2 Unusual Tips for Getting the Most Nutrition from Immune-Boosting Foods

Experts say that no matter what the season, you should be working on boosting your immune system, and diet is the main way to do that.

Gut health contributes to the status of the immune system, Kim ShapiraNutritionists and nutritional therapists tell CNBC Make It.

Shapira recommends these “quick ways to repair your gut” and boost your immunity:

Eat foods rich in omega-3s, including flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and fatty fish
Get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet
Take quality probiotics
Incorporate fermented foods into your meals
Eat foods rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, D, E and K (including mushrooms, seeds, asparagus, berries or oranges)
Aim to eat fiber-rich whole grains

But Shapira points out that it’s not just about what you eat, but also how you eat it. She offers two tips for getting the most nutrients from food.

2 Unusual Tips for Getting the Most Nutrition from Immune-Boosting Foods

1. Smell the food first

“One thing I strongly recommend is smelling your food before you start eating it,” Shapira says.

Smelling food causes the production of saliva in the mouth, which signals the body that it’s time to digest, she adds.

“If you don’t salivate when you eat, you’re missing out on valuable digestive enzymes, and you won’t get all the nutrients from the food you eat,” Shapira says.

She points out that this is true even if you eat foods with high nutritional value.

2. Chew your food longer than you think you need

“The next thing I strongly recommend is chewing your food longer than you think is necessary,” Shapira says.

“Our teeth are our first form of mechanical digestion. It’s how we break down food and the fiber in it so we can get nutrients from the inside.”

Basically, when you swallow food, it should be in a liquid state, she adds.

When you don’t chew your food long enough, or avoid chewing it altogether, “you’re actually missing out on all the nutrients in the food,” Shapira says.

Want to become a successful, confident communicator? Take CNBC’s new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Mastering Public Speaking. We’ll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say, what not to say, and body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up now and use code EARLYBIRD for a 30% introductory discount until July 10, 2024.