Strengthen Your Immune System, Naturally

Words by Simone Austin

To keep yourself on course and performing at your best during winter, we need to look after our immune system. A strong immune system can help reduce the risk and the severity of colds and flus, meaning more time on the green and less time feeling green. 

Our immune system is a complex network of organs, cells and proteins that defend the body against infection, protect cells and keep a record of microbes it has come in contact with so it can quickly defend again. 

If the immune system is overactive, it can be damaging to our body, so we don’t want to ‘boost’ it, which is talked about, we just need it to be working at its best. 

Our diet is an important part of supporting our immune system. So, what should we eat to maximise our chance of playing every round of golf at our peak during winter?

Fruits and Vegetables are key

We all know that fruit and vegetables are good for us, but why are they key to supporting our immune system? 

To start with, they have plenty of vitamins, minerals and compounds
called phytonutrients and antioxidants that help support our body’s immune system. By eating a variety of different fruits, vegetables and all sorts of plant foods (such as nuts, seeds, herbs, legumes and wholegrains… you get the picture!), we are likely to get a good range
of all of these. This means variety is key rather than loading up on one particular one. We need vitamin A, B group, C and E vitamins and
iron, zinc and selenium minerals to name a few.

Although the immune system is quite complicated and there are many ‘players’ that each need to perform their role, our diet doesn’t need to be complicated to obtain all the nutrients we need. This is a bonus as less time in the kitchen can mean more time on the green.

How can you hit your recommended targets?

Keep it simple and aim for the Australian Dietary Guidelines: 2 fruit and 5 serves of vegetables a day (a handful of nuts is a good one, too!) -
that is a good start.

Unlike in golf, a higher score is better when it comes to how many serves of vegetables you have per day. The Living Healthy Report 2024 shows the average Australian is only purchasing around half the recommended serves of vegetables per day - approximately 2.5 serves - so making changes to hit this target will be beneficial to keeping you well. 

Here are a few examples of how a variety of fruit and vegetables in the diet can provide the key nutrients you need.

• beta-carotene – pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, spinach and parsley
• flavonoids – tea, green tea, citrus fruits, red wine, onion and apples
• lycopene – tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit and watermelon
• vitamin C – oranges, blackcurrants, kiwifruit, mangoes, broccoli, spinach, capsicum and strawberries
• vitamin E – vegetable oils (such as wheatgerm oil), avocados, nuts, seeds and whole grains
• zinc – seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts

It might sound like being in primary school; however, one of the easiest things to remember is to ‘eat a rainbow’ of different coloured fruits and vegetables because it is the different polyphenols (natural chemicals that are a type of antioxidant) and vitamins that each give them their varying vibrant colours.

For example, orange vegetables like carrots and pumpkins get their colour from beta carotene which is turned into vitamin A, and the bright red in berries is from a group of natural chemicals called anthocyanins. 

How to prepare tasty vegetables

Make eating more vegetables easier by making them tasty:

• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over vegetables, sprinkle some herbs and spices and roast or sauté to bring out the sweet flavours. Cooking extra servings allows you to add them into sandwiches to refuel when on course and to have ready for when you get home after a round.
• Pan fried mushrooms and tomatoes with wholegrain toast for breakfast
• Cherry tomatoes and baby cucumbers cut up for a mid-round snack
• A bowl of soup with veg for lunch or in a thermos to sip during the cold winter months halfway during an 18 hole round
• Vegetables on the barbeque with meat or fish for a recovery dinner
• Grated zucchini or a can of brown lentils in a meat sauce

Good Gut Health Matters

Research is showing us that a healthy gut microbiota (gut bacteria, fungi and viruses living in our gut,) can influence the health of our immune system. One way is by signalling to the immune system with the short chain fatty acids (gases such as butyrate) they produce. 

The bacteria produce these gases when they ferment ‘food’ from our diet. You may have heard of prebiotic fibre. This is their food to ferment. It is found in a range of plant foods such as onions, garlic, legumes, almonds, pistachios, blackberries, asparagus and oats to name a few.

Polyphenols, found in fruits and vegetables, also promote the growth of good gut bacteria when they are metabolised by the gut bacteria. 

How can you add more prebiotic fibre to your diet?

• More legumes - add a can of chickpeas to a curry
• A handful a day of nuts - a great snack for your next round
• Overnight soaked oats or reheated porridge for breakfast before a round
• Asparagus, particularly delicious grilled or on the BBQ

Vitamin D is also important for our immune system. That means every game of golf in winter where you are getting a little bit of sunshine will also help!

Recipes:

• https://www.healthylife.com.au/recipe/hummus 
• https://www.healthylife.com.au/recipe/crispy-spiced-chickpeas 
• https://www.healthylife.com.au/recipe/roasted-pumpkin-salad-with-tahini-pomegranate 
• https://www.healthylife.com.au/recipe/baked-salmon-ginger-sauce 

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Simone Austin
Chief Health Officer, Healthylife
Chair of the Healthylife Advisory Board | Advanced Sports Dietitian | www.healthylife.com.au