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The Best Diet for Avoiding Both Weight Gain and the Flu This Year
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With the holiday season in full swing now, it seems as if everyone is coming down with some type of cold or flu or cough, especially the kids! It seems as if everyone has one of two things in their minds when it comes to their health, preventing the flu and not gaining weight!
The good news here is that there are some really easy and simply ways you can improve your immune system so that you skip right over the flu bug, and not gain excess weight at the same time.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
Yes, everyone has heard this one, but for some reason, when it comes to the holiday season, the sight of all those homemade, luscious baked goods, pies, candies, and other treats just makes most people throw all caution and common sense out the window! Of course, no one can stop you if that’s what you have your mind set on doing, but come the 3rd or 4th of January, when you are sick with the flu and find you can’t fit into your new Christmas outfit, you will wish you had followed a healthier diet.
That old saying of “you are what you eat” is never more true than this time of year. Check out the following diet you should be following to avoid slowing up your immune response and weighing down your belly.
- Eat Healthy Proteins: Your body must have protein for almost every single function it needs to perform, including your immune system. Did you know that antibodies are specialized forms of protein that defend your body from bacteria and illnesses? Protein is vital for healing and growth, and for the functioning of hormones. You need about one gram of protein for each 2.2 pounds of body weight. This means that a 145 woman will need about 65 grams of protein each day, and a 180 pound man will need about 80 grams. Try to get yours from free range, organic turkey, free range eggs, raw, organic dairy products, grass fed beef, or protein powders.
- Vegetables – You already know that vegetables are a healthy and important part of any diet, but it’s also just as important where you buy your greens. Locally grown produce can have as much as three times the nutrition as produce that is trucked in from out of state. If you want to lose weight, skip the starchy veggies such as corn and potatoes and eat more spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, onions, garlic, celery, and asparagus.
- Fats – Contrary to what you have been told, fat does not make you fat. There are more and more studies coming out every day to prove this. In fact, consuming sufficient amounts of healthy, natural fats is vital if you want to lose weight. Studies show that fat contribute to our immune system, protect the liver, and increase bone strength. Healthy fats would be coconut oil, avocados, seeds, nuts, krill oil, and olive oil.
- Supplements – More and more research is showing us just how vital vitamin D is to our bodies. Everything from giving us optimal mental health to maintaining our weight levels to fighting disease, even fighting cancer. Of course the best source is sunlight, but this is not always easy in the winter months. If you are unable to get about 30 minutes of natural sunlight per day, then opt for vitamin D3 supplements. Take it in moderation; however, as vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means your body can store it.
