#1) Cut Back on Refined Sugars
How much sugar do you consume on a daily basis? The average US adult consumes approximately 76.7 grams per day, which translates into roughly 19 teaspoons. According to a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), consuming just 75-100 grams of refined sugars can suppress the body’s immune system “considerably.”
Refined sugar is in a wide variety of foods, ranging from dinner rolls and frozen pizza to snack cakes, ketchup and pasta sauce. Eating natural fruit sugar is okay since it’s absorbed more slowly, but you should cut back on refined sources.
#2) Eat More Raw Foods
In addition to reducing your intake of refined sugar, you should increase your consumption of raw foods. It’s a little-known fact that cooking certain types of foods destroys the beneficial nutrients and vitamins they contain. Opting for raw foods, on the other hand, ensures the nutrients are left intact.
“Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which can help prevent prostate cancer, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables always have more natural vitamins and minerals,” wrote the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) on its website.
#3) Eat More Citrus Fruit
Whether it’s oranges, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, lemons or limes, you should include more citrus fruit in your diet to help ward off disease. While claims of it preventing the common cold have since been debunked, studies have shown vitamin C to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, eye disease and skin wrinkles. Besides, citrus fruit tastes great, so there’s really no reason not to include it in your diet.
#4) Up Your Potassium
Diets rich in potassium offer a number of key benefits, one of which is the ability to prevent the kidney stones. Potassium encourages the muscles to move and function, while also helping the kidneys filter blood. So instead of allowing mineral deposits to form painful kidney stones, it will flush them through your system. This alone should be reason enough to consume more potassium.
#5) Color Variety
Last but not least, try to get into the habit of making your dinner plate as colorful as possible. Having a variety of colorful foods on your plate typically indicates the presence of several different nutrient-rich foods, which is exactly what you should be striving for when planning your meals. Eating nothing but meat and potatoes, for instance, will supply your protein but not much else.
By following the dieting tips outlined above, you’ll improve your body’s natural ability to ward off disease while reaping the benefits of better health. Of course, you should also also seek the services of a professional chiropractor to fix subluxations (misaligned vertebrae or bones), giving your immune system yet another helpful boost.