Dishing Up Immunity
By: Bashar Salame
Tags: Diet, Health Foods, Health, Recipe, Nutrition

To say Americans are overmedicated should not come as a surprise. Nearly seventy percent of Americans take at least one prescription drug, and more than fifty percent are taking at least two.

Americans consume and spend twice the amount on prescriptions as Austrians, Italians, Spaniards, and a host of other countries surveyed.

Patients concerned with side effects or dangers associated with certain drugs, are increasingly seeking natural alternatives to improve their overall health, or alleviate specific conditions.

As a healthcare provider specializing in nutrition, I field questions on wide ranging dietary concerns daily. I find more and more patients turning to nutritional supplements, for everything from increasing energy, to improving sleep and overall health.

The most common dietary concern, recently anyway, centers around immune function. Many patients are asking:

“What should I do to improve my immune system?”

Prior to recommending specific vitamins or minerals however, I ensure patients are receiving most, if not all of their nutritional requirements through a complete, balanced diet.

Before processed, isolated and synthesized nutritional supplements, bottled and packaged for sale, consuming actual food (mostly plants) to maintain health was our only option.

A growing issue when it comes to western diets tends to be a lack of diversity, we eat the same types of foods regularly, developing areas of vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

Essential nutrients can be broken down into two classes, macronutrients, (Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat and Water) as well a micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals). Eating this ONE vegetarian dish (animal protein optional) can provide the body with both an abundance of macronutrients, as well as immune boosting micronutrients.

A healthy immune system is not merely a cascade of chemical reactions, it requires adequate sleep (7+ hours nightly), hydration (60+ ounces of water daily), minimizing stress (30+ minutes of meditation, exercise and outdoor activity daily), as well as micronutrients.

I have fine tuned the recipe below to include essential micronutrients our immune system craves, in whole food, easily absorbable form. Eating this dish (eliminating any allergens specific to you) a few times per week (I have it at least twice) will naturally supplement most diets.

Spinach (Salmon, Steak, Tuna, Tofu or Bean) Salad (Meal) For One:

3 cups raw chopped spinach 6 oz grilled salmon, tuna, steak, or crab (Vegetarians; substitute Chic peas, black beans, or Tofu) 1/4 cup bell pepper 1/4 cup cubed sautéed sweet potato (fork tender) 1/4 cup shredded carrots 1/4 Avocado 2 Tbsp red onion 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes and/or cucumbers, 1 Strawberry diced (all optional) 1 Tbsp chopped almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds Dressing — 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, juice or squeeze half a lime or lemon, pinch of salt, pepper (to taste), pinch of basil or oregano (both optional, to taste) . (Make a larger batch and keep in the fridge)

With key immune boostings Vitamins A,C,D, E and Zinc, as well as B-Complex, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium and Iron forming a nutritionally packed, complete and balanced meal.

A versatile recipe, easily converted from salad to cooked meal by sautéing or lightly stir frying the vegetables (sweet potato, spinach, bell pepper, carrot, red onion, tomato), with the dressing, topping with cooked protein, garnishing with seeds and nuts.

Spring is an ideal time to expand your flavor and nutritional profile, with a variety of in season, inexpensive, available fruits and vegetables. Hippocrates, the father of medicine famously said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, I couldn’t agree more, no better time to follow his advice.