Super Diet, Super Immunity
Stay healthy this winter. Revamp your diet to boost your immune system.
September/October 2009
By Amy Mayfield
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Featuring nine vegetables and herbs plus healthy protein, this Tofu Breakfast Scramble offers a huge helping of antioxidants
Photo By Joe Lavine
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We live in a germy world, where potentially serious flu outbreaks are valid concerns. At this time of year, it’s good to start revving up your immune system so you can make it through the winter with as few colds and flus as possible. Many factors—including stress reduction, adequate exercise and plenty of sleep—play a role in keeping the immune system strong, but one of the most easily controlled and important factors for staying healthy is diet. When you put nutritious foods into your body, you reap the rewards.
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Load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, and cut way back on immune-suppressing sugars, alcohol, caffeine and chemicals. Vegetables and fruits are nutritional powerhouses that contain protective compounds such as chlorophyll (found in green veggies); lutein (in spinach, peas and romaine lettuce); lycopene (in cooked tomatoes); carotenoids (in carrots, yams and leafy greens); anthocyanidins (in berries, cherries and red cabbage); and sulfur compounds (in broccoli, garlic and onions). Eating at least five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day will ensure you’re consuming plenty of these compounds and will get you on your way to the best diet possible, reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease while boosting your immune system.
Tofu Breakfast Scramble
Serves 4
This hearty vegetarian breakfast (my mother’s specialty) provides a delicious source of protein and several vegetable servings. Substitute six scrambled eggs for the tofu if you’d like. The scramble tastes great with a side of garlicky Roasted Red Potatoes or whole-grain toast. Or top it with salsa for a bonus dose of lycopene.
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely diced
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
4 to 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 ounces firm tofu, diced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa for topping, optional
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; sprinkle with soy sauce.
2. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tofu and turmeric and cook 2 minutes more. Add spinach and stir gently; cover and let cook until greens are wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then season with basil, salt and pepper.
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