The Dos and Don'ts to Protect the Immune System During Pregnancy

Do enhance and protect the immune system of the baby and the mother during pregnancy, in particular, the overall health and well-being of the baby before and after birth.

    

The Dos and Don’ts

Do eat only living foods: fresh, whole, and, preferably, organic foods. Don’t eat processed foods (supermarket foods), which are loaded with colorings, preservatives, and taste enhancers.

Do eat sea salt, which is loaded with minerals. Don’t eat table salt (why not: research showed that increased salt intake proportionately increases cancer risk in the bladder, esophagus, and stomach).  

Do get your sugar from fruits and vegetables. Don’t take refined sugar or, worse, artificial sugars, such as aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose (why not: they are more dangerous than refined sugar, because they are loaded with chemicals that impair the immune system).

Do chew your food thoroughly—at least 10-15 times before swallowing (why: thorough chewing activates enzymes for better digestion facilitates the absorption of vitamins and nutrients, and reduces the production of stomach acid, which is a source of heartburn).

    

Foods to Boost the Immune System

Apples

  

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Do eat two to three apples a day to keep you healthy throughout your pregnancy (why: the pectin in apples may decrease your cholesterol levels, facilitate your bowel movements to keep you internally clean and to avoid constipation, which may be common during your pregnancy, and improve your lung function).

  

Don’t peel the apples (why not: the nutrients are in the skin). Get organic apples, if possible, to avoid pesticides.

Brown Rice

  

Do eat brown rice, which is one of the few pain-safe foods (foods that do not trigger body pain). It is one of the best staple foods for lowering high blood sugar. Brown rice is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients essential for a healthy pregnancy.

Don’t get white rice (why not: while rice is stripped of its nutrients).

Sea Vegetables

  

Do add sea vegetables to your salads and soups (why: sea vegetables have more concentrated nutrients, such as calcium, iron, and protein, than land vegetables).

Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Do include sweet potatoes and yams in your daily diet (why: sweet potatoes and yams are rich in beta-carotene, fiber, protein, vitamin C, and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)—a precursor hormone).

The Burdock and Daikon Drink for a Healthier Immune System

  

Burdock root has been used as both food and medicine in Asia and Europe for thousands of years. Recently, it has been used as a nourishing tonic for cancer, liver disease, and rheumatism. Burdock root is a staple diet of the Japanese, who are among the peoples with the longest lifespan in the world.

Fresh burdock root is available at many greengrocers, Asian supermarkets, and natural food stores in the United States.

Daikon is Japanese radish. Its phytochemicals have recognized healing and anti-carcinogenic properties: it cleanses the blood (the kidneys); it promotes energy circulation; it increases the metabolic rate (a weight loss remedy in Asia); it decongests the lungs, clears sore throat, colds, and edema.

These are the ingredients to make the burdock and daikon drink:

One burdock root (about 24 inches long)

One daikon with green tops

One small carrot with green tops

Here is how to prepare the drink:

Cut all ingredients into small pieces.

Place them in a pot with water double the volume of the ingredients.

Bring to a boil.

Pour out the content, and drink it.

You can repeat the process one more time. This time, after bringing it to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer it for another 20 minutes. Let the ingredients steep in the hot water for another 20 minutes before drinking it.

    

The burdock and daikon drink is a healthy drink for the immune system throughout the pregnancy. Do follow the Asian wisdom for a healthy pregnancy.

Stephen Lau