SUPERFOODS THAT BUILD IMMUNITY
YOUR BODY IS a tool needing proper care and feeding to enable you to achieve maximum potential in every area of life. So what you eat is a key component of avoiding colds and flu. Plus, a healthy diet will improve your quality of life, your mental and emotional state, and your spiritual well-being. A correct diet that includes superfoods gives you an edge. These foods will propel you to new highs that you never can achieve eating the standard Western meat-heavy, fat- and sugar-laden, carbohydrate-overloaded heavy diet. The typical diet contains all the things you want to avoid—animal and dairy products, sugar, fried foods, white flour, and refined foods. You may not be able to eliminate all of them, but strive to limit their consumption.
The best diet is a low-fat, high-fiber diet featuring whole grains, garlic, onions, fresh fruits, yogurt, and legumes. Cruciferous vegetables are healthy too. Examples are broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, which contain indoles. These indoles help to protect breast tissue from estrogen metabolites (by-products of estrogen that can contribute to estrogen dominance). Superfoods cleanse and energize your body, and rapidly exit your system. The cleaner your body, the more you will radiate with good health.
FANTASTIC FIBER
Fiber is sorely lacking in most Americans’ diets, yet this class of superfoods should be a part of everyone’s daily regimen. It comes in two varieties: water soluble, which means it can dissolve in water, and the kind that is insoluble in water. Foods high in soluble fiber include oats, oat bran, guar gum, carrots, beans, apples, ground flaxseeds, psyllium, and citrus pectin. Foods high in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, most root vegetables, celery, and the skins of fruits.
Soluble fiber feeds the intestinal bacteria, especially the good bacteria. It also provides nourishment to the cells of the colon. Intestinal bacteria cause soluble fiber to ferment and form short-chain fatty acids. This, in turn, nourishes the cells of the large intestine. These short-chain fatty acids help to prevent the growth of yeast and harmful bacteria. Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, and create a sensation of fullness so that you will be less likely to overeat. However, if you eat too much soluble fiber, such as too many beans or too much guar gum, you can develop an overgrowth of intestinal bacteria—not to mention excessive bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort. There’s a reason for the saying that you should do everything in moderation.
Insoluble fiber inactivates many intestinal toxins. It also helps to prevent harmful bacteria and parasites from attaching themselves to the wall of your intestines by acting like a sweeping broom. Since both forms of fiber are beneficial, it is wise to eat food that contains a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibers. Rice bran, oat bran, legumes (such as beans and peas), apples, pears, and berries contain both sources of fiber.
GREEN SUPERFOODS
One of the most effective tools for building health is found in the class of foods called green superfoods. Supercharged with nutrition, they are like receiving a small transfusion to enhance immunity and promote energy. One of the richest sources of many essential nutrients, they are nutritionally more concentrated and potent than regular greens like salads and green vegetables. In addition, green superfoods are purposely grown and harvested to maximize and ensure high vitamin, mineral, and amino acid concentrations. Some examples:
• Blue and blue-green algae are the most potent source of beta carotene available in the world. They are brimming with superior quality proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
• Spirulina is extremely high in protein and rich in B vitamins, amino acids, beta-carotene, and essential fatty acids. Easy to digest, spirulina boosts energy quickly and sustains it.
• Barley grass contains vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, and chlorophyll. It contains more calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 than cow’s milk. And it helps inflammatory conditions of the stomach and digestive system.
• Wheatgrass has been used worldwide for many serious diseases to rebuild, cleanse, and strengthen the body because of its incredible nutritional value.
• Kyo-Green by Wakunaga of America contains barley, wheat-grass, chlorella, and kelp. This is a potent formula that helps cleanse the bloodstream, detoxify the system, and supply the body with minerals, enzymes, and many important nutrients.
These green superfoods are also high in flavonoids, which gives them anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antiviral effects.
In addition to superfoods, greens such as spinach, collard greens, beet greens, cilantro, and parsley are high in chlorophyllin. Chlorophyllins fight cancer by inhibiting many different carcinogens. Chlorophyllin can help reduce cancer-causing substances, called heterocyclic amines (HCAs), in cooked meats and fried foods. They help reduce the carcinogens in cigarette smoke and protect DNA from radiation damage. Not only are green foods packed with this vital substance, but also their magnesium levels give them a double punch. Magnesium helps to cleanse the GI tract. High-chlorophyll foods are effective virus fighters, making them quite useful in cold and flu season.
CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Mentioned earlier, these healthy vegetables are cancer blasters. Vegetables such as cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, watercress, turnips, and radishes contain more phytonutrients with anticancer properties than any other family of vegetables. The word cruciferous comes from the same word root as crucifying, which means “to place one on a cross.” Oddly, the flowers of cruciferous vegetables contain two components that appear similar to the shape of a cross.
The potent cancer-fighting phytonutrients in the cruciferous vegetables family include indoles, isothiocyanates, and sulforaphanes, which are sulfur-containing compounds. They also contain phenols, coumarins, dithiolthiones, and glucosinolates, as well as other phytonutrients that are yet to be discovered. Indoles, especially indole-3-carbinol, are potent cancer antagonists. Sulforaphanes stimulate liver detoxification enzymes. Isothiocyanates induce production of detoxification enzymes by the liver, and they prevent damage to the DNA. Studies have correlated a high intake of cruciferous vegetables, especially cabbage—with lower rates of cancers, especially cancers of the breast and colon.1 While you may be cancer free today, remember good health is a holistic picture. You should arm yourself against all disease, short- and long-term.
With these cruciferous veggies, broccoli sprouts have the highest concentration of the protective phytonutrients. Select young broccoli sprouts that are about three days old. They contain twenty to fifty times more of the potent phytonutrient sulforaphane than mature broccoli. Juicing cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis can help your liver to detoxify from pesticides, chemicals, drugs, and other pollutants.
MIGHTY MUSHROOMS
One of the strongest superfoods is also one of the smallest. Mushrooms are deserving of the label, though. Researchers have discovered that certain types of “power mushrooms” are filled with a grocery list of substances that may help in fighting disease. The most exciting report is that they boost immunity, a valuable component in reaching your good health goals. Mushrooms produce many beneficial compounds that help their survival against other fungi and microbes.2
The same substances that mushrooms use for defense can help humans as well. Mushrooms contain compounds known as polysaccharides. Polysaccharides spark the immune system by helping the body to create T-cells, which are immune system warriors in our bodies that destroy invaders. Incorporating any of the power mushrooms into your diet helps create a synergism within your immune system. Here are three of these power-packed varieties:
• Reishi, which stimulates immunity, has antitumor properties, is an anti-inflammatory, and helps to alleviate arthritis.
• Shiitake has possible antiviral, anticancer properties and is an energizer. It is also delicious when used in cooking.
• Maitake has antitumor properties. It may also protect the liver and lower blood pressure. It contains beta-glucans, which are chemicals that boost immunity.3
Quick Tips: Healing Power of Coconuts
One of the most amazing superfoods around, coconuts can help strengthen you against colds and flu. Coconuts will help your body fight off infection—the body converts it to monolaurin, which fights off infections (viral or bacterial). Coconut water makes a fantastic water base for natural shakes and raw drinks; it is the most complete hydrating liquid a human can consume. With the exception of B6 and B12, the water and flesh from young coconuts contains the full range of B vitamins. Since they break down carbohydrates and proteins, these are essential for providing energy. They also support nervous system function.
Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage. It is more hydrating than water or any electrolyte sports drink since it only hydrates you while cooling down body temperature and providing energy. You can buy all natural and canned varieties to take with you on trips. Coconut is also a potent antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is a great cleaner of our gut and is something that can help heal the gut, should problems like leaky gut syndrome occur.
OTHER SUPERFOODS
Ginger
This spice quickens and sharpens the senses and boosts memory. Ginger helps combat nausea, motion sickness, and vomiting. It is good for indigestion because it absorbs excess stomach acid, is useful for circulatory problems, and is an antioxidant. However, ginger is a circulatory stimulant, so consult your physician or health advisor if you have a heart condition or other condition that could be affected by its use.
Ellagic acid
Ellagic acid is found in strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and black currants. This powerful healing substance has been shown to inhibit cancer that has been chemically induced in rats.4 Ellagic acid also protects against damage by toxins to chromosomes, which are our genetic blueprint. Finally, ellagic acid is a powerful antioxidant.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea benefits digestion and also has calming properties. It is an excellent tea to drink after dinner to help calm you before going to bed.
Healthy Juices
Here are four recipes that will strengthen your immune system while filling you with pep for the day. With all of these, juice and add more ice or water if desired. Add 1–3 tablespoons of the pulp back to the juice and stir.
Recipe: Green Limeade
1 package organic field greens—red, green, or romaine (not iceberg)
6 organic limes, peeled (if blended in a Vitamix, use 1/8 of the peel)
1 small piece of ginger
2 organic apples
1 bunch organic celery
1 organic cucumber
Recipe: Vegetable Cocktail
5 organic carrots
1 organic green pepper
1 organic broccoli stalk
2 stalks organic celery
1 organic cucumber
1 organic hot pepper
1 organic lemon
Recipe: Spinach Pineapple Drink
1 bag organic spinach
1 organic pineapple, skin cut off
1 bunch organic celery
4 organic cucumbers
2 organic lemons, peeled
Recipe: Vitamix Drink
3-4 organic baby carrots or handful of organic dandelion leaf, organic spinach, organic kale, or organic collard greens
1/8 organic lime with skin or 1/8 organic lemon with skin
1 organic Granny Smith apple or 4 ounces organic blueberries, organic blackberries, organic strawberries, or organic raspberries
Handful of organic broccoli, organic cauliflower, organic cabbage, organic watercress, or organic beets
1-2 stalks organic celery (optional)
4 ounces water
4 ounces ice
You can vary your Vitamix drink by making different selections from the four main groups. It is best to rotate fruits and veggies over four days. For example, one day use carrots, lime, blueberries, and broccoli; and the next day use spinach, lemon, Granny Smith apples, and watercress.