There is truth in the old saying “Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food”. Consuming the right types of food in a variety of colors, that are as close as possible to their natural state, will help your body stay strong and able to fight off illness.

Foods today consist of processed ingredients that are high in fat, sugar, salt and many contain GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and heavy metals. Consuming these types of food can stress your body which can result in compromised health. Knowing which types of foods to eat can help you boost your immune system and improve your overall health and well-being.

Eating in a way that strengthens and improves your health is just using good common sense – if your Grandma wouldn’t recognize it as a food, you shouldn’t eat it. Following these guidelines will help (Seward 2013, Pollan 2009):

Consume foods that will eventually rot, which means they are whole, fresh foods. Twinkies and Velveeta are not foods.
Choose fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs that are organic. The pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizes found in and on produce and dairy foods are toxic and some of them may be carcinogenic.
Drink fresh and filtered water. Clean water is essential to keep in good physical and mental health (skip the sugary drinks).
Eat foods that have fiber – you need about 30-40 grams of fiber a day. Fiber is readily found in fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, some grains and seeds (like chia and flax).
Eating food of all colors will ensure you get the super antioxidants.
Eat a broad range of complete proteins to make sure you receive enough amino acids.
Eating organic plant based proteins is essential as well, such as quinoa, soy, tempeh, tofu, miso and edamame.
Drastically reduce or eliminate processed foods such as junk food or fast food, artificial sweeteners, additives like food coloring, dye, and MSG. If the list of ingredients are over 5 and you cannot pronounce them, it is best to avoid that food.
If your Great-Grandmother or Grandmother would not recognize it as a food, you probably should not eat it.
Avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are known to promote allergies.
Reduce your white foods like sugar, white breads, white flours, white rice, etc. HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) should be avoided, as well as trans-fats or hydrogenated fats.
Remember that ingredients are listed in the order of quantity. If sugar is listed in the top three ingredients, you should probably avoid it since it will have little nutritional value.
Add high quality supplements and a probiotic to your diet. These will help balance a lack of nutrients and the probiotics will add beneficial bacteria to your gut. Both will support your immune system and the probiotic will also help your mental health because healthy gut bacteria is used in the development of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin.
When you are stressed, make sure to replenish your body with vitamins, minerals, and vitamin B which are lost during a stress cycle.
Cook foods by steaming or baking instead of frying or grilling (a tough one, I know, since grilling can exposure you to potential carcinogens).
Choose as much locally grown, organic, free-range, grass-fed/grass-finished, humanely produced food as possible.