Kirsten Hartvig - Eat to Boost Your Immunity: The Practical Guide to Strengthening the Bodys Defense Systems

Eat to Boost Your Immunity

Kirsten Hartvig

Distributed in the USA and Canada by

Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

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This revised and updated edition first published in the UK and USA in 2012 by

Duncan Baird Publishers

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Conceived, created and designed by Duncan Baird Publishers Ltd

Copyright Duncan Baird Publishers 2002, 2012

Text copyright Kirsten Hartvig 2002, 2012

Copyright of photographs Duncan Baird Publishers 2002, 2012

The right of Kirsten Hartvig to be identified as the Author of this text has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN: 978-1-78028-028-8

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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PUBLISHERS NOTE: The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have any special dietary requirements or medical conditions, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional before following any of the information or recipes contained in this book. Duncan Baird Publishers, or any other persons who have been involved in working on this publication, cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, inadvertent or not, that may be found in the recipes or text, nor for any problems that may arise as a result of preparing one of these recipes or following the advice contained in this work. Essential oils must be diluted in a base oil before use. They should not be taken internally and are for adult use only. The detox program should be avoided by children, elderly people and women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.

The abbreviation BCE (Before the Common Era the equivalent of BC) is used in this book.

Part one:
A Guide to the Immune System

Part two:
Superfoods for the Immune System

Part three:
Coping with Common Ailments

Part four:
Immune Foods in Practice

KEY TO SYMBOLS USED IN STAR FOODS

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS AND OTHER ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

IMMUNE-BOOSTING ACTION AND OTHER BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES

WARNING

INTERESTING FACTS AND HANDY HINTS

Readers who digest and act on the advice in this book are likely to improve their enjoyment of life into middle and old age. I hope that, as you read this foreword, you think of yourself not just as an individual, but as a member of a family and community, whose choices and actions affect others. In general, people live longer, and also suffer from disease for more of their lives, than ever before in history. In rich countries, such as those in North America and Western Europe, people on average suffer some serious disability for around a quarter of their lives, and often die from diseases likely to cause intense suffering in the last years of their lives. But disease is not an inevitable function of ageing. I am writing this foreword during a visit to the headquarters of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) in Geneva. Colleagues here envision a world in which it is normal to live a long, healthy, and active life and to die of old age in good health.

If you want to change the world, begin with yourself, within your community. Eat to Boost Your Immunity is full of useful information and good advice. Its most important message can be expressed in a few words: Food and nutrition is crucial to health. And as health is not only physical but also mental, emotional, and spiritual, it is better to say that the nature and quality of what we eat and drink are the most important determinants of our state of being. This is an old truth to which writers such as my colleague and friend Kirsten Hartvig are bearing new witness.

The incidence of tooth decay, constipation, gut diseases, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, heart disease, and most cancers, in all populations and communities, is mostly determined by food and nutrition, together with tobacco habits and level of physical activity. The W.H.O. is constantly working on initiatives designed to prevent chronic diseases throughout the world, with that message. Secure, adequate and, varied food supplies are essential to prevent deficiency diseases; and nutritional deficiency not only remains a massive public health issue in Africa and Asia, but is also quite common among impoverished people who live in rich countries like the U.S.A. A vital message for parents, is that a diet exclusively of breast milk until 6 months old, followed by weaning on to nutrient-dense plant-based foods, gives babies and children the best protection against infectious diseases at the time, and also throughout life.

But that is not all! As Eat to Boost Your Immunity shows, a diet that is based on fresh or minimally processed foods (above all wholegrain starchy foods combined with pulses such as beans, and a variety of vegetables and fruits, rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, essential fats, and fiber), and that is correspondingly low in highly processed foods, total fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and alcohol, protects the health of all systems of the body. And yes, this includes the nervous systemof which the brain is one part, the source of our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Some people still suppose that the best diets for humans, and especially children, are those that promote growth, and that tall and heavy people are superior to those who are small and slim. In fact, homo sapiens evolved to grow and mature slowly, and diets high in protein and fat and often sugar, have created populations in the richest countries who resemble human rhinos, in more ways than one.

Those of us who are lucky enough to have homes and jobs, and who enjoy international travel, electronic technology, and shops full of fresh foods, do not want to revert to any kind of primeval existence. What we can achieve now, is the best of all worlds. Kirsten has assembled, summarized, and displayed a vast amount of knowledge, designed to convince you that excellent food and nutrition is the rational way to avoid disease, and also that natural foods and drinks contain prudent remedies for most illnesses. Dont be daunted by the detail. The fundamental message is simplethe basic nourishment for your body, mind, and spirit, and those of your family and community, is in your local supermarket now.