Immunity is all about what you have been eating in the past that builds up to molecules recognizing & fighting deadly bacteria, fungi, amoeba, and virus. The current villain of course is the Swine Influenza Virus or SIV. Now how can you build resistance to a mutated virus as your immunity system has no recognition of it what so ever? Well you can't really fight it without being immunised and thats a fact especially when the virus mutates developing a vaccine is challenging. However your body can fight over to stabalise the trauma of the flu internally. There are a few basics to keep a checklist of to make sure you have got the immunity build up under control when the time comes like this one.
Checklist 1 Fat - Well we all know there is the bad fat and good fat but the quantity of this good or essential fatty acids in the food we eat is crucial. You need to select and eat the amount required every single day inorder to keep a constant biomolecules of immunity system to be available to maintain resistance and the strength of the body internally. Essential fatty acids are from Unsaturated Fat and are of two kinds Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 being the most crucial one in protection of our body. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids have food sources like sardines, mackrel, herring, salmon, bluefish, pompano florida, tuna, trout, blackberry seeds, walnuts, almonds, soy, flax seeds, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, almond oil, cod liver oil. Around 4 - 6 oz of the fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids twice or thrice a week or 1 oz of nuts in a week or 3 oz of the vegetable oil in a week is a necessary dietary intake. It should be well remembered that all these foods already have a sufficient fat content and they shouldn't be eaten fried but baked or grilled or raw which ever suits the foods edible quality. Essential fatty acids like DHA & EPA which are one of the omega 3 fatty acids are the precursors or initiation points of immune molecules, hormones, blood vessel permiability, bone health, cardiovascular function, cerebral function, . Research has shown that excess of omega 6 over omega 3 can saturate the enzymes that inturn desaturate and elongate both the fatty acids. The ratio of O- 6 to O - 3 can inflence neurotransmission and thus brain activity. The ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in a diet is 2:1 to 3:1. It is easy to have that balance when you buy food that has the ratio mentioned on the nutrition label. Essential fat is also necessary for the adequate absorption of antioxidants like Vitamin A, D, E, lycopene from cooked tomatoes, phytophenols, flavonoids, as these ultimately help the immune system to desaturate the stress caused by the free radicals in the body.
Checklist 2 Protein - Now fat isn't independently present in nature nor the body. It is always linked or attached to another molecule. Proteins like globulins, which are a part of the antibodies fighting against a foreign body are derived from high biological value (HBV) protein like caesin from dairy, fish, poultry muscles, lean meat. Because these sources have in them the essential amino acids that the body cannot produce and also as they are bioavailable, they are most essential sources of protein. Without HBV protein the body doesn't recieve repair & strength from structural protein ( bone , muscle, skin, organ tissue), protection (immune molecules like antibodies and enzymes), function (hormones, enzymes, neurotransmission, tissue). Basically we are structureless without protein.
Checklist 3 Antioxidants - I know this word makes more appearances than any other in any health related literature but that is only because it is the most crucial molecule for our survival and thriving in this environment. What exactly do we mean by 'ANTIOXIDANTS' ? Vitamins all of them (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E and K ), yes each one of them has some role to play in the other's function. Minerals like zinc, calcium, chemicals from plant sources like flavonoids from soyabean, pigments like anthocyanin,cyanidins, quercetin, zeaxanthin, alacinin, elagic acid, lycopene, lutein and many more derived from again the fruits and vegetables and condiments. Resveratrol from the skin of grapes present in grape juices and red wine or blueberries.
Well as mentioned earlier all this is to be ready when the disease is somewhere around in your vicinity or in today's scenario on the way to your vicinity. As it is rightly said prevention is always tastier than cure. Happy eating. Be safe of SIV, be clean and avoid crowds.
Wish you wellness,
Neha
Related Articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-transpires-beneath-part-2.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/there-is-no-i-in-team.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/under-apocalyptic-sun.html
R.D
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