Are we going to sit around with our mask on, waiting for a vaccine? My grandfather used to say that “common sense is the least common of the senses.” We are living in a highly “medicalised” society and it seems that our immune system can only be boosted via drugs and supplements. My question is, just as the government has launched campaigns on social distancing, winning this “war” against the virus and the mandatory use of masks, for example, couldn´t it also launch a campaign emphasizing what each one of us can do to boost our immune system? Should it ever occur to them, here are some very simple ideas – yet potentially harmful for the food industry.

• Avoid white sugar. Refined sugar is one of the great depressants of our immune system. There are studies that show that after ingesting 100 grams of white sugar, defences drop by 50% for 5 hours.
• Avoid processed foods, especially refined carbohydrates (sugar, white flour, white pasta, soft drinks, chocolate, non home-made pastries).
• Avoid honey, alcohol and reduce fruit intake – and especially fruit juices which lack fiber. Fruits contain a lot of sugar and cause a sharp rise in blood glucose levels. Most particularly, avoid processed juices and tropical fruits.
• Eliminate or cut down on dairy, especially milk and yogurt, as they belong to the group of “yin foods” (=weakening and cooling). Milk in particular isn´t easily digested and  triggers many allergic reactions. It is “baby food” from a different mammal, only available during nursing, for a limited period of time. That is, it is “biologically specific”. In adulthood it creates a state of generalized inflammation of the lungs, stomach and intestinal mucosa. As a consequence, it causes the immune system to be “stressed”.
• Eat unprocessed living foods: Follow a diet based on whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and sea vegetables. Meditation and intermittent fasting also help to dramatically increase our body’s natural defences.
• Eat more vegetables: up to 50% of your plate could and should consist of lightly cooked vegetables, prioritising green leafy vegetables (turnip greens, kale, cabbage, celery, broccoli, leek, etc.).  How many raw vegetables you consume will depend on your digestive strength and time of year (preferably in summer).
• Have a nourishing breakfast: Eat unsweetened cereal grain porridge for breakfast. Avoid breakfasts full of sugar, fruits and refined carbohydrates. Include fibre, fat and protein (e.g. whole wheat organic sourdough bread with olive oil and avocado, or endives with hummus, etc.).
• Have good quality fats, e.g. Omega 3. They aid in the proper functioning of the immune system/ they boost our immune system, as well as the nervous and circulatory systems. These three systems work together to enhance our immune system´s response. Examples:
  • Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
  • 1 c.c. Extra Virgin Linen Oil of First Cold Extraction.  It is  an anti-inflammatory and immunity fortifier.
  • Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, almond, walnut seeds.
  • Blue fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon).
  • Avocado
• Eat less: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper”.

It will continue in the entry The Immunity of Common Sense (II)