If you’re like our time-crunched clients, you’d like some effortless ways to support your immune health that suit your hectic lifestyle, and you want some healthy hacks from us, registered dietitians.

While many lifestyle factors come into play when it comes to bolstering your body’s defenses, such as getting regular physical activity, choosing the best foods, drinks, and supplements, minimizing exposures to environmental stressors, etc., as part of the whole picture, we’re sharing 3 effortless ways to support your immune health, no matter how pressed for time you are!

The best thing about these easy things that you can do to help to stay well is that they truly work, no matter how full, lively and jam-packed your days are.

What is the key to effortless immune health support?

One of the best ways to make any lifestyle change feel effortless is to slightly tweak something you do already so that it’s an easy swap. For instance, if you get up every day and brush your teeth, a change that may feel effortless would be switching to natural toothpaste.

Or if you drink coffee every morning, it may feel effortless to drink it out of a mug instead of a Styrofoam cup. Another great way to make a lifestyle change feel effortless is of course if it’s something that requires very little effort, like drinking water when you’re working out since it’s a time that you’re likely thirsty anyway.

While all of these are easy ways to support your immune health and help to protect against oxidative stress, we’re sharing 3 other ways that can pack quite a punch when it comes to bolstering your body’s defenses.

1. Eat walnuts for a snack.

A sturdy, easy on-the-go snack that supports immune health

Are you always looking for an easy, grab-and-go snack? One of the questions we get asked most is about good options for healthy snacks. Most people find they get into trouble at snack time when they find themselves hungry and then grab something quick and satisfying to quench their hunger.

Typically, they end up at the vending machine and choose sugary, salty, or fatty snacks made with refined oils, which don’t support immune health, rather than fortifying it!

Imagine a snack that has an awesome crunch, tastes delicious, is packed with nutrients that satisfy hunger and cravings, provides long-lasting energy, is shelf-stable and easy to pack or throw in a gym bag—and that helps to protect your health—and that research has even found to be helpful for weight management. It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not!

Let’s face it, you’re likely looking for an easy-to-grab snack anyway and nothing makes snack time more effortless than a bag of crunchy walnuts. Simply pour yourself one small handful and enjoy!

How do walnuts support your immune system?

They’ve got some special benefits that make their health-protecting benefits worth their yummy crunch!

Here are a few of walnut’s immune-supporting stand-out benefits:

• Vitamin E –Helps maintain a healthy immune response
• Polyphenols— Fight oxidative stress
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fat— Helps support a healthy inflammatory response

Personally, we’re no strangers to walnuts, walnut butter, oatmeal topped with walnuts, or our Speedy Skinny Walnut Oatmeal Cookies, for that matter!  How about some Pears With Walnuts and Goat Cheese or Goat Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Dates?

Not a snacker?

Other effortless ways to get walnuts:

• In salads – Swap bacon or croutons for immune-supporting walnuts
• In stir-fries or steamed veggies for crunch and flavor
• In hot or cold cereals
• In yogurt

2. Get your energy kick from green tea.

An effortless way to boost energy while supporting your immune system

If you’re a fan of drinks that naturally give you an energy kick, say “I”. Our clients say “I” and tell us they love their daily cup of Joe for this very reason. Not only is drinking their morning brew an effortless part of their morning, but it’s also one that they never forget to do since they look forward to an energy boost.

However, if you’re like many of our clients, you would prefer to get the boost without having to rely on as much caffeine as their coffee provides. This is just one way that green tea shines. It offers a hydrating lift but with less caffeine than coffee.

Anything that helps to hydrate you supports your immune health because adequate hydration is critical for an efficient immune system. However, many drinks, such as coffee, can have added sugars, creamers, and additives that negate the hydrating benefits.

If you live for coffee, try swapping a half cup for green tea. Or if you’re a two (or more) coffee-cup drinker, swap one cup for green tea. Your healthy immune system won’t regret it and making this swap can easily fit into your morning routine as you’re drinking a bevy for energy already, so you won’t forget to do it!

How does green tea support your immune system?

It’s got some extraordinary health-protecting benefits that make it hard to believe that all you must do to reap them is sip– and you get to feel more energetic.

How does green tea keep you healthy?

The secret to green tea’s immune-supporting potential is its antioxidants which help protect against oxidative stress.

Here are a few more of green tea’s immune-supporting stand-out benefits:

• Polyphenols— Helps support a healthy inflammatory response
• EGCG— Supports T cell health for immune function

What if I don’t need a morning energy boost?

No problem! You could also sip tea throughout the day to stay hydrated. We sip on ours in the morning and in the summer months we drink this minty lime iced tea version.

We also:

• Make popsicles with ginger green tea – Add kefir, protein powder or collagen, a drop of allulose or stevia
• Add it to smoothies like our Detoxifying Green Tea Smoothie or our Matcha Smoothie
• Make ice cubes with it (use them in drinks, stir-fries, for sautéing veggies)

3. Take a quality curcumin supplement.

An easy way to support a healthy inflammatory response and immune health.

As registered dietitians who are healthy weight experts, everyone always asks us if there is some sort of capsule they can take to reach their goals.

That’s because there’s nothing easier than taking a capsule! While there is no one magic bullet when it comes to supporting your immune system (or for weight management, for that matter!), certain supplements can be helpful in combination with other healthy lifestyle steps.

Can I eat turmeric to get curcumin benefits?

Say hello to one of our favorite spices…turmeric. This bright orange spice is part of the ginger family, another of our favorites! Turmeric has been shown to provide potent cellular protection against free radicals, support healthy inflammation, and promote a healthy immune response— largely due to one of its key active compounds, curcumin.

Curcumin has a large range of benefits, including promoting joint and organ health. We love adding it to our meals, hoping to reap some health benefits—and because of its bitter and punchy flavor. However, it’s poorly absorbed, so it’s hard to reap all the power it provides through food. That’s why we take a curcumin supplement to get our dose.

Given that so many extracts lack bioavailability that offers true benefits, going with a quality brand is critical, perhaps even more so with curcumin.  So we always use the brand we love and trust, Life Extension®. Years ago, when we took a deep dive into studying all about Life Extension, we learned how each Life Extension® supplement is extensively researched and meets the strictest standards of quality.

For us, this is super important because it makes all the difference between receiving optimal health benefits or none at all. And we fell in love with the brand.

Here’s why we use Life Extension’s Curcumin Elite™ Turmeric Extract:

• It preserves curcuminoids’ bioavailability
  • So you get the maximum possible benefit!
• It promotes a healthy immune response
• It delivers 45x more bioavailable free curcuminoids (than standard curcumin)

• It has 270x better absorption of total curcuminoids (than standard curcumin)
• It supports cardiovascular & brain health & a healthy immune response

We also really appreciate that Curcumin Elite™ is sourced from a multitude of responsible farming collectives in India and Life Extension uses an environmentally friendly, water-based extraction technology (no solvents or chemicals) and that it’s gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegetarian.

Guess what?

To make supporting your immune health even more effortless…

Life Extension is extending a discount for YOU! Use the code TWINS5 for $5 off a purchase of $50 of more, plus FREE shipping!

We’ve partnered with Life Extension® for this promotion, but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.