Tag: immunity

7-Day No-Sugar Meal Plan for Healthy Immunity

How well your immune system functions depends on several factors, some of which you can influence, and others are based on luck of the draw. While there’s no single food or nutrient that can prevent you from getting sick, eating a varied and nutritious diet with a special focus on foods that support a healthy immune system certainly won’t hurt. In this plan, we focus on foods high in nutrients that help our immune system function properly, like protein, zinc and vitamins A, C, D and E. What you won’t find? Added sugars. On average, the American adult eats 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, per the CDC; significantly above the American Heart Association’s recommended daily max of 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men and 6 for women.

Because added sugars are a growing source of calories in many people’s diets—without the nutritional benefits—we opted to skip them for this plan and focus on healthy immune-supporting foods. Because excess body weight could negatively impact your immune system, we set this plan at 1,500 calories per day, which is a level where most people will lose weight. For those with other calorie needs, we also included modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day.





Strategies for a Healthy Immune System:

  • Hydrate: Drinking plenty of fluids has many benefits, including lubricating your nasal passages, which helps fend off viruses better than a dry nose.
  • Rest: Quality and sufficient sleep at night is important for many areas of our body to function properly, including a healthy immune system
  • Eat a Nutritious Diet: Eating a balanced and healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and nutrient-dense foods helps support a healthy immune system
  • Socialize: There’s some evidence that laughing and socializing with others reduces stress, which helps support a healthy immune response.



Immune-Supporting Foods to Focus On:

While there’s no evidence that any one specific food or nutrient can support your immune system, certain nutrients are needed for your immune system to function. Focusing on foods high in these nutrients, in addition to a healthy and varied diet, play a role in supporting our health.


  • Vitamin A: sweet potato, carrots, liver, spinach, milk, egg, cantaloupe, mango, dark leafy greens.
  • Vitamin C: broccoli, oranges, bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, cantaloupe
  • Vitamin D: salmon, tuna, sardines, and other fatty fish, fortified milk and yogurt, eggs
  • Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, nuts, peanuts, nut and peanut butter, avocado, dark leafy greens, wheat germ
  • Protein: meat and poultry, Greek yogurt, cheese, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, quinoa, tofu
  • Zinc: oysters, crab, beef, lobster, pork, turkey, pumpkin seeds, legumes, yogurt, cashews and fortified cereals



How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals:

  1. Prepare Muffin-Tin Omelets with Feta & Peppers to have for breakfast on days 2 through 4.
  2. Make Vegan Lentil Stew to have for lunch on days 2 through 5.



Day 1

Breakfast (403 calories)



A.M. Snack (125 calories)

  • 5-oz. container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup blueberries


Lunch (387 calories)



P.M. Snack (200 calories)

  • 1 medium apple
  • 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter


Dinner (405 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,518 calories, 64g fat, 81g protein, 166g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,100mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Omit almonds at breakfast and change P.M. snack to 1 plum.


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts to A.M. snack, increase to 3 Tbsp. peanut butter at P.M. snack plus add 1 serving Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette.



Day 2

Breakfast (341 calories)



A.M. Snack (231 calories)

  • 30 dry-roasted unsalted almonds


Lunch (374 calories)



P.M. Snack (171 calories)

  • 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
  • 1 medium orange


Dinner (433 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,489 calories, 61g fat, 77g protein, 169g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,640mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit kefir at P.M. snack.


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast and 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.



Day 3

Breakfast (341 calories)



A.M. Snack (125 calories)

  • 5-oz. container low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup blueberries


Lunch (374 calories)



P.M. Snack (200 calories)

  • 1 medium apple
  • 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter


Dinner (511 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,488 calories, 62g fat, 75g protein, 163g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,748mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Omit yogurt at A.M. snack and change P.M. snack to 1 plum.


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast, increase to 2 1/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at P.M. snack, plus add a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.



Day 4

Rachel Marek

Breakfast (341 calories)



A.M. Snack (193 calories)

  • 25 dry-roasted unsalted almonds


Lunch (374 calories)



P.M. Snack (171 calories)

  • 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
  • 1 medium orange


Dinner (507 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,525 calories, 66g fat, 67g protein, 180g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,710mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 clementine and change P.M. snack to 1/4 cup sliced cucumber.


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 serving Raspberry-Kefir Power Smoothie to breakfast and 1 serving Guacamole Chopped Salad to dinner.



Day 5

Breakfast (341 calories)

  • 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts


A.M. Snack (230 calories)

  • 1 cup edamame, in pods
  • 1 plum


Lunch (374 calories)



P.M. Snack (115 calories)

  • 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 Tbsp. hummus


Dinner (421 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,480 calories, 61g fat, 82g protein, 164g carbohydrate, 41g fiber, 1,692mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and omit edamame at A.M. snack.


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to breakfast and 1 serving No-Cook Black Bean Salad to dinner.



Day 6

Charlotte & Johnny Autry

Breakfast (403 calories)



A.M. Snack (95 calories)



Lunch (377 calories)



P.M. Snack (171 calories)

  • 1 cup low-fat plain kefir
  • 1 medium orange


Dinner (432 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,478 calories, 51g fat, 78g protein, 186g carbohydrate, 38g fiber, 1,165mg sodium


Tomake it 1,200 calories: Omit almonds at breakfast and kefir at P.M. snack.


To make it 2,000 calories: add 1 slice sprouted wheat toast with 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter at breakfast, 1 1/4 cup edamame in pods to A.M. snack and a 1-oz. slice whole-wheat baguette to dinner.



Day 7

Breakfast (341 calories)

  • 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts


A.M. Snack (154 calories)

  • 20 dry-roasted unsalted almonds


Lunch (377 calories)



P.M. Snack (200 calories)



Dinner (408 calories)



Daily Totals: 1,480 calories, 66g fat, 97g protein, 128g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 962mg sodium


To make it 1,200 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts at breakfast and change P.M. snack to 1 plum


To make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 large apple to A.M. snack, 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter to the banana at lunch and 1 serving Traditional Greek Salad to dinner.

Natural immunity as protective as Covid vaccine against severe illness

Immunity acquired from a Covid an infection delivers sturdy, lasting security in opposition to the most extreme results of the health issues, in accordance to exploration posted Thursday in The Lancet — safety, gurus say, that’s on par with what is furnished through two doses of an mRNA vaccine.

Infection-acquired immunity slice the chance of hospitalization and dying from a Covid reinfection by 88{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} for at minimum 10 months, the examine discovered.

“This is actually excellent news, in the perception that protection in opposition to serious disorder and loss of life following infection is genuinely fairly sustained at 10 months,” mentioned the senior review creator, Dr. Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Overall health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. 

The results might be a tiny silver lining to the explosive omicron outbreak of past wintertime. With so numerous people contaminated, several most most likely even now advantage from that defense towards serious disorder, Murray reported. 

Even now, authorities worry that vaccination is the preferable route to immunity, provided the challenges of Covid, especially in unvaccinated people today. 

“The difficulty of saying ‘I’m gonna get contaminated to get immunity’ is you could possibly be just one of individuals folks that finish up in the hospital or die,” Murray mentioned. “Why would you choose the hazard when you can get immunity through vaccination very safely?” 

The review was the largest meta-evaluation to day to glimpse at immunity subsequent an infection. It included 65 scientific studies from 19 nations and as opposed the threat of creating Covid again in people who had recovered from infections to persons who hadn’t been infected by September. Men and women who experienced hybrid immunity, or immunity from both equally infection and vaccination, have been excluded. Omicron subvariants that emerged in the late drop and early wintertime of very last calendar year, together with BQ.1 and the now-dominant XBB.1.5, weren’t integrated.

Whilst protection from critical illness remained significant, people could be reinfected — particularly with an omicron subvariant — consistent with proof that defense in opposition to getting signs or symptoms wanes speedier than safety towards hospitalization and demise.

Owning Covid just before the omicron variant emerged did not do considerably to stop reinfection with the mutated edition: Security from reinfection in that circumstance was 74{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} right after a single month but fell to 36{bf0515afdcaddba073662ceb89fbb62b6b1bf123143c0e06b788e1946e8c353f} by thirty day period 10. 

Dr. Bob Wachter, the chairman of the division of medication at the College of California, San Francisco, explained he did not count on the protection obtained from an infection to be as sturdy as the meta-examination uncovered.

“The defense versus critical an infection, equally the extent and the size of it at just about a 12 months, is genuinely incredibly higher,” reported Wachter, who was not concerned with the analysis.

Does an infection-acquired immunity outperform vaccines? 

The immunity produced from an infection was observed to be “at least as significant, if not higher” than that presented by two doses of an mRNA vaccine, the authors wrote.

While Murray and Wachter agreed that vaccination remains the safest route, acquiring a past Covid an infection should at minimum be regarded as in policymaking decisions likely ahead, these kinds of as vaccination needs, they stated.  

“What Europe did with this evidence produced a whole lot of sense, which is in which proof of past an infection was noticed as fundamentally equivalent to vaccination in phrases of prerequisites to go into situations or for work,” Murray explained.

At the quite the very least, he added, officials really should take that proof of modern infection is equivalent to vaccination. 

Notably, the immunity acquired from an infection did look to wane a lot more little by little than the immunity from two doses of an mRNA vaccine.

Even so, Murray stated a booster dose would return safety to a greater level. 

When must I get a Covid booster?

The Centers for Disorder Control and Avoidance recommends waiting a few months just after an an infection to get a booster dose. 

It could be affordable for men and women with healthful immune methods to extend that out a very little bit more, to six months, as the immune response proceeds to establish, said Deepta Bhattacharya, a professor of immunobiology at the College of Arizona. 

“We know that the immune response proceeds to mature over the system of about six months, both for vaccines and for bacterial infections,” he explained. “Waiting about 6 months gives you the ideal bang for your buck.”

Wachter reported that while it’s not hazardous to get a booster previously, there is some flexibility with the timing for people today who lately experienced Covid.

“If you are imagining about acquiring a booster, it’s a flawlessly acceptable simply call to seem at this and say I’ll wait six or 8 months before obtaining my booster,” Wachter stated. “That’s a sensible conclusion from wanting at the analyze.”

Follow NBC Overall health on Twitter & Fb.