Food For Immune Support And Managing Anxiety
I have a secret: nutrition and it's impact on immune health is something that I think about a lot, but I am a nutritionist (and kind of a nerd!). I no longer feel alone as now more then ever people are concerned about their immune health as they wait in self-quarantine. Today I will share with you some high-impact ways to adjust your nutrition to support your immune system and foods known to help with anxiety.
I know I have written about this in other articles, but I cannot stress this enough - excess sugar/simple carbohydrates is often the hidden culprit behind expanding waistlines AND the disruption of the body's ability to battle germs. It basically puts your white blood cells into a temporary coma. Starting back in the 70s, researchers could see that after a dose of sugar, certain white blood cells called neutrophils were far less aggressive in gobbling up the bacteria. Participants were given 100g oral portions of glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, or orange juice to observe the effects on the activity of neutrophils. Immediately after consuming simple carbohydrates (approximately one to two hours), there was a significant decrease in the phagocytic index, which means the immune function of phagocytes was suppressed. The effects lasted up to five hours post-feeding, confirming that the function of phagocytes was impaired by the consumption of simple carbohydrates. This is just one of many different ways that the body defends itself as the immune system is a very complex system and a lot is still unknown.
Excessive sugar consumption also blunts our immune system in other indirect ways. It depletes the body’s nutrient balance, which triggers a cascade of inflammation and metabolic disruption. Second, sugar intake is one of the classic triggers for cortisol release (cortisol is the well-known stress hormone). Regular high sugar intakes may keep your levels elevated. Cortisol functions to reduce inflammation in the body, which is good if released in small bursts over time, but longterm elevations suppress the immune system. And let's not forget that mental stress (like say, trying to avoid the Coronavirus at all costs) also increases cortisol levels; mental stress plus our diet can give a double-whammy cortisol boost.
I get it, this is probably information you didn't want to hear. But listen, we're all collectively stuck in our homes, working our way through our emergency stash of chocolate bars because we're bored or scared or don't want to have to work AND teach our kids so we're taking a time out. I'm not saying that you can't ever have something sweet either. Overall it's about finding balance and here are some tips to do that.
First, figure out just how much sugar/simple carbs you are having each day. You can download our Unsweet Side of Sugar handout that can help you do that. Start looking at the nutrition label find the Added sugar line and use that number. For juice, the number listed for Total Carbohydrate is what you will use. Work your way down towards 25 grams of sugar per day (6 tsp). This number is taken from the World Health Organization's recommendation.
Focus on eating more Protein, Fat and Fiber to crowd out some of the unhealthy foods you crave.
Foods particularly good for your immune system include fresh garlic, which may help fight viruses and bacteria, old-fashioned chicken soup (made with chicken bone broth), and some mushroom varieties -- such as shiitake.
Foods naturally rich in magnesium may help a person to feel calmer. Examples include leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard. Other sources include legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. We like to recommend Tri-Magnesium and Natual Calm for magnesium supplements. Foods rich in zinc such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety. Other foods, including fatty fish like wild Alaskan salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids. A study completed on medical students in 2011 was one of the first to show that omega-3s may help reduce anxiety. (This study used supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids). Foods rich in B vitamins, such as avocado and almonds as well as dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is also a “feel good” food that spurs the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
If you're feeling overwhelmed with your sweet tooth read our Taming the Sugar Monster and Escaping the Pleasure Trap guides to get started with baby steps.
Lastly, there is a potential loophole for those of you with a sweet tooth. Sugar consumed after exercise is taken up very quickly by your just-worked muscles. Plus, exercise sensitizes your cells to the effects of insulin, the exact opposite of the desensitizing effect that chronic sugar intake has. In other words, if you want to enjoy a little treat, use it as your reward after a good workout.
As an added bonus, here a few workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home (make modifications and take breaks when needed)!
Workout #1
Warm-up
2 rounds:
- 6 inch worms
- 30 sec plank on hands or forearms (modification: make it shorter)
- 3/side world's greatest stretch
- 10 squat jumps
METCON
4 rounds:
- 10 up downs
- 20 total leg lunges
- 10 push ups (modification: on knees or on wall)
- 10 squat jumps (modifications: air squats)
Workout #2
Warm-up
15 air squats
3/side world's greatest stretch
30 sec marching in place
METCON
3-5 Rounds For Time
20 Goblet Squats [pick any object to hold in-front of you]
20 Hollow Body Flutter Kicks