Eat to prevent the epidemic and build immunity! Nutritionist: Plant protein, vegetables and fruits are essential for antioxidants

Now is the time to prevent and control the novel coronavirus, and it is equally important to enhance internal and external protection! In particular, to improve the body's immunity, nutritionists say that you might as well take advantage of the opportunity of epidemic prevention to adjust your eating habits and easily eat to build immunity, especially plant protein and brightly colored fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, help boost immunity to fight viruses and protect your health.

Nutritionist: Eating vegetarian is a smart choice to improve immune function

Zhang Yalin, a nutritionist at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, said that many foods that enhance immunity are plant-based, so if you want to improve your immune function, being a vegetarian is a smart choice. As long as you master a few principles, consume enough protein and vegetables and fruits every day, and try to focus on brightly colored fruits and vegetables, eat more natural foods, and stay away from processed foods, you can strengthen your own immunity through diet. The rich phytochemicals in plants can inhibit inflammation and prevent chronic diseases. Therefore, taking in protein from plants can not only avoid the shortcomings of animal protein, but also provide a large amount of dietary fiber, which can improve the intestinal environment and bring many benefits.

Plant-based protein helps strengthen your body. Choose more beans and pure soy products.

Even non-vegetarians can try to eat more plant protein and less animal protein to strengthen their body. According to research, animal protein may trigger an inflammatory response in the human body, and chronic inflammation has been proven to be related to many chronic diseases. In addition, the saturated fat ingested when eating animal protein can easily cause cardiovascular disease.

Nutritionist Zhang Yalin reminds us that since protein is the main raw material for the formation of body cells, we must eat enough of it. The recommended daily intake is five servings for adult women and about six or seven servings for adult men. School-age children can also eat six or seven servings as they grow. One serving is about a whole piece of tofu or three squares of tofu. As for the sources of plant protein, you can try to choose beans and pure soy products. There are many processed vegetarian products, such as vegetarian meat and fish, which often add more seasonings and food additives to extend the shelf life. You should try to avoid eating them. Foods with natural ingredients or that have not been overly processed are more ideal choices.

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain high levels of phytochemicals and antioxidants

In terms of fruits and vegetables, nutritionist Zhang Yalin pointed out that you can eat more brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as special colors such as red, blue, and purple, such as strawberries, blueberries, and red amaranth; or dark green vegetables, such as kale, sweet potato leaves, and broccoli. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of phytochemicals, or antioxidants. The higher the antioxidant content, the better the immunity-boosting effect. In addition, vitamin C is also a very good antioxidant, and it also comes from fruit. As for the recommended daily intake, three to four servings of vegetables a day, one serving is about the size of a plate of blanched vegetables, and two to three servings of fruit a day, one serving is about the size of a fist.

Supplementing antioxidants helps boost immunity

The benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables include antioxidants that help boost immunity, and the fiber in fruits and vegetables also increases the number of good bacteria in the large intestine. In fact, intestinal health is closely related to immunity. For people with severe constipation, toxins will be repeatedly absorbed in the intestines, which will increase the number of bad bacteria and decrease the number of good bacteria. Immunity will also decline, and the risk of colorectal cancer will increase.

Nutritionist Zhang Yalin recommends that it is best to defecate every day and not let feces stay in the intestines for too long. The way to promote defecation is to eat enough fiber and drink enough water, because fiber accelerates intestinal peristalsis, and some water-soluble fiber easily absorbs water, which makes people more likely to feel the urge to defecate. At this time, go to the toilet quickly and the waste will be excreted quickly, which is also very helpful for improving immunity.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

Finally, a reminder: during the epidemic prevention period, you should go to bed early, exercise more, try to eat less fried and processed food, and eat more fresh, whole food. This will strengthen your body's immunity from the inside out and help keep away from the chance of virus invasion!