Foods That Boost Immune System Health

In an era where maintaining good health is paramount, a robust immune system is absolutely essential. 

While lifestyle factors like exercise and sleep play a significant role, the food we consume can significantly enhance our immune defences. 

Here’s a look at some foods that can help bolster your immune system.

1. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits, are well-known for their high vitamin C content. Vitamin C is vital for the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections. Given that the body does not produce or store vitamin C, daily intake is crucial for maintaining an effective immune system.

2. Red Bell Peppers

While citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, red bell peppers contain twice as much of this essential vitamin. They are also a rich source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for maintaining the health of your skin and mucous membranes, which are the body’s first line of defence against pathogens.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fibre and many other antioxidants. It is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your plate. To retain its nutrients, it is best cooked as little as possible – or better yet, not at all.

4. Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. It contains compounds such as allicin, which is known to boost the disease-fighting response of some types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses.

5. Ginger

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after falling ill. It may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and inflammatory illnesses. Ginger is also packed with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.

6. Spinach

Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C but also because it’s packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Like broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients.

7. Yoghurt

Yoghurt that contains live and active cultures, like Greek yoghurt, can stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Look for yoghurts that have "live and active cultures" printed on the label, and try to get plain yoghurts rather than the kind that are pre-flavoured and loaded with sugar.

8. Almonds

When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, this powerful antioxidant is key to a healthy immune system. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with the vitamin and also have healthy fats, which help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

9. Turmeric

Turmeric is a bright yellow, bitter spice that has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. High concentrations of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive colour, can help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage. Curcumin has promising immune-boosting potential.

10. Green Tea

Green tea is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. In studies, the amino acid L-theanine found in green tea may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells. Additionally, green tea is a good source of the amino acid that enhances immune function.

Incorporating these foods into your diet can help enhance your immune system, but it's important to remember that no single food or supplement is a magic bullet. A balanced diet, combined with other healthy lifestyle habits, is the best way to support overall health and a strong immune system. Stay well, eat healthily, and keep your defences strong!

TV Chef Theo Michaels has launched a special Veganuary recipe teaming up with SmarterNaturally

TV Chef Theo Michaels has launched a delicious Veganuary recipe for people who are looking to lower their blood sugar - a key risk factor for type-2 diabetes.

The TV star has teamed up with SmarterNaturally, an exciting UK company that has created a unique super-strain of broccoli with patented health-boosting properties.

Earlier this year Theo and SmarterNaturally launched a very popular series of cooking videos creating delicious food for people tackling type 2 diabetes.

Theo, who is an award-winning author and former MasterChef contestant, created the free online videos which show how to prepare a range of delicious, easy-to-make and diabetic friendly meals using the super soup.

And to celebrate Veganuary Theo has created a vegan pasta dish which is healthy and has a SmaterNaturally twist!

The new dish is called Sun Blushed Tomato and Walnut Pesto Rigatoni incorporating health boosting SmarterNaturally soup mixed with a dose of very smart science.

Packed with flavour and goodness, this is a great vegan recipe to have in your repertoire, using vegan parmesan alternative which doesn’t compromise on flavour while also being packed with goodness. Theo’s recipe makes enough for two servings and it keeps in the fridge for a week or the freezer for a month.

The dish uses courgettes, sunblushed tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, fresh coriander, vegan Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and the SmarterNaturally broccoli soup.

Theo Michaels said: “After being introduced to Smarter Naturally soup and reading the research behind the health benefits, I was sold on how beneficial their soup is for maintaining a healthy metabolism and supporting your body. 

"I set about creating recipes that are full of flavour that complement the broccoli soup as well as being type 2 diabetes friendly. I’m now excited to launch a special Veganuary dish which is delicious and healthy and I’m pleased to be working with such a talented team at SmarterNaturally who are dedicated to increasing the quality of life of so many people!”

SmarterNaturally’s super-strength broccoli (called ‘GRextra’) has created a ‘SuperSoup’ designed to support people suffering from diabetes (as well as high cholesterol and other health conditions).

The collaboration with Theo was designed to use both science and nutrition to help people with diabetes eat better and gain control of their blood sugar levels. The recipes are free to watch on SmarterNaturally’s website (www.SmarterNaturally.com/recipes) and show how the special broccoli soup can be used to create different flavoursome dishes -all of which contain a week’s worth of glucoraphanin (the health-boosting molecule which makes SmarterNaturally Soup so special).

Most people eat SmarterNaturally’s SuperSoup once a week by simply adding boiling water. But for those who prefer the culinary over convenience, Theo Michaels has given the soup a makeover to show just how easy it is to use as an ingredient in more exciting dishes instead.

Recipes in the series include Smoked Haddock with Cheddar Broccoli Sauce, Thai Green Curry and an Indonesian Laksa – all of which have been certified by nutritionists as diabetic friendly and can be made either vegetarian or vegan with just a few tweaks. In the coming weeks and months, Theo is planning to add more delicious meals to the list - all inspired by and incorporating the SuperSoup.

SmarterNaturally brand is owned by The Smarter Food Company, a spin-out from one of the UK’s leading food and health research organisations, the Quadram Institute.

 Laura Knight, CEO, SmarterNaturally said “Our SuperSoup is a science-backed functional food designed to support people with high blood sugar, and it’s really convenient.  Our long-term customers started to use the soup as an ingredient in all kinds of ways to keep things interesting.  

"That’s way we’re excited about our partnership with Theo; he’s using his creativity and skills in the kitchen to turn our SuperSoup into culinary delights that people can easily make and enjoy at home, safe in the knowledge that the recipe protects the bioactivity of the soup and analysed by a dietician as being suitable diabetics. It’s an important step forward for us in our goal of supporting prediabetics and diabetics on their journey towards a healthier future.”

For more information check out www.smarternaturally.com

THE VEGANUARY RECIPE:

Sun Blushed Tomato and Walnut Pesto Rigatoni

Serves 1

(with pesto for 2 dinners)

Delicious and easy diabetic friendly recipe with homemade sunblushed tomato and walnut pesto woven through a Smarter Naturally soup for a hearty and healthy vegan meal.

Ingredients

1 x40g sachet Smarter Naturally Soup

35g wholemeal rigatoni pasta

100g courgette, halved lengthways and sliced

Pesto:

90g sunblushed tomatoes in olive oil

30g walnuts

2 cloves garlic, medium size

Few sprigs fresh coriander + extra for garnish

20g vegan parmesan cheese + extra for garnish

Drizzle olive oil for garnish (optional)

½ tsp sea salt

Method:

Place pasta in boiling water and cook to packet instructions; about 8 minutes for al dente. Two minutes before the pasta finishes cooking; drop in the courgette to blanche.

While the pasta is cooking, add the sun blushed tomatoes (including any oil), walnuts, coriander (including the stalks), garlic, vegan parmesan to a food processor and pulse, adding a little water if it’s too thick, until you have a smooth thick paste. Decant into a sterialised jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Add one sachet of SmarterNaturally soup to a bowl and pour in about 250ml of the pasta cooking water and mix together. Then add two heaped tablespoons (about 40ml) of the homemade pesto to the soup.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain, return the pasta and courgette back to the saucepan and pour in the prepared soup mixture and fold together, do not reheat. Serve in a bowl, garnishing with a pinch of additional vegan parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and some chopped coriander.

Theo’s top tips:

A pinch of chilli flakes go well as garnish just before serving.

Go gluten free by changing the pasta to GF.

Traditional Parmesan isn't vegetarian/vegan so you'd need to check out a vegetarian version. In fact, here are links to some home made artificial Parmesan cheese that you could try yourself or check out the non-dairy cheese substitute fridges at your favourite shop.

https://cookieandkate.com/easy-vegan-parmesan-cheese-recipe

https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-parmesan-cheese

Top TV Chef Theo Michaels teams up with SmarterNaturally to launch free online cooking series creating delicious type 2 diabetes friendly meals

SmarterNaturally is a new Super Soup uses super strength broccoli in a bid to lower blood sugar and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Top TV chef Theo Michaels has joined up with SmarterNaturally to create a series of free online cooking lessons to create delicious type 2 diabetes friendly meals. The innovative UK company is unique in the market.

Theo and SmarterNaturally are launching some fantastic free online cooking series creating delicious type 2 diabetes friendly meals.

SmarterNaturally - New Super Soup uses super strength broccoli in a bid to lower blood sugar and the risk of type 2 diabetes

TV Chef Theo Michaels has launched a series of cooking videos creating delicious food for people who are looking to lower their blood sugar - a key risk factor for type-2 diabetes.

The star of Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch has teamed up with SmarterNaturally, which is an innovative and exciting UK company which has created a unique super-strain of broccoli with wonderful and patented health-boosting properties.

SmarterNaturally have turned their super-strength broccoli (called ‘GRextra’) into a ‘SuperSoup’ designed to support people suffering from diabetes (plus high cholesterol and other health conditions). 

Theo, who is an award-winning author and former MasterChef contestant, has created the free videos which show how to prepare a range of delicious, easy-to-make and diabetic friendly meals using this super soup.

The collaboration aims to use science and nutrition to help people with diabetes eat better and gain control of their blood sugar levels. (EDITOR: As someone with Diabetes I 100% agree with this stance!)

The recipes are free to watch on SmarterNaturally’s website (www.SmarterNaturally.com/recipes) and show how the special broccoli soup can be used to create different flavoursome dishes, all of which contain a week’s worth of glucoraphanin (the health-boosting molecule which makes SmarterNaturally Soup so very special).

Most people eat SmarterNaturally’s SuperSoup once a week by just adding boiling water. But for those who prefer the culinary over the convenient, Theo Michaels has given the soup a makeover to show just how easy it is to use as an ingredient in more exciting dishes, instead.

The first three recipes in the series are Smoked Haddock with Cheddar Broccoli Sauce, Thai Green Curry and an Indonesian Laksa, all of which have been certified by nutritionists as diabetic friendly and can be made either vegetarian or vegan with just a few tweaks. 

In the coming weeks and months, Theo's planning to add more delicious meals to the list, all of which are inspired by and incorporating the SuperSoup.

Theo said: “After being introduced to Smarter Naturally soup and reading the research behind the health benefits, I was sold on how beneficial their soup is for maintaining a healthy metabolism and supporting your body. 

"So I set about creating recipes that are filled with flavour that complement the broccoli soup as well as being type 2 diabetes friendly. I’m really very excited to be working with such a talented team at SmarterNaturally who are dedicated to increasing the quality of life of so many people!”

 Laura Knight, CEO, SmarterNaturally said “Our SuperSoup is a science-backed functional food designed to support people with high blood sugar, and it’s really convenient.  Our long-term customers started to use the soup as an ingredient in all kinds of ways to keep things interesting.  

"That’s way we’re excited about our partnership with Theo; he’s using his creativity and skills in the kitchen to turn our SuperSoup into culinary delights that people can easily make and enjoy at home, safe in the knowledge that the recipe protects the bioactivity of the soup and analysed by a dietician as being suitable diabetics.  It’s an important step forward for us in our goal of supporting prediabetics and diabetics on their journey towards a healthier future."

THE RECIPES:

Smoked Haddock with Cheddar Broccoli Sauce

Serves 1

Smoky haddock poached in milk with aromatics combined with Smarter Naturally soup to create a delicious cheddar sauce served with the gently poached haddock on a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves.

Ingredients

1 x40g sachet Smarter Naturally Soup

140g smoked haddock fillet

250ml skimmed milk

2 cloves garlic, cracked

2 bay leaves

30g cheddar cheese, grated

25g baby spinach

Pinch chilli flakes

Few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

Method:

Pour the milk and water into a shallow frying pan along with the garlic, bay leaves and smoked haddock. Bring to a simmer for about 6-8 minutes until the fish is cooked through then remove from the heat. While the fish is cooking mix together a sachet of Smarter Naturally soup with the grated cheddar cheese and reserve.

In your serving bowl, bundle the baby spinach leaves into the centre and once the fish is cooked place on top of the spinach. Finally strain the hot milk through a sieve into the bowl of Smarter Naturally soup and cheese and mix together until combined. Pour the sauce around the edge of the fish in the bowl and garnish with few sprigs of chopped fresh parsley, pinch of chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Thai Style Green Curry

Serves 1

This punchy fragrant Thai inspired curry is perfect to incorporate your SmarterNaturally soup; full of flavour this one never fails to satisfy!

Ingredients

1 x40g sachet Smarter Naturally Soup

½ zero-salt chicken stock cube

250ml hot water

1 tsp olive oil

90g chicken breast, cubed

200ml light coconut milk

80g mange tout

½ tbsp fish sauce

1 lime

Paste

10g coriander

½ small onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger, peeled

1 green chilli

½ stick lemongrass

Method:

Start with the curry paste, add all the paste ingredients to a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste (you may need to add a little water to help it mix). Add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan and fry the curry paste for a couple of minutes then drop in the diced chicken breast and after another minute pour in the coconut milk and leave to simmer for five minutes. If it gets too thick you can top it up with a little extra coconut milk.

While the chicken is cooking; add the stock cube to a bowl and pour in 250ml just boiled water and then pour in the soup sachet and mix to combine.

Once the chicken is cooked add the mange tout, fish sauce and give it a squeeze of lime. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the SmarterNaturally soup until fully combined. Taste; adding more of the fish sauce or lime juice as preferred. Pour into a bowl, garnish with any left over coriander and drizzle of coconut milk.

Theo’s top tips:

-        omit the chilli if you prefer mild heat

-        try with fish instead of chicken

Indonesian Style Laksa

Serves 1

Theo says he can’t get enough of this one; a hearty yet vibrant Indonesian style prawn laksa with NaturallySmarter soup that makes this not only delicious but healthy too!

Ingredients

1 x40g sachet Smarter Naturally Soup

½ zero-salt vegetable stock cube

50g vermicelli rice noodles

250ml hot water

40g choi sum, stalk trimmed

1 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ small white onion, sliced

1 inch ginger, grated

1 red chilli, chopped

½ stick lemongrass

150g king prawns

200ml light coconut milk

50g bean sprouts

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp peanut butter

½ tbsp curry powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 lime

10g coriander for garnish

Start by hydrating the noodles in a large mixing bowl with enough hot water to cover by a couple of inches, leave to hydrate.

In a hot pan, add a splash of oil and then add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes (don’t let it burn) before stirring in the curry powder and turmeric and quickly followed by the coconut milk. Mix together and then stir in the tomato puree and peanut butter.

Add the choi sum to the pan and leave to simmer for five minutes until cooked through (you can add a splash of water if it starts to dry out/go too thick), then add the prawns and cook for another two minutes and remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl; mix together the vegetable stock cube with just boiled water and stir in the NaturallySmarter soup. Pour boiling water over the beansprouts to balance and remove from the hot water after a minute. Remove the frying pan from the heat and place the choi sum into a serving bowl along with the noodles (either drain in colander or use tongs to life out of the water).

Stir the soup into the Laksa and once combined pour over the noodles and choi sum, garnish with extra coriander, the beansprouts on the side, a squeeze of lime and any extra chilli you wish to use.

Theo’s top tips:

-        You can use frozen prawns instead of fresh; in that case, just add just before the choi sum.

-        Can easily replace the prawns with Tofu or chicken if preferred.