A diet rich in whole foods that provides you with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and dietary fiber will keep immunity buzzing, while too much saturated fat, simple sugars, and processed foods can weaken your body’s natural defenses.

Here are some ways to keep your immune system fully charged:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These may have beneficial effects on a variety of inflammatory conditions, such as heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and even allergies. Some sources of these health-promoting fatty acids are walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds and cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, trout or tuna.

Adequate Sleep
Lack of sleep can disrupt hormones and weaken the body's defense system to fight infection. It's recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Antioxidants
The American Heart Association recommends filling up on antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts and seeds. Eating foods rich in antioxidants may strengthen your immune system, loweryour risk of heart disease, and protect against certain types of cancer. Try including two servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal.

Probiotics
Many experts have linked healthy microbiome to improved immunity. Probiotics help change or repopulate gut bacteria to optimize the health of the gastrointestinal tract. Some food sources of probiotics include yogurt, miso, kombucha, tempeh and kimchi.