Did you know that 70% of your immune function is in your gut? it’s kind of hard to fathom that, but when you think about the fact that your body is striving for health, it has to check everything out that you put into it, and besides breath, food is the main ingredient.

Hi, I'm Mary Sheila, a board certified holistic nutritionist, and when I started to really understand the connection between the digestive tract and the immune system, it changed everything. And what I have learned with my clients over the years, is that strengthening the immune system is not just about doing one thing, its many things we can do to create change.

As complex as our digestive process is, literally turning food into us, there are some relatively simple ways to support healthy digestion, which essentially supports a healthy immune response.

Lets look at five natural remedies to support a healthy immune response through the digestive lens.

1. Focus on Whole Foods

The less processed food is, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. When food undergoes processing, it looses nutrients. That’s why most processed foods have synthetic vitamins and minerals added back to them.

Whole foods contain more nutrients naturally and these are the same building blocks that our immune system needs to function properly.

2. Eat your veggies!

It’s true, some things never change! Even as nutritional science evolves, vegetables are still highly recommended to cover most of your plate, and still have a powerful nutritional punch when it comes to supporting overall health.

One way to do this is to shop the perimeter of the market first. Fill your cart up with veggies you love, and be adventurous and try something new.

3. Eat probiotic-rich foods

Probiotic rich foods have been fermented to allow the beneficial bacteria already present on food to flourish. These microbes will then intermingle with your own bacteria that live in the gut and support it to stay strong.

We call this bacteria our microbiome, and without the microbiome, we could not survive. Just how important is it? Well, as babies, the bacteria that begin to populate your gut, educate your immune system! Examples of probiotic rich foods include pickles and sauerkraut found in the refrigerated section of the market, or yogurt, and kefir.

4. Don’t drink too much liquid at a meal.

We make a lot of digestive juices, containing acids and enzymes, and they have a big job to do, which is to completely break down the foods we are eating so they can become us! If you drink too much water or any other liquid with a meal, you risk diluting those precious juices, so that they can’t fully break down your foods. And the strong stomach acid present in the stomach also acts as an immune barrier, so you definitely don’t want to dilute those juices.

Keep your liquids to a minimum with a meal. At least less than 8 ounces, and aiming for 4 ounces is ideal.

5. Eat with mindfulness

Your food has had an incredible journey to make it onto your plate! Mindful eating is not only about recognizing that fact, but also about creating the best outcome when it comes to how much you digest and how you feel after a meal.

When you eat mindfully, without a lot of distraction, you chew your food more, you slow down, and often times eat less. All of these factors add up to improved digestion.

Taking a few breaths before a meal, giving thanks, and putting your fork down between bites are simple yet powerful tools to bring mindfulness to the table.

Because you eat everyday, multiple times a day, there’s always an opportunity to take these simple steps to make your food matter.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below, or share what’s worked for you to improve your immune system.

And if you’d like more natural home remedies so you can continue to take your health into your own hands, please download our free gift. Which includes over 50 natural home remedies for common ailments, giving you the tools to take action when it comes to your health!

Thanks for being here, download your free gift, and I look forward to sharing more with you!

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