2 unusual tips for getting the most nutrients from immune-boosting foods

Experts say you should aim to boost your immune system regardless of the season, and diet is a key way to do so.

Gut health can contribute to the state of your immune system, Kim Shapira, a nutritionist and nutritional therapist, tells CNBC Make It.

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

• Eat foods rich in omega-3s including flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and fatty fish
• Get various servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet
• Take a good quality probiotic
• Add fermented foods to your meals
• Look for foods rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, D, E and K (including mushrooms, seeds, asparagus, berries or oranges)
• Aim to eat whole grains that are high in fiber

But Shapira points out that it’s not just what you eat, but also how you eat it. Here are two tips she has for getting the most nutrients from the foods you eat.

1. Smell your food first

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

The smell of your food causes saliva to form in your mouth, which is a signal to your body that it’s time to digest it, she adds.

“If you’re eating and you’re not getting that saliva, you’re missing out on valuable digestive enzymes and you’re not going to be able to get all the nutrition from the foods you’re eating,” says Shapira.

This is true even when you eat foods with high nutritional value, she notes.

2. Chew your food longer than you think you should

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

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

By the time you swallow your food, it should essentially be liquid, she adds.

When you don’t chew your food long enough, or avoid chewing altogether, “you’re actually losing all the nutrition in the food,” says Shapira.

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