Health for the Holidays
With holiday season in full swing amid an ongoing pandemic and smack dab in the middle of cold and flu season, now is a great time to remind dialysis patients what healthy food choices can fit into their holiday plans. By providing a few prevention tips during the holidays as well as a list of immune boosting foods, we can help patients stay healthy with the support of tried-and-true nutrition favorites.
When you click through the headlines and articles about “superfoods” or “immune-boosting” foods there are some trends that emerge, and often for good reason. Certain nutrient-dense foods provide our bodies with the right building blocks for a robust immune system. Broadly, these foods are usually whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. By avoiding excessive processing, these foods retain key nutrients that the body needs to maintain a healthy defense against viruses, bacteria, and other harmful organisms.
These immune-boosting nutrients include:
Antioxidants
- Antioxidants are responsible for neutralizing free radicals, also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Left to their own devices, ROS damage cells throughout our body and cause major health problems.
- There are many different types of antioxidants we get from our food including flavonoids, flavones, catechins, polyphenols, and phytoestrogens.
- You may know them better as Vitamins A, C, and E; beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, selenium, and magnesium -> micronutrients that provide or contribute to antioxidant activity.
- Each antioxidant is unique which is why it’s important we vary our diets to include adequate amounts of each nutrient.
- Good sources of these nutrients include colorful vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, eggs, dark chocolate, and green and black teas.
Zinc
- Without zinc, the body is unable to create new immune cells. This means we’re left with weakened defenses when we’re exposed to an illness.
- Zinc-rich foods include oysters, poultry, and chickpeas.
Iron
- Iron is required to help immune cells sustain their function, metabolism, and ability to multiply.
- When iron insufficiency or anemia is present, the immune system is weakened significantly.
- Good dietary sources of iron include lean meat and poultry, canned tuna, oysters, spinach, beans, and fortified grains.
Allicin
- This may be a new term, but the source will be very familiar, it’s garlic!
- Allicin is known as a “defense molecule” that is found in garlic, it has antimicrobial activity that helps boost the immune system.
- Using garlic in your cooking is a great way to benefit from this helpful nutrient
Find an Immune Boosting foods handout for patients as well as a great Holiday Recipe book by logging on our RD Portal