Emily Hartley’s tips for boosting immunity

Performance Dietician for the Port Adelaide Football Club Emily Hartley shares her immune-boosting tips.

Emily Hartley is the Performance Dietician for the Port Adelaide Football Club, and her day job is to ensure the players are adequately fuelled, hydrated and in optimal physical shape to ensure they can perform at an elite level consistently for both trainings and games. This includes supporting their immune health to ensure they remain fit and illness-free.

Given these principles are important for everyone right now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make its presence felt around the world, she shares some of her immunity-boosting tips with the GFG workforce.

Emily shares her top three takeaways:

1. Double your cooking at dinner and save the extras as leftovers for a healthy, balanced and cost-effective lunch option.
2. Carry an insulated water bottle with you at all times. This will help to keep you accountable with your hydration and fluid throughout the day.
3. Avoid wasting your money on expensive supplements. If you get a balanced diet these aren’t necessary! Rather put your money into fresh, local produce. The more colour and variety the better. Aim for 20 different plant foods per week to assist with healthy & diverse gut bacteria.

And here are the more detailed tips:

Build a balanced plate with mostly unprocessed whole foods
Nutrient deficiencies may lower your immune function by hindering white blood cell performance (cells that protect the body against infection and disease). To avoid nutrient deficiencies, eat plenty of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, protein, and healthy fats.
Aim to build a balanced plate at each meal, choose:

• Protein (1/4 plate) – lean meats, eggs, legumes, fish, seafood, low fat dairy products, nuts & seeds.
• Carbohydrates (1/4 plate) – whole oats, whole grain rice, grainy breads and quinoa. Limit high-sugar or refined varieties.
• Fruits and Vegetables (half a plate): Include a diverse mix of fruits and veggies in every meal
• Limit processed meats and fats – choose high quality fats like avocado, plant-based oils (eg olive oil, coconut oil), nuts and seeds along with low-fat dairy products with no added sugar. Avoid processed or fatty cuts of meat where possible.

Focus on other key nutrients, and include them regularly:
Vitamin C: To prevent and fight infections. Found in a variety of different fruits and vegetables including: capsicum, sweet potato, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, citrus fruits and strawberries

Vitamin D: Helps to protect against respiratory tract infections. For most Australians, the main source of vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight. It is important to balance the need for sun exposure for vitamin D, while at the same time avoiding the risk of skin damage.

Zinc: Supports T-Cells (a type of white blood cell that protects the body from pathogens). Found in meats, poultry, and seafood and plant foods like legumes and whole grains.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Reduces inflammation and assist white blood cells. Found in oily fish and some nuts and seeds.

Look after your Gut Health
Maintaining a healthy gut has been shown to help support your immune system. Try to incorporate both prebiotic and probiotic foods to help build and support your gut health. Probiotic foods include yoghurt and fermented or pickled foods like kombucha, kefir ad sauerkraut. Prebiotic foods are high in fibre and come from wholegrain breads, cereals as well as fruit and vegetables. Aim for a wide variety of these foods to improve the diversity of your gut bacteria.

Move regularly
Exercise has both short and long-term positive wellbeing effects. Aim to include planned exercise that you enjoy as well as non-exercise activity. Look to boost up your daily step count, take the stairs or ride your bike rather than driving.

Reduce smoking and/or excessive alcohol consumption
There is significant evidence that indicates heavy drinking and smoking negatively effects your health and immune system. Keep your alcohol consumption within light to moderate levels (at or under 7 drinks per week for women, 14 for men)

Get adequate sleep
Depriving your body of high-quality sleep can lower your body’s defences. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Some strategies to help improve your sleep include: Sleeping & waking at the same time each day, making your bedroom as dark as possible, forming a relaxing routine prior to sleep and keeping your sleep area cool & clean.

Manage stress
Too much stress and too much stress hormone (cortisol) could make you more susceptible to illness. Coping behaviours like overeating, smoking and drinking all add to your stress load. Aim to find a happy balance and include strategies that help manage your wellbeing. These could include walking the dog, scheduling in downtime, meditation or talking with a friend.

Practice social distancing & good hygiene
This will help limit your exposure and/or transmission of germs or pathogens. Remember to wash your hand thoroughly and regularly, disinfect frequently-used objects & surfaces, practice food safety and physical distancing.

“By consistently practicing the healthy behaviours discussed, you can reduce your exposure and susceptibility, help optimise your immune function over time and better prepare your body to fight off foreign invaders,” Emily says.

“Even incorporating a couple of the above strategies consistently will have a positive effect. Just remember you can always incorporate the others later!”