoothly because it can't fight some aggressive pathogens or it’s weak, you will get sick.
How the Immune System Works
The immune system is necessary for human survival. Without it, our body is fully open to attack from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and more. This massive network of cells and tissues is continually on the alert for threats, and if an intruder is detected, a dynamic assault is set up.
The immune system is distributed across the body and includes several kinds of cells, muscles, enzymes, and tissue. Damaged cells are also detected and destroyed by the immune system.
The immune system’s work is expansive and consists of many parts.
White blood cells
Another name for white blood cells is leukocytes. These cells circulate in lymphatic tissue and blood vessels that parallel the arteries and veins.
Leukocytes are always on regular monitoring for pathogens. Once they reach a target, they begin to replicate and transmit signals to other cell types to do the same thing.
White blood cells are located in lymphoid organs. These include the thymus, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. There are two main types of leukocyte:
1. Phagocytes
These cells cover and consume toxins and break them down and destroy them efficiently. There are several types of phagocytes:
- neutrophils — the most common type that attack bacteria
- monocytes — the largest type that has several functions
- macrophages — monitor pathogens and remove dying and dead cells
- mast cells — protect from pathogens and help to heal wounds
2. Lymphocytes
Theses cells help the body identify former threats that have again entered the body. Lymphocytes are produced by the bone marrow. Part of them stays in the marrow to develop into B lymphocytes (alert T lymphocytes and produce antibodies), and another part goes to the thymus to transform in T lymphocytes (alert other leukocytes and destroys damaged cells in the body). These two types have different roles:
Main Parts of Immune System
The immune system organs are called lymphoid organs because they produce lymphocytes.
Bone marrow is the soft tissue at the deep core of the bones. It is the highly reproductive source of all blood cells, including white blood cells that become immune cells.
The thymus is located behind the breastbone; it is the place where T lymphocytes mature.
Blood vessels serve as one of the main routes for lymphocytes to travel throughout the body. Another route through the system is lymphatic vessels that parallel veins and arteries. Blood and lymphatic vessels are exchanged between cells and fluids, allowing the last one to control invading microbes in the body. Also, the lymphatic vessels carry a clear fluid, or lymph, that bathes tissues of the body.
Small lymph nodes are situated along the lymphatic vessels, with clusters in the armpits, abdomen, neck, and groin. Every lymph node is loaded with compartments where immune cells congregate and identify the antigens.
Peyer's patches are the structural units of gut-associated lymphoid tissue which are responsible for endocytosis and transport into intraepithelial spaces.
The spleen is located in the upper left of the abdomen. It contains specialized compartments where immune cells gather and work, and serves as a meeting ground when immune defenses face antigens.
Clumps of lymphoid tissue can be found in the airways and lungs, the linings of the digestive tract —territories that function as gateways to the body. These tissues include the adenoids, tonsils, and appendix.
Types of Immune System
Our immune system can be divided into two subsystems: adaptive immunity and innate immunity. Both these systems are closely connected and work together once a harmful substance or pathogen triggers an immune response.
The adaptive immune system produces antibodies and uses them to fight particular germs that our body has come into contact with before. This phenomenon is called an acquired or learned specific immune response. Thanks to the adaptive immune system that always learns and adapts, our body can fight viruses or bacteria that mutate over time.
You're born with innate immunity that consists of barriers in and on the body that protect from foreign threats. Skin, stomach acid, enzymes (found in tears, skin oil, and mucus) are the components of innate immunity. There are also a few elements of innate immunity found as chemical substances called interleukin-1 and interferon.
The innate immune system is a general defense against harmful substances and germs, so it’s also known as the non-specific immune system. It basically fights using immune cells such as natural killer cells and phagocytes. The main task of this immune system is to fight injurious microbes and substances that enter the body through the digestive system or skin.
Immune Tolerance
Immune tolerance is the ability of B or T lymphocytes to ignore the body’s own tissues. Scientists are trying to find out how the immune system knows when to ignore or respond.
Central tolerance occurs during lymphocyte development. In each immune cell’s early life, it is exposed to a huge amount of self molecules in the body. If it hasn’t fully matured and meets these molecules, the encounter starts an internal self-destruct process to kill the immune cell. It is called 26 clonal deletion that helps ensure that T cells and B cells do not mature and invade healthy tissues.
The immune system’s overactivity can take many forms, including autoimmune or allergic diseases. Underactivity of the immune system can make people vulnerable to infections that can be life-threatening in some cases.
Autoimmune Diseases
Sometimes the immune system loses its identification ability, and the body starts to produce antibodies and T cells against its own cells and organs. Disoriented antibodies and T cells, as they are known, cause a huge variety of diseases. For example, T cells that attack pancreas cells cause diabetes, when at the same time, a rheumatoid factor (autoantibody) is common for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Scientists can’t say what exactly causes autoimmune diseases, but do not exclude the role of multiple factors such as sunlight, viruses, drugs: common parts of the environment that can damage normal body cells. Hormones may play a role too, and more for women than for men. Also, we cannot ignore heredity.
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar, also known as diabetes. One of our hormones, insulin, transfers sugar to cells from the blood to store or use it for energy. Your body can’t properly use insulin effectively or produce enough to function correctly with diabetes.
If you don’t treat high blood sugar, it can damage your kidneys, eyes, nerves, and other organs.
There are a few types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes
An autoimmune disease. The immune system destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. About 10% of diabetics have this type of disease.
Type 2 diabetes
The body becomes immune to insulin, so sugar builds up in the blood.
Prediabetes
The blood sugar is higher than it should be, but it’s not enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes
Blood sugar is high during pregnancy. This type of diabetes is caused by the placenta that produces insulin-blocking hormones.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that provokes skin cells to build up rapidly. As a result, scales form on the surface of the skin. Common symptoms are redness and inflammation around the scales. Typical psoriatic scales ripen in thick, red patches and have a whitish-silver color. These patches also may crack and bleed.
Growing deep in the skin, the cells rise to the surface. After a while, they fall off. The skin cell’s life cycle is one month. When you have psoriasis, the life cycle of skin cells is disrupted, and the production process is over after a few days. Skin cells cannot fall off because of a lack of time. This overproduction causes the buildup of skin cells. Skin scales usually appear on elbows, knees,scalp, hands, neck, feet, and face.
Less typical types of psoriasis appear on the mouth, the nails, and around genitals.
Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are caused by micro-organisms — such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. There are a lot of organisms that live on and in our bodies. They're harmless, and some of them are even helpful. Yet, in other conditions, some organisms can trigger the disease.
Signs, causes, and symptoms depend on micro-organisms that caused your disease. Though most common symptoms are fatigue and fever.
Direct contact
Infectious diseases easily spread because of their ability to be passed by direct or indirect contact. Examples of direct contact include:
- Animal to person. If you have been scratched or bitten by an infected pet or animal, you can contract a harmful and sometimes fatal infection. Be careful while handling your cat’s litter box, as you may get a toxoplasmosis from animal waste.
- Person to person. This contact happens when a person with the virus or bacterium touches, sneezes, or coughs on someone who isn't infected. These microbes can also spread through sexual contact. The person who spreads the infection can have no symptoms and signs of the disease, but may simply be a carrier.
- Mother to child. A pregnant woman can infect her unborn baby with a virus or bacterium germs that lead to diseases. Some of them pass through breast milk or the placenta. Microbes in the vagina may be transmitted to the baby during birth too.
Indirect contact
A large number of germs lay on a doorknob, tabletop, or faucet handle. When you handle a doorknob touched by someone ill, you can pick up the microbes he or she left behind. Do not touch your mouth, nose, eyes before washing your hands, or you can get an infection.
Insect bites
Some infections can be passed by insects— fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, or lice. Mosquitoes can be carries of the West Nile virus or malaria. Deer ticks carry Lyme disease.
Food contamination
Disease-causing microbes may infect you through contaminated water and food. The transmission mechanism allows microbes to be spread to a lot of people through a single source. Escherichia coli, for example, is a bacterium that can be found in unpasteurized fruit juice or undercooked meat.
Bacterial Infections
Many different kinds of bacteria can make you ill. Bacteria can infect any part of the body, and can also spread throughout your blood, triggering the sepsis.
You may experience common symptoms, such as fatigue, chills, and fever when you have a bacterial infection. Also, you may feel other effects like example, swelling, pain, organ dysfunction, and redness.
Bacterial infections are triggered by the transmission of bacteria. You can be infected with bacteria from people, through the environment, drinking contaminated water, or eating contaminated food.
If you have a weak immune system or take immunosuppressive medication, you may be more susceptible to developing a serious bacterial infection — even from those types of bacteria that are normally innate to your body.
Bacterial infection
Type of infection
Description
Tuberculosis
Contagious disease
Caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. It most often causes a lung infection, and sometimes it can affect the brain.
Salmonella
Food poisoning
It causes vomiting, diarrhea, and severe stomach upset. It’s caused by a non-typhoidal salmonellae bacteria that can be found in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. The most known method of infection is eating undercooked poultry.
Escherichia coli
Gastrointestinal (GI) distress
The infection may be severe or fatal. This bacteria is most commonly transmitted through contaminated food.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Can be deadly, particularly in people who have compromised immune systems. The symptoms include painful abscesses, fever, and inflammation.
Bacterial pneumonia
Lung infection
It’s triggered by a number of different bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc. They are commonly spread through air particles from sneezing or coughing.
Bacterial vaginosis
Vagina infection
It can cause discharge, itchiness, and painful urination. This is the result of an imbalance in the normal bacterial flora of the vagina.
Clostridium difficile
GI illness
This bacteria is usually located in the intestine. It can cause GI illness when it starts to overgrow due to an impaired immune system or antibiotic use.
Gonorrhea
Sexually Transmitted Infection
The carrier is a bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The symptoms are redness and swelling of the infected area, pain, and swelling in testicles, frequency of urination, a persistent sore throat.
Heliobacter pylori
Stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis
The the GI tract may change because of acidity, reflux, smoking, which predisposes to this bacterial infection.
Viral Infections
Viruses are tiny particles of genetic material (RNA or DNA) that are covered with a protein coat. They can’t reproduce themselves on their own, so they need to infect organisms to survive. Viruses have a bad rap, though they play a major role in supporting the environment, plants, animals, and humans. For example, some of them serve as protection from other infections. They also help transfer genes among different species in the process of evolution.
We all think of influenza, the common cold, coronavirus, chickenpox, and others when we hear about viruses. Viruses can infect different areas of the body, such as the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive systems. They can also damage the brain, skin, and liver. Evidence has shown that viruses are often implicated in multiple cancers.
The most common types of viruses are:
- Rhinovirus often causes the common cold, but more than 200 different viruses can lead to colds. Cold symptoms like sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and mild headache usually last for up to 2 weeks.
- Seasonal influenza is a virus that infects between 5% and 20% of the US population every year. Almost 200,000 people per year need hospitalization due to flu complications. Its symptoms commonly include severe fatigue and body aches.
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a viral infection that causes upper respiratory infections (like colds) and lower respiratory infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It may be very severe in small children, infants, and elderly adults.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections can be classified as opportunistic and primary . Opportunistic infections develop mainly in hosts with weak immune system, while primary ones infect immunocompetent hosts.
Opportunistic fungal infections
A lot of fungi are opportunists and are commonly not pathogenic, only if you have a strong immune system, though. Patients who spend more than a week in a hospital can be compromised due to malnutrition, medical procedures, or underlying disorders.
Typical opportunistic systemic fungal infections are:
- candidiasis
- aspergillosis
- mucormycosis
- fusariosis
Primary fungal infections
Primary fungal infections are the result of inhalation of fungal spores, which cause localized pneumonia (primary manifestation of infection). Systemic mycoses commonly have a chronic course. Pneumonia and septicemia with disseminated mycoses are rare diseases and lung lesions progress slowly. It would be months before you discover you are sick due to the absence or lowered severity of symptoms. Sometimes you may experience night sweats, fever, chills, weight loss, anorexia, malaise, and depression. Various organs can be infected and dysfunction. Fungal infections can be systemic or local .
Local fungal diseases typically infect the skin, mouth (stomatitis), or vagina (candidal vaginitis).
Systemic mycoses that damage highly immunocompromised patients frequently manifest intensely with fungemia and progressive pneumonia.
Wash your hands. Washing hands is especially important before eating, before and after preparing food, after using the toilet, and after returning home from being out. Do not touch your nose, mouth, or eyes with your hands, because this is the easiest way for germs to enter your body.
Stay home when ill. Don't go to work or outside if you feel bad, have diarrhea, are vomiting, have chills or a fever. Do, however, go to a doctor if your symptoms persist.
Get vaccinated . Vaccines reduce the chances of contracting diseases.
Prepare food safely. When preparing meals, keep counters and other kitchen surfaces absolutely clean. Cook your food to the proper temperature. For ground meats, the temperature should be at least 160˚F, for poultry 165˚F, and 145˚F for most other meats. Refrigerate leftovers as well — don't allow cooked food to sit at room temperature for a long time.
Don't share personal items . Avoid sharing dining utensils or drinking glasses. Use your own comb, toothbrush, and razor.
Travel wisely . If you like traveling around the world, consult your doctor about special vaccinations, for example, cholera, yellow fever, hepatitis A, typhoid fever.
Practice safe sex. You must always use condoms if you or your partner has or had any sexually transmitted infections.
You can protect your body from sniffles and coughing by eating immune-boosting foods.
Oranges are a good source of vitamin C, which helps prevent the common cold. It can also help reduce the severity and duration of a cold.
Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants that prevent and help to treat coughs and colds. Consuming flavonoids — blueberries antioxidants — lowers the chance of catching a cold. Also, it may help fight inflammation.
Apples can help avoid illnesses such as the typical cold. They contain phytochemical antioxidants that reduce the chances of chronic diseases and help boost immunity.
Red Peppers is also a rich source of vitamin C. According to Harvard Health Letter review, 200 ml of vitamin C every day helps make the duration of symptoms shorter by 14% in children and 8% in adults.
Spinach is packed with vitamin C and loaded with digestion-regulating fiber.
Mushrooms increase the strength of immunity-boosting T-cells. They also reduce inflammatory-inducing proteins.
Miso. Being made from soy, miso is loaded with isoflavone antioxidants that boost immunity and reduce inflammation.
Ginger decreases inflammation,. It stores heat in the form of gingerol, a close relative of capsaicin. It may help reduce and ease chronic pain and possess cholesterol-lowering properties.
Garlic can help slow down the hardening of the arteries and lower blood pressure. The immune-boosting effects of garlic is derived from a large concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.
Turmeric. This spice contains curcumin, a strong anti-inflammatory compound. Curcumin triggers the production of T-cells.
Poultry. Both turkey and chicken are rich in Vitamin B6. It plays a huge role in many of the chemical reactions that occur in our bodies and is necessary for the formation of new red blood cells. Broth cooked by boiling chicken bones includes chondroitin, gelatin, and other nutrients for gut health and immunity.
Wild Salmon and Light White Tuna are loaded with zinc.
Green Tea contains flavonoids that boost immunity and has anti-inflammatory affects. It also includes the antioxidant catechin, which is known to be a strong antiviral and antibacterial.
Greek Yogurt is rich in probiotics and contains more protein than usual yogurt.
Raw Honey is helpful in ease pain in sore and itchy throats. Honey also acts as an antibacterial, killing any microbes in the body that can cause you to get sick.
Worst Foods for the Immune System
Sugary Snacks. Refined sugars can suppress the immune system. Refined sugar targets and attacks the cells that fight against bacteria. After you eat something sugary, the effect can continue for hours.
Soda. If you like drinking soda — it doesn’t matter what sweetener has been used — you’re harming your immune system. Even diet soda is a bad option. Soda doesn’t have any beneficial nutrients, so drinkers can’t get enough calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A — all essential elements for the immune system. And phosphoric acid can deplete magnesium and calcium in the body.
Fried Foods are full of fats that can increase the amount of bad cholesterol and inflammation in the body. In addition, it accumulates acrylamide — a dangerous carcinogen.
Processed Foods contain a hefty amount of refined sugar, hidden flavorings, and carbohydrates. Even cereal and bread, organically processed foods, may contain immune-suppressing sugar.
Essential Nutrients for the Immune System
Good nutrition is essential if you want to strengthen your immune system, which should protect us from seasonal illness and other diseases. No one supplement or food can totally prevent illness, but you can try to include vitamins and minerals that are important for our immune system in your overall eating plan on a regular basis.
Vitamins, Minerals & Proteins
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports the cells’ structure in the respiratory tract, skin, and gut We need vitamin A to produce antibodies that neutralize harmful and infected pathogens.
You can find Vitamin A in egg yolks, oily fish, tofu, cheese, seeds, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. In addition, vegetables include beta-carotene, which our body converts into vitamin A. Beta-carotene can be found in leafy greens and yellow, orange vegetables such as pumpkin and carrots.
B vitamins
B vitamins, specifically B6, B9, and B12, help your body respond once it has recognized hostile microbes. They influence the activity and production of killer cells. These cells work by causing infected cells to become expose (this process is called apoptosis).
B6
legumes, cereals, fruit, green leafy vegetables, nuts, chicken, fish, meat
B9 (folate)
green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds
B12 (cyanocobalamin)
eggs, meat and dairy, fortified soy milk
Vitamins C and E
When your body is fighting an infection, it is called oxidative stress. It causes the production of free radicals that can damage cell walls, exacerbating inflammation. Vitamins C and E can help protect cells from this process. Vitamin C also participates in cleaning up the cellular mess by producing special cells, such as lymphocytes, neutrophils, and phagocytes, to mount an immune response.
Oranges, limes, lemons, kiwifruit, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, and capsicum are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, and nuts.
Vitamin D
Particular cells require vitamin D to destroy pathogens that trigger infection. For a majority of people, it’s enough to spend only a few minutes outside, while others need to take supplements. Vitamin D supplements may help protect our body from acute respiratory infections. You can also get this vitamin from products such as eggs, fish, and some milks.
Iron
Iron participates in killing pathogens: it increases the number of free radicals that destroy microbes. Iron also controls enzyme reactions needed for immune cells to detect and target pathogens. The greatest source of iron is whole-grain foods, meat, chicken and fish, legumes.
Zinc
Zinc helps build up the mucous membranes and integrity of the skin. Zinc function as an antioxidant: it helps clean the damage caused by oxidative stress. You can find this mineral in seafood, chicken, meat, dried beans, nuts.
Selenium
Selenium, like zink, eliminates the consequences of oxidative stress. Find it in meat, nuts (especially Brazil nuts), cereals, and mushrooms.
Protein
Protein is very important for our body and immune system, especially for recovery and healing processes. Find protein in lean meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, soy products, beans and peas, unsalted nuts and seeds.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
They are that type of essential fatty acid that helps to keep the immune system’s ability to recognize pathogens and suppress inflammation. The main source is oily fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring sardines, trout), walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds.
The idea of boosting the immune system is exciting, but it’s not so easy to do it. You should realize that the immunity is not a single entity — it’s a system. If you want it to function correctly, you need to maintain balance and harmony in your body. The researchers don't know exactly how to work all immune systems interconnectedness and intricacies. For now, there has been no clinically established a direct correlation between lifestyle and improved immune function.
Don’t think that your lifestyle doesn’t affect your immunity, and you don’t need to look after yourself at all. General healthy-living strategies are an excellent start to strengthen your immune system.
The Importance of Exercises
Regular physical activity is a necessary aspect of strengthening our immune system and managing stress. The scientists found out that active people who engage in regular physical activity are less exposed to infectious diseases than sedentary and inactivity ones. Also, your physically active lifestyle may lower the chance of chronic diseases, which could make your immune system weaker, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
How does it work? Physical activity helps to flush bacteria out of the lungs, reducing your chances of catching a cold, flu, or other diseases. Exercise also relieves levels of stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. Lower levels of these hormones might help to protect your body against illness.
Exercise also helps decrease your risk of getting a heart disease. It keeps bones strong and healthy. There are few theories about the effect of exercise on the immune system, though none of them have been proven:
- Exercise leads to changes in white blood cells and antibodies. They begin to circulate faster, so they will recognize illnesses earlier than they did it before.
- During and right after exercise, the body temperature rises for a short period of time that may help fight infection and bacteria before it grows up. This phenomenon is close to the process when you have a fever.
Though exercise can make your life better, you shouldn’t overdo it. If you already exercise, carry on like that, you don’t need to exercise more because it may only hurt you. Long-term and heavy training like intense gym workouts or marathon, can cause harm to your body.
Plan your own moderate program to increase your physical activity. It can include:
- bicycling a few times a week
- going to the gym every day
- taking daily 20 to 30-minute walks
It will make you feel more energetic and healthier. So go and take an aerobics class or go for t walk. If you don’t want to go outside, try to do it at home. For a cardio workout, do jumping jacks, then high knees, butt kicks, burpees, and switch jumps for 15 seconds each. Repeat the circuit 5-10 times, depending on how much you can do.
Regular exercise is one of the first steps to healthy living and strong immunity. It improves blood pressure and cardiovascular health, control body weight, and prevent a huge variety of diseases. It works as a healthy diet: it contributes to general good health and then to a healthy immune system.
Be sure, a healthy lifestyle will help to build up your immune system, but it includes more than just regular exercises. Following the general recommendations for good health is the best measure you may take to actually maintain the immune system active and balanced. Each part of your body and the immune system isn’t an exception, functions better when it’s protected from environmental assaults, and you’re guided by wisdom and healthy habits like these:
- maintain a healthy weight
- diet high in vegetables and fruits
- don't smoke
- drink alcohol only in moderation
- get enough sleep
- exercise regularly
- wash your hands frequently
- cook meats thoroughly
- minimize the stress
- get used to a healthy diet
Few words about the last habit. A healthy diet is a basement for the immune system's strength. To run properly, the immune system needs regular and quality nourishment. So, one of the keys to a healthy life and disease invulnerability is a well-balanced diet.
Eating healthy food is an important part of building up your immune system.
- Eat only as much as you need
At the end of a meal, you may feel satisfied, but not stuffed. Stick to healthy lunches and dinners, and once a week, you can reward yourself with your favorite meal.
- Eat smaller portions
If you serve meals in a smaller bowl or on plates, you can make your brain think it’s a large portion. You can also add to your meal with leafy greens or fruits/vegetables.
- Don’t think about limits
When you forbid yourself certain foods, you will want them more. Reduce your portion sizes of unhealthy food and don’t eat them frequently. Eventually, you may find you want them less.
- Limit your snacks
Do not overestimate your willpower, and reduce the amount of unhealthy snacks in your home or get rid of them entirely. Fill your kitchen with healthy snacks such as fresh crunchy vegetables with hummus and fruit.
- Control your emotions when eating
Learn healthier ways to release your stress and emotions, and there won’t be any difficulties with overeating.
- Avoid eating late at night
The best time to eat your dinner is 14-16 hours before breakfast the next morning. Research shows that eating food in the most active period of the day and giving the digestive system a long break can help to control your body weight.
- Add more vegetables and fruit to your meals
Fruit and vegetables are nutritious and low in calories and are loaded with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fiber.
- Plan your meals
Choose healthy recipes that you can enjoy and build your diet around them. Plan your meals at the start of each week, so there’s no room to eat poorly.
- Find quality foods
Look for fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and poultry, dairy products and whole-grain bread.
Focusing on essential nutrition is the first step in strengthening your immune system.
It’s called "recovery" because the nutrients you will get during the next two weeks may help you to recover the protective functions of your body and make up the lack of all vitamins and minerals that are required for the immune system proper work.
This plan is based on recipes rich in fruits and vegetables. They will help you to get vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, and copper.
Eating animal and plant-based proteins loaded with minerals and vitamins such as iron, vitamin D, vitamin B6, B12 is also part of the plan. Support your gut with pre- and probiotics that you can find in fibrous food and probiotics fermented foods, like yogurt.
Your diet will be diversified with delicious and nutritious drink and dishes to avoid any discomfort from the same meal every day.
Such combination of recipes was selected to get maximum health benefits. Some days will include snacks to get more nutrients during the day and hot tea that will help to boost your immunity, some days won’t: they are discharge day. If you’re sure that this plan will work for you, it’s time to start! Remember, everyone is unique, so listen to your body!
Remember! Before Start Any Diet Consult The Doctor Or Nutritionist First!
Day 1
Breakfast
Salmon Toasts with Scrambled Eggs
Snack 1
Coconut Milk Yogurt
Lunch
Tandoori Salmon with Toasted Greens
Snack 2
Vitamin C Bites
Dinner
Roasted Chicken Soup
Tea Time
Ginger Lemon Tea
Day 2
Breakfast
Whole Grain Fruity Bowl
Snack 1
Thyme Roasted Almonds
Lunch
Buddha Rice Bowl with Tahini Dressing
Snack 2
1 Avocado + Crackers
Dinner
Tandoori Salmon with Toasted Greens
Day 3
Breakfast
Mango Granola with Yogurt
Snack 1
Pumpkin Seed Bars
Lunch
Spring Vegetable Chicken Soup
Snack 2
Fall Salad
Dinner
Buddha Rice Bowl with Tahini Dressing
Dessert
Goji Berry Bowl
Day 4
Breakfast
Spinach, Feta, and Pepper Omelet
Snack 1
Salmon Avocado Toast
Lunch
Pistachio Buddha Bowl
Snack 2
Unsalted Nuts
Dinner
Kale, Beet and Tuna Salad
Tea Time
Herbal Tea
Day 5
Breakfast
Mango Kiwi Breakfast Bowl
Grapefruit Pear Smoothie
Snack 1
Winter Citrus Salad
Lunch
Vegetable Ramen
Snack 2
1 Avocado + Crackers
Dinner
Tuna Potato Plate
Tea Time
Herbal Tea
Day 6
Breakfast
Vegetable Latkes
Turkey Apple Sausage with Sage
Snack 1
1 Whole-Wheat bread slice + 1 Tbsp peanut butter
Lunch
Broccoli Asparagus Rice
2 Salmon Avocado Toasts
Dinner
Tuna Pita Pockets
Day 7
Breakfast
4-5 Whole Wheat Pancakes
Lunch
Garlic Pasta
Dinner
Grilled Spiced Chicken
Watermelon Green Salad
Dessert
Turmeric Chia Pudding
Day 8
Breakfast
Mango Granola with Yogurt
Snack 1
Fruit Custard
Lunch
Miso Soup
Snack 2
Orange Chicken Salad
Dinner
Eastern Tuna Steak
Fall Salad
Tea Time
Mandarin Herb Tea
Day 9
Breakfast
Whole Grain Fruity Bowl
Snack 1
Lemon Ginger Bites
Lunch
Miso Soup
Snack 2
1 Avocado + Crackers
Dinner
Grilled Spiced Chicken
Lemon Ginger Stir-Fry
Day 10
Breakfast
Mango Granola with Yogurt
Snack 1
Pumpkin Seed Bars
Lunch
Mustard Glazed Salmon and Zoodles
Snack 2
Lemon Ginger Bites
Dinner
Pistachio Buddha Bowl
Dessert
Apple Tart
Ginger Lemon Tea
Day 11
Breakfast
Spinach, Feta, and Pepper Omelet
Snack 1
Pumpkin Seed Bars
Lunch
Pistachio Buddha Bowl
Snack 2
Lemon Ginger Bites
Dinner
Kale, Beet and Tuna Salad
Tea Time
Herbal Tea
Day 12
Breakfast
Whole Grain Fruity Bowl
Grapefruit Mango Smoothie
Snack 1
Pumpkin Seed Bars
Lunch
Kale Mushroom Soup
Snack 2
1 Avocado + Crackers
Dinner
Potatoes and Green Beans with Tuna Steak
Tea Time
Herbal Tea
Day 13
Breakfast
Salmon Toasts with Scrambled Eggs
Snack 1
Thyme Roasted Almonds
Lunch
Kale Mushroom Soup
Dinner
Mung Dal
Tea Time
Ginger Lemon Tea
Day 14
Breakfast
Spinach, Feta, and Peppers Omelet
Lunch
Garlic Pasta
Dinner
Grilled Spiced Chicken
Sprouts
Dessert
Baked Apples