Good immunity has never been so at the forefront of our minds and conversations as much as now. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us all to think more about our immune system and how to stay well or fight viruses and other diseases when we do succumb to them.
The best way to support a strong, healthy immune system is to live a healthy, active life as free as possible from stress. Perhaps the most critical part of this is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, but also antioxidants that help to bolster our immunity. Antioxidants do this by neutralising free radicals, unstable molecules that move around the body looking for spare oxygen molecules to stabilise themselves, causing damage to our DNA and cells as they do so.
Free radicals also cause damage to the cells of the immune system, potentially causing it to weaken, leaving us at risk of weaker defences against disease. They’re introduced into the body by the things we can control, such as eating fried or processed foods, smoking and drinking excess alcohol.
But they’re also produced by the body during the things we can’t control, for example as a by-product of biological processes such as breathing and digestion. So it’s important to eat antioxidant rich foods on a daily basis to help support a healthy immune system.
Here’s some of the most super superfoods that you can build into your daily diet!
- Broccoli – this green staple often gets overlooked, but it’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is super versatile. Eat it raw, lightly boiled, stir fried or blanched in a salad.
- Dark, leafy greens – foods such as kale, collard greens and spinach are high in antioxidants called carotenoids that help to protect us against chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
- Berries – dark red foods such as grapes and berries are packed with antioxidants that support a strong immune system. The best diet is one that includes lots of differently coloured foods, as each colour denotes a different type of antioxidant. So fill up on red, yellow and orange peppers, berries, rainbow chard and sweet potatoes.
- Turmeric – turmeric is the spice that gives curries their wonderful, deep golden yellow colour. It contains over 200 active compounds, the most well-understood being a compound called curcumin. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and also has anti-inflammatory properties that help to prevent disease and illness.
Honey is a great immune system supporter, but beware that not all honey is as powerful. Look for active, healing honeys such as Necta & Hive Jarrah and Marri honey. Eating our honey on a daily basis helps to support the immune system by providing antioxidants and supporting the production of white blood cells, an important component of the immune system.
Add our honey to warm drinks, drizzle it over some fresh figs or add it to your super fruit smoothies and know that you’re supporting your immunity every time you do.
Shop our collection of delicious, 100% natural, active honeys… Click here
Not sure which honey is right for you? Then use our rating and taste guide to help you.
