These foods help improve your immune function and can easily become dietary stables.
- Green Tea. Green tea contains beneficial anti-cancer and anti-oxidant compounds. The best way to get the most out of your green tea is to re-steep the tea leaves with each cup of tea. It is ok to add other tea to the used leaves. Beneficial compounds become more available with each steeping. Alternatively, consume the full leaf green tea as matcha powder.
- Turmeric. Turmeric root has liver supportive nutrients and is a power anti-oxidant. Its orange color provides the color for curry powder. Add turmeric or curry powder to steamed vegetables, stews, or stir-fry. Purchase raw turmeric root and add to protein smoothies. Prepare raw root by cutting into ½ inch portions and freezing until needed. A little fat (coconut oil) or oil (fish oil, olive oil) taken at the same time is helpful for absorption.
- Mushrooms. Mushrooms have amazing immune enhancing properties. They are best used raw. Cut into salads or add to protein smoothies. Do not consume mushrooms if you are mold sensitive.
Improve your gastrointestinal biome. Our total health depends on gastrointestinal health. The following foods help support healthy bacterial populations.
Pre-biotic foods supply food for beneficial bacteria:
- Jerusalem Artichoke (sun spuds)
- Onions
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Spices: Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Cinnamon
Probiotic foods contain beneficial bacteria:
- Kimchi
- Kombucha
- Sauerkraut
- Yogurt – Choose high protein/low carb varieties.
Herbs to support your stress response and reduce inflammation. These herbs help lower the inflammatory protein Interleukin-6 that may be related to the COVID-19 inflammatory response. They are also very helpful to support the stress response.
- Lemon balm. This garden weed helps to improve a relaxation response. Easy to make a sun tea from this herb.
- Passionflower is an anti anxiety herb. It is usually combined with lemon balm in natural sleep formulas.
- Ashwaganda is an herb used for thyroid and adrenal support.