Carson Valley Medical Center | Healthy Carson Valley | Winter 2022

Eat well to keep your immune system strong Eating nutritious foods has always been a way to stay healthy, strengthen your immune system and protect you from illness. And it can also help your body prevent, fight and recover from infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. What does healthy eating look like? Of course, it’s best to keep your immune system healthy all the time. That means focusing on a well- balanced diet filled with nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, these nutrients can help strengthen your immune system: Probiotics. These good bacteria can be found in cultured dairy products like yogurt. Protein. This may be especially helpful in healing and recovery. Find this in plant and animal products, such as milk, eggs, beef, chicken, fish, nuts, beans and seeds. Vitamin A. This helps regulate the immune system and protect against infections. Look for it in sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach, eggs, or milk and cereal fortified with vitamin A. Vitamin C. Look for this in citrus fruits. It helps the immune system produce antibodies. Vitamin D. Find it in fatty fish and eggs, as well as drinks fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin E. This works as an antioxidant. Antioxidants decrease inflammation. Find vitamin E in fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, vegetable oils and peanut butter. Zinc. This may help wounds heal. You can find it in wheat germ, beans and tofu. But zinc is best absorbed from animal sources like beef and fish. The best way to get the nutrients your immune system needs is to eat a wide variety of healthy foods. That’s usually a better option than a supplement. Take an all-around approach In addition to eating nutritious foods, try these other good habits to stay healthy: ➜ Get enough sleep each night. ➜ Be active every day. ➜ Maintain a healthy weight. ➜ Cope with stress and anxiety in healthy ways, like deep breathing or exercise. A healthy diet isn’t a replacement for other steps to protect yourself from COVID-19. It’s still essential to: ➜ Get vaccinated. ➜ Stay 6 feet away from others in public. ➜ Wash your hands often. ➜ Keep away from sick people. ➜ Cover your coughs and sneezes. ➜ Clean shared surfaces daily. ➜ Wear a face mask when appropriate. Creamy squash soup with shredded apples Makes 4 servings. Ingredients 2 boxes (16 ounces each) frozen pureed winter (butternut) squash 2 medium apples (try Golden Delicious or Gala) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 cans (12 ounces each) fat-free evaporated milk 1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon salt 1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground black pepper Directions ➜ Place the frozen squash in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely. Defrost in the microwave on medium power for 5 to 10 minutes, until mostly thawed. ➜ Meanwhile, peel then shred the apples using a grater or food processor, or peel and finely chop apples into thin strips. Set aside 1/4 cup. ➜ Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add all but 1/4 cup of the apples. Cook and stir until apples soften, about 5 minutes. ➜ Stir in thawed squash and pumpkin pie spice. ➜ Add the evaporated milk about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. ➜ Season with salt and pepper. ➜ Cook and stir over high heat just until soup is about to boil. ➜ Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each with a tablespoon of the unused apples. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Tip: For chunkier soup, try two bags (14 ounces each) frozen diced butternut squash. Or cut a fresh butternut squash into small chunks, and place in a microwave-safe dish covered with 1 inch of water. Microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes or until squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove skin. Place squash in blender until desired consistency. Nutrition information Serving size: 1 cups. Amount per serving: 334 calories, 4g total fat (1g saturated fat), 7mg cholesterol, 62g carbohydrates, 18g protein, 5g dietary fiber, 370mg sodium, 1,142mg potassium. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cvmchospital.org 3