Lifestyle tips to boost immune health from your local Registered Dietitian

Guest column on lifestyle tips to improve immune health, provided by Lisa De Beer, Muskoka Registered Dietitian at Your Independent Grocer

With flu season fast approaching, it’s a critical time to focus on lifestyle factors that can boost our immune system. Although we cannot cure a cold, flu, or infection with food, eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet can help boost our immune system to fight disease. As your local Muskoka In-Store Nutritionist, I want to share with you some of my top tips for staying healthy this fall season.

Eat a balanced and nutritious diet – Try filling half your plate with a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, a quarter of your plate with whole grains (e.g. brown rice, pasta, quinoa, barley) and a quarter of your plate with lean proteins such as • Fish, poultry and legumes (e.g. chickpeas, beans, lentils). This will ensure you are getting enough of the vitamins and minerals that are important for your immune system to function optimally. If you are interested in learning more about the specific vitamins and minerals that play an important role in immune function, as well as specific dietary sources of these vitamins and minerals, you should attend my online webinar, Nutrition and Immunity, on October 1st or 5th You can register at dietitianwebinars.ca. If you are interested in attending a live local presentation on Nutrition for Immune Health, I will be hosting a presentation on November 1st at 6pm at Bracebridge’s local library. Call the library at (705) 645-4171 to register.

Focus on gut health – Research has shown a direct relationship between gut and immune health. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of our immune system resides in our gut. Focus on keeping your gut healthy by eating fiber-rich foods, staying hydrated, and living an active lifestyle. Work on diversifying your gut microorganisms by including fermented foods like kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, or tempeh in your diet. I am particularly interested in gut health. If you’re interested in a personal consultation on how to improve your gut health, book a free 15-minute discovery call with me at bookadietitian.ca.

manage stress – Chronic stress reduces the efficiency of our immune system. Think about how you can take care of yourself and take care of yourself to manage your stress levels. If you’re really struggling to deal with stress, you should consider seeking help.

Be active – Being regularly active is important for our overall health, including immune system health. Regular activity can help improve sleep and mood, reduce stress, and increase blood flow to immune cells. All of these factors play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Consider getting a flu shot – A flu shot can help reduce your risk of getting the flu. Consider getting a flu shot at your local Your Independent Grocer pharmacy when they become available.

If you are looking for individual nutrition advice or need support to achieve a specific health goal, I am here to help. As a Registered Dietitian at Muskoka Your Independent Grocer stores, I offer a range of services including virtual or in-person in-store consultations, grocery store tours and meal planning assistance. To book an appointment directly you can email me at [email protected] or visit bookadietitian.ca.

Baked eggs and spinach

ingredients

• 1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tbsp canola, grapeseed or avocado oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese, diced
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 pc Blue Menu Omega-3 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

instructions

1. 

   Preheat the oven to 190°C. Spray four 3/4 cup (175 mL) ramekins with cooking spray; put aside. Squeeze the spinach dry in a clean dish towel; put aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Pulse the spinach, onion, cream cheese, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons water in the food processor until combined. Pour into the prepared molds. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the center of each casserole dish; Crack an egg into each well. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Bake until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven; cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Get ready for back-to-school lunch with your locally registered nutritionist