YORK, Pa. — A healthy immune system can make all the difference in how your body fights off illnesses like COVID-19.
Doctors at Lancaster General Health say vaccines are the single best way to strengthen your immune system and protect against the virus, but good nutrition is equally as important.
So, here are five simple things you can do with your diet to help you stay healthy:
- Avoid arginine, because it has been said to strengthen viruses. If you're wondering what that is, it's typically found in cheap sources of protein, like gelatin.
- Limit your intake of dairy, meat, and eggs and instead opt for more of an alkaline diet. They consist of fruits and veggies, soybeans and tofu, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
- Limit foods high in starch and sugar. This includes breads, rice, cereal and yes, all those tasty sweet treats we love so much.
- Lower your gluten levels, even if you don't have an allergy. You can do this by swapping out bread and pasta for options like lettuce wraps and zucchini noodles.
- Eat lots of anti-inflammatory foods. They include tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines.
- One last tip on how to keep your immune system functioning at its best, to make sure you're getting at least seven hours of sleep every night and you're drinking plenty of water.