How to strengthen the immune system? Discover the best foods and quick and easy recipes to increase immune defenses and good mood.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, this year more than ever, it is important to adopt a healthy diet based on easy recipes with fresh and genuine food, but that can give a great help to our psychophysical well-being.
Even to you, returning from the holidays, it happens to suffer from that annoying post vacation blues, i.e. Holiday syndrome? It is a quite common disorder, therefore there is no reason to alarm, but better to run immediately to shelter. What? Adopting small measures to be implemented especially at the table.
Maintaining an efficient immune system is the best way to counteract the risk of contracting infections, which may also be caused by viruses or bacteria. High levels of stress and pollution, but also cold and seasonal change, can lower the immune defenses.
Fortunately, thanks to a balanced diet we can maintain them in full efficiency, without having to resort to medicines or chemical supplements. Fruit, vegetables and fish, combined easy and tasty recipes, they are in fact the best weapon at our disposal to increase the immune defenses, preventing the emergence of infections and diseases.
Index of Article
Friends of the immune system
What strengthens the immune system? What foods should never be missing on our table? Firstly, foods rich in antioxidants, minerals such as copper, zinc, selenium and vitamins of groups A, C, D.
Specifically, therefore, all green leaf vegetables, such as spinach and bietolas, rich in vitamin C and magnesium, which also have an antidepressant effect.
And then free to beans, artichokes, cabbage, spinach, beets. Without forgetting the broccoli: rich in minerals, vitamins A, C, E, as well as fibers and a number of different antioxidants, are among the healthiest vegetables we can put in the dish.
All fruit, in general, is good for good mood. Apples, plums, strawberries and berries are excellent sources of vitamin C, along with the tomato, which contains a high concentration.
For this reason it is a food particularly indicated in the diet to strengthen the immune system, not to mention that for its versatility it represents a wild ingredient for many easy recipes. Good habit is also to coarse like nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, flax, pumpkin and almonds, which contain zinc, considered a true mood stabilizer.
Fish rich in omega-3
Fish and crustaceans are rich in vitamin B12, but also omega-3, which plays an important role in reducing possible inflammations of the respiratory tract, particularly widespread with the arrival of the first cold. With a plate based on blue fish, as sgombri and sardines, in addition to full omega3, vitamins and precious mineral salts are taken, including calcium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine, iodine and selenium.
Even molluscs, like oyster and mussels, contain vitamin B12, selenium, iodine and zinc that have a positive effect on thyroid and help reduce anxiety levels. By the way, it seems that chicken is a natural antidepressant and eggs, especially egg yolks, are a concentrate of substances that stimulate immune defenses, as they contain a high amount of vitamin D.
Easy and fast recipes
If you have noticed, almost all these foods are an integral part of the Mediterranean Diet, considered the most virtuous of food lifestyles and for this reason recognized by UNESCO as Immaterial heritage.
Thanks to its balanced mix of fruit, vegetables, pasta, meat and extra virgin olive oil accompanied by an excellent glass of wine, it is considered to be the origin of the enviable longevity record recognized to some populations of southern Italy and the Islands.
There is no wonder if these foods are found in an infinity of traditional dishes that are the pride of the various regional kitchens. Spaghetti with tomato, pasta and chickpeas, frittata di broccoli or grill with vegetables, are all easy and fast recipes that do not require long preparations or special skills, but that on the contrary we can cook quietly at home to help maintain our immune system in perfect efficiency.
