In the interest of keeping up with healthy living habits (now more than ever), COMO Hotels and Resorts has looked to Eve Persak, the luxury hotel group’s in-house nutritionist for the last eight years, to share her insight on maintaining a healthy immune system while at home. Find out her top tips on staying well with a thoughtful diet below:
Tell us one quick way we can support our immunity
Stay hydrated. While there isn’t any need to flood the body with fluids, making sure you’re getting enough clear liquids each day – be it hot herbal teas, water, or even coconut water – can be a big help. When the body gets dehydrated, all systems – including the immune system – operate less effectively. At the same time, external protective barriers like the sinus passages and airways need moisture to catch and clear harmful debris and pathogens.
Protein, carbohydrates or fats: which most benefits our immune system?
Protein. Immune cells rely heavily on protein to repair and rebuild tissues, as well as to ward off infection. Eating enough protein therefore just makes good sense, both preventatively and reactively. The good news is most people are getting enough protein in their diets already. If that’s the case for you, then start thinking about how to improve the way you consume protein.
For instance, rather than bundling all of your protein into one meal, consider including a little bit of protein at each eating opportunity. This paced pattern can help the body use the protein more efficiently. Also make sure your proteins are ‘complete’, meaning they contain ample amounts of all the ‘essential’ amino acids.
For omnivores, this is slightly easier as animal proteins (eggs, fish, dairy etc.) naturally contain all-essential amino acids. For those with a plant-based diet, try to include foods like quinoa, sprouted wholegrain products, buckwheat, amaranth, and hemp and chia seeds. These foods offer a diverse range of these amino acids, too.
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