Hello again lovelies...how are you? Trust you are keeping well? Last time I wrote about infections, what they are, differences and types. In case you missed it, you can read up here to educate yourself.

Infections

I presented that post on a show and someone asked me if there were foods to eat to prevent infections, I tried to explain the basics and I'm sure like him, many others have that question in mind, so this post is going to address that.

Glass of healthy

First things first, how can you be infected?

From the previous post, infection is the invasion of the body by microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoan) that is, when these microbes enter the body, they multiply, damage your cells (in cases of pathogens and opportunistic microbes as discussed in the last post). That said, how can you prevent getting infections. You can prevent infections by knowing how you get it.

• Inhalation of spores releasing during coughing/sneezing by an infected person.
• Contact with bodily fluid through kissing, sex, etc
• Contact with contaminated objects, surfaces, livestock, pets.
• Consuming improperly cooled/cooked food and drinking unpotable water.

Now, how can you prevent infection;

• Proper washing of hands after using the toilet or contact with objects.
• Good hygiene and avoid sharing personal objects.
• Vaccinate your children at the appropriate time/age and also get vaccines and update them in cases where there's a need for that.
• Use disinfectant when need be, always disinfect high risk zones like kitchens and toilets.
• Avoid unnecessary consumption of antibiotics.
• Don't go out or travel when you have symptoms of infection and importantly, don't travel to red zones.

Let's talk about Probiotics and Prebiotics.

To answer the question of foods to eat to prevent infection, asides the major classes of food, which are;

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Vitamins
• Fats and Oil (Lipids)
• Mineral oil
• Water
• Some scientific journals also list roughages

What are Probiotics? They are living bacterial which are beneficial when consumed. They are involved in digestive health, improve gut bacterial growth thereby fighting yeast infections, proven to also be involved in cardiac health, and reduce depression.

They are naturally created in food during the process of fermentation and can also be added as supplements. Examples of such bacteria includes; Lactobacilli acidopholus, L.brevis, L.bulgaricus, L.plantarum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, B.infant is, Streptococcus species, amongst others.

All these you can get by consuming; yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, etc

Yummy goodness

What are prebiotics? These are foods that encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut, they are non-digestible fibers that serve as nourishment for the good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Examples include but not limited to; banana, oats, tomatoes, wheat, garlic, onion, asparagus, apples, burdock root, cabbage, honey, etc

These are foods that you can get easily without breaking the bank, they are yummy and can even be snacked on. Rather than hotdog, why not coleslaw? You should even consider switching that juice/soft drink to smoothies. Like Marge Simpson said, fruits are nature's sweet.

Eat healthy,
Live healthy,
Stay healthy.

I hope you have learnt something during the course of reading this post? Your comments will be appreciated and I'm open to questions.

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