Vitamin C is usually the first thing people think about when they hear “immune booster”. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient to build/sustain a strong immune system; however, there are other components to the immune health that are often overlooked.
Sleep, liming processed sugar, and vitamin D are 3 things that I am finding are more important in boosting your immune system than vitamin C alone. One night of inadequate sleep can weaken your immune system. Drinking soda/juice and consuming other refined sugar sweets can also harm your immune system. Last, but not least, Vitamin D is known for immune health. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common and this is the last thing you want to here during this pandemic. The great news is that warm weather is here and we can go outside to activate our own vitamin D through the sun UV rays hitting our skin. My favorite fun fact about vitamin D is how much we can make. Our body can make up to 20,000 IUs of vitamin D daily from the sun! That’s a lot. Spending 20-40 minutes with skin exposed (no sunscreen) is enough daily to make your own vitamin D.
Vitamin C rich foods:
– Bell peppers
– Guava
– Strawberries
– Oranges
– Kiwi
– Broccoli
– Kale and Spinach
Vitamin D rich foods:
– Cod liver oil
– salmon
– fortified milk and dairy
– mushrooms
– eggs (yolk)
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