Whether I like it or not, I travel often. Travel of any kind puts stress on the body – mine included – and over the years, I have learned through trial and error and listening to my body how important it is that my meals are “clean,” balanced and immune supportive. Yep, it does take a little more time, effort and energy but I’ll tell you this…I have never once regretted it and truth be told, it makes traveling more enjoyable because I feel good!
While this is now “a no brainer” for me, while I was eating dinner last week at the airport waiting for my flight home to Austin, I realized how timely of a reminder it is to talk about the importance food has on our health. Almost 80% of our immune system lives in our gut. Let’s break that down a little further. What are two main things that come in direct contact with our gut? Food and beverages. If we’re trying to support our immune system and almost 80% of our immune system resides in the gut, doesn’t it make sense to eat foods and drink liquids that our bodies can use to protect us from viruses and pathogens? (Insert a resounding YES!)
Right now, we have so many clients at The Spring asking what supplements they should be taking for protection against the Coronavirus. While supplementing with vitamins and minerals is absolutely recommended for additional support, remember that eating your vitamins and minerals is VITAL and the best way to support your immune system. Why?
In the 1950s, Dr. Royal Lee wrote several articles which pointed out that if your immune system was weak due to diet and lifestyle, you are especially susceptible to viruses, like the Coronavirus. He was criticized because he emphasized that the body’s immune response hinges on what we eat. But we know that “vitamins do not exist as single components but as parts of a complex of compounds.” Whole foods (i.e. foods in their true, original form) are naturally composed of these complex compounds which when paired together act as catalysts and co-factors for better absorption, utilization and efficacy in the body.
I strongly encourage you to read the linked article for a better understanding of how food affects our health and more importantly how food can protect and support you during this time. In the meantime, here are some of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients I ate in this meal:
🥦 vitamin A (sweet potatoes, beet greens, kale, Brussels sprouts)
🥦 vitamin C (beets, kale, lemon juice, beet greens, Brussels sprouts)
🥦 amino acids, i.e. protein (organic, pasture-raised chicken)
🥦 essential fatty acids (olives, avocado oil)
🥦 antiviral (garlic, turmeric)
🥦 fiber (all the veggies!)
🥦 iron (beets, beet greens, Brussels sprouts)