2023-11-12 08:37:37
It’s the month that has a lot of negative points: falling temperatures, the sun setting with the chickens, the return of colds, nasopharyngitis and other seasonal viruses. November does not spare us!
No choice, we must use major means, and strengthening our immunity is crucial to protect ourselves. But there’s no need to spend money on a range of food supplements, pampering the contents of your plate is enough. « 20 Minutes » has also put together a day of special menus to achieve this.
Raw yes, ultra-processed no
“It is common for our immune system to be undermined by an inappropriate diet too rich in refined white sugars, salt or saturated fats, which ultra-processed products are full of,” says Rachel Frély, author of Strengthen your immunity: Natural solutions (ed. da Vinci).
Conversely, “a healthy, varied and balanced diet strengthens it: it is even our first anti-infection shield,” she explains. If we feel tired, if we tend to get sick all the time, food can naturally help the body defend itself against microbes, viral and bacterial infections, by providing it with essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals , trace elements…). It must be of good quality, insists Rachel Frély. Read the composition carefully and look out for toxic unwanted additives.”
To strengthen your immunity through your plate, the equation is simple: go easy on ultra-processed foods, and go all out on fresh, raw foods, fruits, vegetables, cereals or even meat and fish.
A “battery of defenses”
“Vitamins, minerals or antioxidants: it is by taking care of the contents of your plate that we build up this battery of defenses for our immune system,” adds Raphaël Gruman, nutritionist. It starts with vitamin C, one of the most important, found mainly in fruits and certain vegetables. That’s good, it’s citrus season: clementines, grapefruit, oranges. It is also found in kiwi, or parsley. And it is much better assimilated when it comes from fresh foods than from food supplements,” insists the nutritionist. So we stock up at the market, not at the drugstore.
Another advantage of a prepared immune system is “probiotics, to strengthen the intestinal microbiota. It is necessary to feed it with good bacteria, which are found in yogurts and lacto-fermented products such as kimchi, recommends the nutritionist. As well as fiber to feed these good bacteria – or prebiotics – present in fruits and vegetables and whole grains.”
Also important: “zinc, a mineral which acts directly on the production of antibodies. It is mostly found in red meat, seafood and cheese. As for iron, which is mainly found in red meat, black pudding or lentils, it will, in parallel with zinc, develop antibodies, but also red and white blood cells, which will help fight against infections”.
The only limit: vitamin D and magnesium. The latter “is a mineral present in the diet but not very well assimilated by the body. Around 80% of the population is deficient in winter. And when you are tired, your metabolism slows down, so the production of antibodies is not optimal. Supplementation reboosts the body. Just like vitamin D, which almost everyone is deficient in.”
The immunity plate at every meal
Here’s how to distribute all these foods throughout the day.
“For breakfast, you can opt for one or two slices of wholemeal bread,” advises Raphaël Gruman. Add butter, which will provide provitamin A, and cheese, rich in zinc. We complete the meal with a kiwi, which provides almost 50% of the daily vitamin C needs.” And “green tea, rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, powerful antioxidants,” adds Rachel Frély.
For lunch, “eat protein,” she continues. If you don’t like red meat, white meat, eggs or fish are very good options. And although the consumption of red meat should be limited, “it is however rich in iron, which contributes to immunity,” emphasizes Raphaël Gruman. However, around 15% of women are iron deficient. Complete your meal with a portion of vegetables and whole-grain pasta for fiber. Then two clementines for dessert.”
If you are feeling peckish in the afternoon, “we treat ourselves to a snack with dried fruits, real nutritional concentrates which have the advantage of being energetic, rich in minerals, vitamins and trace elements,” explains Rachel Frély. . You can also have a glass of sea buckthorn juice, a source of vitamins.
For dinner, “you can treat yourself to oysters, rich in zinc, and focus on foods rich in omega-3: fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), and walnut or rapeseed oils, which help improve immune resistance, explains Rachel Frély. A fish to accompany cabbage: rich in glucosinolates, it is particularly indicated for stimulating the immune system and acts on bacterial infections. And we don’t hesitate to garnish our dishes with garlic: it increases the level of glutathione, a major antioxidant. But also thyme and ginger, which support immunity.”
You can then finish the meal with “yogurt sprinkled with a spoonful of psyllium, for fiber, prescribed by Raphaël Gruman: around one in three people do not consume enough fiber”.
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