What's next on the menu

After stress, sugar and sunshine what's next on the immune boosting menu? Just that a menu! Or should I say nutrition. The diet recommended to boost immunity is an alkaline diet. A diet rich in plant foods that includes lots of vegetables, greens, fruits, raw seeds and nuts, fermented foods, beans and whole grains is essential to a healthy way of life. Ideally, you'll also want to eat a high percentage of raw foods, 50-75%.

Ranjan's diet includes almost all the foods mentioned in the chart above barring those not easily available in India. It also includes lots of raw seed and nuts and whole grains. The problem I envisage is to try and get him to eat more raw foods. I began an alternate day raw food diet on the advise of a friend who had terrific results and had gone all raw food and I must say I felt great on the days I ate only raw food and seeds. I stopped a while back when it became very cold and the sight of a salad at lunch and a gazpacho at dinner was quite unbearable, but will resume as soon as it gets a tad warmer. I will also have to convince Ranjan to try it out at least twice a week or so or have one raw meal a day. I am sure it will be possible.  Raw foods provide live phytonutrients, enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are eliminated substantially when foods are cooked. They nourish and enhance the growth of healthy cells and keep your entire body working at optimal levels.

As far as fats are concerned only good fats are recommended: avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds. Here we are spot on! Just have to convince Ranjan of staying on this diet. Not easy as he dreams of raclette and achar meat!

While we are talking nutrition I think we should also talk of the importance of antioxidants as they play a big role in boosting the immune system and many are found in foods.  Antioxidants include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, selenium, lipoic acid, and many others. They are essential for fighting or neutralising free radicals caused by oxidation, which occurs as a result of environmental and dietary toxins.  Free radicals are incomplete electrons that are looking to steel electrons from other molecules, thus creating a chain reaction (molecules steeling from molecules) and ultimately damaging cells and DNA.

Some of the best foods include green leafy vegetables, other vegetables (such as peppers, broccoli, eggplant, cabbage and carrots), berries (including goji berries), nuts and beans. Here too we are spot on barring eggplant a vegetable Ranjan dislikes, but accepts in the form of baba ganoush.