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Boost Your Immunity to Combat Cold & Flu Season

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• Natural Support for Your Immune System

Transcript

Leah: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight and Wellness. I'm Leah Kleinschrodt, Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and I'm here today with my cohost, Teresa Wagner, also a Registered and Licensed Dietitian. It's that time of year again. We're back to school, cold and flu season rolls around, somebody in your house starts coughing, or if it was like my house this morning, someone wakes up with a sore throat, and suddenly you're thinking about stocking up.

"Okay, do I have my vitamin C? Do I have the zinc? Do I have the vitamin D? Where's the elderberry syrup?" So you're going through that checklist in your head. But there's another piece of immune health that often gets forgotten or overlooked, and it's something most of us encounter every single day: sugar.

We know eating too much sugar isn't great for our blood sugar, our teeth, or our weight, our metabolic health, but can sugar actually also weaken your immune system? Today, Teresa and I are digging into the connection between sugar and immune function. We'll talk about why sugar may be especially unhelpful when you're sick, and how cutting back on sugar can help your immune system stay strong this cold and flu season.

Teresa: And I think this is an important conversation because not all sugars are created equally. In fact, your immune cells need glucose for energy to fight infections, just not too much. So we don't want people walking away afraid of an apple because it contains sugar. There's a big difference between eating a piece of fruit as a part of a balanced meal and drinking a soda containing a huge dose of added sugar. So as always, we're going to bring this back to real food and practical choices, as we so often do, right, Leah?

What does sugar have to do with immunity?

Leah: Always. Absolutely. So let's start with the big question. Like, what does sugar actually have to do with immunity? Our immune systems are incredibly complex. Our immune system includes physical barriers like your skin and your intestinal lining.

It also includes your immune cells, so things like neutrophils, macrophages, natural killer cells, B cells, T cells. It also includes antibodies, which are little immune proteins that float around in your system, and also your gut microbiome. And all of these systems need adequate nutrition to function properly.

Now, where sugar becomes particularly interesting is its effect on blood sugar. Research on hyperglycemia, which just means elevated blood sugar, shows that high glucose levels can interfere with several aspects of immune function, like those neutrophils. So neutrophils are the most common white blood cell in the human body, and they are like our first responders when a pathogen or a bacteria or some kind of virus first enters the body.

Teresa: Right. I like to think of the neutrophils like your body's first response firefighters. When a pathogen enters the body, the neutrophils rush to the scene, find the culprit, and put out the fire. When blood glucose stays too high, that response may not work as efficiently. It's like adding heavy weights on the firefighters to slow them down as they're trying to put out that fire.

And we see the clearest real world example of this in people with diabetes and chronic hyperglycemia or chronic high blood sugar. Since hyperglycemia affects immunity, this is one reason that poorly controlled diabetes is associated with greater susceptibility to certain infections. So this tells us something important: blood sugar regulation matters to immune health.

Leah: Yeah, so I think what you're saying, Teresa, is, you know, too much sugar bogs down our immune system, slows it down, makes it work not as efficiently as it should. But then there's another layer to the story also. So when we're eating a lot of sugar day in and day out or these highly refined processed foods, these foods displace the real nutrient-dense foods that your immune system actually needs.

So if breakfast is a bagel and a sweetened coffee, like maybe a small pumpkin chai, like 'tis the season for those things as well; your lunch is a sandwich with chips and soda, your afternoon snack is a high sugar protein bar or a sweetened yogurt, and then dinner is pasta, you finish it off with a sweet treat most nights of the week, all of those types of foods are taking up space that could have been filled with protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and other nutrient-dense carbohydrates like fruits.

And your immune system needs nutrients from all of these real food groups. So your immune system needs the amino acids from protein. It needs minerals like zinc, selenium, and iron. It needs vitamins, all, all the, all the letters of the alphabet, basically, your vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, the B vitamins, vitamin E.

We need essential fatty acids, and there's so many more that we're not going to name here, but just take it to say we need a lot of nutrition out of our foods for our immune system to be able to fight the fights that we need it to. And sugar gives you that quick energy, but it crashes us shortly thereafter. Sugar just-- it doesn't give you that same package of immune supportive nutrition.

Teresa: And it doesn't mean that you have to eat perfectly either, especially when you're sick, but I like to think of it in terms of what my overall blood sugar environment is doing throughout the day. Our goal is to create a metabolic environment that supports immune function overall.

How much sugar is too much?

So how much sugar is too much? We like to say more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day is too much. One teaspoon is equal to four grams of sugar, so limiting to about 24 grams of added sugar per day is where we say should be the upper limit.

But keep in mind that closer to zero of added sugar is better. Our body has no need for added sugar.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: So while six teaspoons may be acceptable, our body needs none. That doesn't mean that natural carbohydrates from real fruits or vegetables though, for example, because those also provide those sugars that our body can use for energy and to help the immune system do its job. And when we're talking about those things, those can get confusing.

Leah: Yep. Right. Exactly. So we're talking, what you're saying is those, that 24 grams of added sugars, and we're going to talk about like what are we looking for on a label? What does all that mean? I mean, really those grams of added sugar can show up really quickly, so that's where we start to say, we encourage our clients, like, "Let's be detectives.

Like, let's turn around, look at the back of the package, let's read the labels." If your morning coffee drink, so I mentioned that small pumpkin chai. I looked it up earlier today. I mean, that's 69 grams of added sugar right there.

Teresa: 69 grams.

Leah: Yeah. So now you're at, at what? I can't do the math. Two to three times past your limit just from that one drink, and that's, I mean, that's how you start off your morning. That's not going to be optimal for your immune system.

And those grams of added sugar can show up really quickly. So that's where we start to encourage people, when we work with our clients, we really encourage them to be that detective, turn over the back to look at the back of the package. Let's read the label and see where those added sugars are coming in.

So if your morning coffee drink, again, like I'm just going to refer back to that small pumpkin chai that I, because I did look that up earlier today. You know, that actually has 69 grams of added sugar just in the small drink. So we take that equation, Teresa, that you were talking about earlier.

You take that 69 divided by 4 to get the number of teaspoons of sugar that that would be, and that's over 17 teaspoons of added sugar, and that's just how you start your morning. That's, like we're at two to three times the amount of what we would even want over the course of the whole day.

Teresa: And I think just as a visual, picture yourself with what we would consider a small coffee.

Leah: Yep.

Teresa: You know, from a local coffee shop.

Leah: Yep.

Teresa: And then picture having a sugar bowl.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: With a teaspoon and going back and forth between your coffee cup and that bowl 17 times.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: It's just an incredible amount of sugar in a small amount of liquid.

Leah: Yeah. And those, I mean, we have some of those visuals when we teach our classes, right? Of what that amount of sugar looks like, and I think that just, it tends to have that powerful effect on people of like just not realizing how much that adds up to. Or just remembering to yourself that I would never sit down and spoon that into my mouth if I was just sitting down to do that, but it disappears real easily into a like hot, creamy, tasty drink in the morning.

Teresa: 100%. Those, those pumpkin chai, they're amazing.

Leah: Yeah, yeah.

Teresa: Amazingly sweet.

Leah: They taste amazing, yes. And yet for our immune system, for our weight, for our metabolic health, for a lot of things, it's not going to be the most helpful thing.

Teresa: Right, and that's where you get into the question is, is it worth it?

Leah: Right. So again, like these visuals, especially when we teach it in our classes, but we talk about this on the podcast, like these visuals can be really powerful.

Teresa: Right. And I'll throw myself under the bus here a little bit too. A grande strawberry acai lemonade, light ice, no berries. A common order for teen girls, mine included-

Leah: Yes.

Teresa: …contains 32 grams of sugar or eight teaspoons. So not the same as that, that pumpkin chai, but still so much sugar.

Leah: Yep.

Teresa: And now when we're thinking about the immune system when these teens, when they're drinking these beverages, like this is immune suppressing, right? So when are they drinking them? Before school.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: After school with their friends, before sporting events, after sporting events.

Leah: Yeah.

Teresa: Or other extracurriculars, you know. Or maybe they're out shopping.

Leah: Yeah.

Teresa: All areas where your chances of coming into contact with pathogens are probably there, right? And so do we want our immune system to be dampened at that time?

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: It's something to think about.

Leah: Yeah.

Added sugar vs. naturally occurring sugar

Teresa: All right. So going back to the idea of added versus natural sugars. This gets confusing because quite frankly, sugar is sugar is sugar. Mm-hmm. Meaning if something contains a carbohydrate, it can raise blood sugar, even if the food is considered healthy or natural. And so this is where we need to distinguish between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars in whole foods.

Added sugars include things like table sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or glucose syrup. Many of these sugars are found in bottled beverages, desserts, cereals, sauces, and packaged foods. This also includes sugars in honey, in syrups, and in fruit juices.

Leah: So that means that switching from, say if you're, if you're making a recipe, if you're switching from white sugar to maple syrup, it doesn't suddenly turn that dessert into an immune-supporting food. Honey is still predominantly sugar. Maple syrup is still sugar. Coconut sugar, even though it sounds like a little healthier, like it's got a little halo around it-

Teresa: Sounds healthy.

Leah: ...Yeah, it's, it's still sugar. They may contain tiny amounts of other compounds or other minerals, but metabolically they're still sources of concentrated sugar.

Teresa: And whole fruit, well, it's just, it's a little different. It's still a source of sugar, but an orange contains natural sugar, and it's packaged with water, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and plant compounds. You're chewing it, digestion takes time, and that sugar is arriving with a food matrix rather than just a concentrated source of sugar.

Compare that with orange juice, where several oranges can be concentrated into one glass without most of the fiber intact. So if you're sick, it's common to go buy a big bottle of orange juice, but we'd much rather see you eat a real orange or some real berries than drink a bottle of juice that's marketed high in vitamin C.

As I was prepping for this today, it reminded me of a YouTube video that went viral years ago by Dr. Robert Lustig. He made the video, I believe it was called Sugar the Bitter Truth. In it, he coined a popular concept regarding whole fruit. He said, "Wherever there's fructose, the toxin, in nature, there is also its inherent fiber, the antidote," meaning the poison is packed with the antidote. He uses this idea to explain why fruit is good, but fruit juice is not so much.

Leah: It's like in nature, food comes as a package. It might have some things that maybe aren't the best for us, but it naturally has other things that counteract that, is what I'm hearing you say, Teresa, so.

Teresa: Right, like that food matrix.

Leah: Yeah, the food matrix and everything. So y- we so yeah, we don't want listeners thinking, "Sugar hurts my immunity, so therefore fruit is bad. Let's just throw out all the fruit and, and not eat anything." We ... Those whole food carbohydrates like our colorful vegetables, our colorful fruits, things like beans, potatoes, squash, and other minimally processed foods provide valuable nutrients and phytochemicals. Our bigger concern is the large amounts of concentrated added sugars, especially when they come in those liquid forms like we've been talking about, the things that repeatedly spike the blood, the blood sugar. These are the things that we're worried more about, things that come along with that highly processed diet.

Key reasons to keep sugar low for immunity: ensuring proper nutrition & blood sugar balance

Teresa: So let's say you're already fighting a cold or some other infection. Why might it be particularly helpful to keep sugar low? Well, first, your immune system already is working hard. This is a time when you want to give it the raw materials it needs. Amino acids from protein, minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, and lots of fluids. A day filled with ultra-processed foods and added sugar isn't providing that nutrition, unlike the saltines and 7-Up routine so many of us were brought up on.

Second, blood sugar can already become more difficult to regulate when your body is under physiological stress. Illness triggers stress hormones, and those hormones can increase blood glucose. That's particularly important for people with diabetes or insulin resistance. Adding large amounts of sugar on top of that may make glucose regulation even more challenging.

And because research shows that hyperglycemia itself can interfere with our natural immune response, maintaining healthier glucose levels just makes sense as a part of supporting recovery.

Leah: Yeah, so, I think to summarize, Teresa, it's something what you're saying too is like, okay, a certain amount of glucose dysregulation when you're sick is natural, it's normal, but what we don't want to do is add fuel to the fire at that point. We don't want to be downing a bunch of orange juice, the 7 Up and the crackers.

Like you said, we don't want to be just subsisting on bread and crackers for a couple of days or the taking this opportunity to treat yourself to some pudding cups and some ice cream every day while you're down and out on the couch. So there's some level of blood sugar instability that you will be experiencing, but, like, let's not add fuel to the fire of more blood sugar instability, because that's not going to help your immune system.

The gut connection to immunity

And then there's the gut piece. Like, let's talk about this for a couple of minutes. We've got our gut health. So there, a huge portion of the interaction between your immune system and the outside world occurs right in your gut. So your overall dietary pattern influences the gut microbiome and the intestinal environment.

So just in general, it's important to feed your gut well, even if you're not sick. But then I will also often recommend adding a probiotic during this time of year just for this reason of supporting the immune system. And there's a, there are several major review papers out there that say, that suggest that probiotics do seem to decrease the duration of illnesses, especially the upper respiratory illnesses like the common cold, and they may also decrease the need for antibiotics with these things.

And most of the research is centered around the lactobacillus strains of probiotics and the bifidobacterium strains. And so these are, these are the most common ones that you'll probably see out on the market, and when it comes to Nutritional Weight & Wellness and our Nutrikey products, we're talking about our Bifido capsules or powders.

We're talking about our Acidophilus capsules and powder. The Biotic-7 is great. It's got a blend of lactobacillus and bifido, as does the Biotic Duo. The Women's Biotic Balance is in there. I've given my kids the Flora Boost, and the Bifido Powder.

So if you have little kids where you're just trying to get a little bit of probiotics into them, taking that little bit of powder, mixing it into something like yogurt or a smoothie or their milk or even a little bit of water is the easy way to get it into kids.

And Teresa, you mentioned too, our Akkermansia probiotic. Our Akkermansia GLP-1 probiotic is, a way to feed that Akkermansia probiotic, which is actually important for that physical barrier of the gut, keeping that healthy and functioning well. So really, like, we've got a kind of a nice selection of probiotics that can be helpful when we're talking about supporting the immune system.

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So let's take a break. We will be back, and on the other side of break, we'll talk more about immune-supporting foods and the foundation that we want to look at to keep our immune system high during the cold and flu season. We'll be right back.

What to eat to support the immune system

Teresa: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. Today we have been talking about sugar's connection to the immune system and what we can do in order to support our immune system. And where I'd like to start, I guess, as we're coming back here, is to think in terms of what to eat to support the systems the immune system depends on, and that's amino acids from protein and nourishing fats to support the gut lining, plus fiber from real food carbohydrates to feed the good bacteria of our gut microbiome. Maybe that looks like chicken and vegetable soup, right Leah?

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: Chicken soup for the soul, right? And bonus, if you're making this chicken soup with bone broth for added protein. Because it's a great protein source.

Leah: Yeah.

Teresa: And also for gut support. I love using bone broth in soups all year round, sick or not sick - because of the gut support it provides. There's a high glycine content in bone broth, and it strengthens the intestinal barrier by maintaining the tight junctions between those cells. So picturing the cells of the gut, that we have these tight junctions. I kind of picture them like Velcro. And that glycine promotes a strong connection or a sticky connection between those cells, and that strong barrier promotes a stronger immune system.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

Teresa: If you're not a soup person or maybe you don't have any bone broth on hand, maybe it's scrambled eggs with some vegetables in a little bit of butter to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins. It could be yogurt with some berries if you tolerate dairy.

Easy to eat & make foods when you’re not feeling well

What I want to do here when we are thinking about foods for people when they're not feeling so well is I want to focus on easy eat foods, easy to make foods because when you're not feeling very well, your appetite's probably not strong. And certainly your motivation for cooking is not strong either.

Leah: And I'm thinking, again, my daughter woke up with a sore throat this morning. Sore throat's a common part of the common cold, so your swallowing might be tender. So maybe we're thinking about making a smoothie. This goes down easily.

It's a low effort kind of meal or snack, and we just need a few ingredients. So we need something like a good protein powder like our grass-fed Wellness Whey Protein. Grab some of those frozen berries out of the freezer, maybe whole milk yogurt, again, if you can do dairy, or we're looking at some canned coconut milks for some great fat and a little creaminess.

And maybe you could add some leafy greens into that as well. This would be a great time to use our Nutrikey Key Greens & Fruits powder for a boost of antioxidants. It's got an antioxidant equivalent of 20 servings of fruits and vegetables.

So this is just when you need that easy button, this is an easy way to get those immune-boosting nutrients in when you're sick. Like you said, Teresa, your appetite's low, your energy's low. You're just kind of at that point of I just can't even.

So let's, let's make it easy to get some of these great antioxidants that, again, kind of fight the fires of inflammation in our body, that they, they fight those germs. And this also works great for kids. So do- using it in smoothies, I will mix the Nutrikey Fruits and Greens powder into yogurt for my kids so it makes it, it gives it a little bit of sweet, but gives them some extra nutrients.

And I've also made popsicles out of the smoothie recipes too. So again, think sore throat or maybe you're feeling even a little feverish, something like this could just feel kind of good and soothing when you're just feeling down and out.

Teresa: Yeah. I love those Key Greens. I've used them quite a bit too, and I've made popsicles with them as well. And they do come in handy when you have a sore throat. You want something cold and sweet, they work great. Better than a popsicle, right? Like an actual popsicle.

Leah: Yeah, like your regular popsicle with the food colorings and the high fructose corn syrup, right?

Other factors that can influence immune function

Teresa: Exactly. And it's also important to note that your immune system is influenced by your entire lifestyle. Poor sleep is a big one. Chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, inadequate protein, chronic disease, and poorly controlled blood sugar, excessive alcohol, all of these can play a role.

Certain medications and medical treatments can suppress immune function as well. Age, underlying health conditions, and your environmental exposure to pathogens, well, they, they matter too.

For example, if you work in a place where you're exposed to more germs, think schools, hospitals, retail settings, restaurants. Maybe you travel for work, so you're in hotels and airplanes. And let's not forget the holidays are right around the corner, so there's lots of germs exchanged at these family gatherings.

So I guess what I'm saying is if someone eliminates added sugar but only sleeps four hours a night, lives under enormous stress, and eats an inadequate diet, simply removing sugar as the only strategy doesn't magically create a strong immune system.

Leah: Right. I agree. You know, we want to build resilience from multiple different angles. You know, your fortress, your body won't keep out intruders if it's missing a fourth wall or if you leave the drawbridge down and the gate is open. Like, there's going to be ways for those pathogens to get in.

We can think of the immune system like a team. Protein gives, gives us the building materials, vitamins and minerals help run the machinery, healthy fats help build cell membranes and regulate signaling, sleep provides your recovery time, your gut provides an important barrier, and it's a great communication center, and balanced blood sugar creates just a healthier metabolic environment for that team to operate in.

Teresa: I like your analogy.

Leah: Yeah, thanks.

Practical strategies for eating less sugar & supporting the immune system

#1: protein

Teresa: So maybe we should talk about some practical strategies if people are wanting to eat less sugar and support their immune system. What does that actually look like? Well, let's start by building meals around the basics.

Leah: Yep. So first up, quality animal protein. We aim for at least four ounces of cooked meat or cooked protein per meal, so this lands us in the ballpark of 30 grams of protein at a meal. That looks like probably four to five eggs, or if you're like me and most of my clients, it might be a couple of eggs and then maybe some chicken or turkey sausage on the side just to break that protein up.

Maybe it's four or five or six ounces of cooked chicken, say you're putting that in a leafy green salad or maybe like a more of a deli style chicken salad. Maybe it's four to six ounces of ground turkey, like egg roll in a bowl like I had for lunch today. This could be beef, this could be pork, fish, seafood, again, dairy if you tolerate it well, things like yogurt and cottage cheese. This could be that 30 grams of protein from a whey or paleo protein powder.

So all of these ways are ways that we're getting that protein in, and that protein provides amino acids that your body needs to build these immune cells, to build the antibodies and the enzymes and the tissues that participate in those barrier systems for us.

Teresa: Second, we want to build meals with vegetables and other whole food carbohydrates like fruits or legumes and intact whole grains. That means things like quinoa, not flour-based foods.

Leah: Mm-hmm.

#2: colorful vegetables & fruit for antioxidants & phytonutrients

Teresa: The colorful vegetables provide vitamin C, antioxidants, and all kinds of immune-boosting phytonutrients. And I've got to say, Leah, we've been throwing around that term, actually those terms, in this podcast quite a bit as far as antioxidants, phytonutrients.

So what do they mean and how do they relate to immune function? And I'm just going to briefly say this. In short, antioxidants protects our cells from damage. Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants like carotenoids, flavonoids, and lycopenes. These compounds help immune function by decreasing cellular damage, decreasing inflammation, supporting healthy cell function, and they work with our vitamins and minerals to strengthen the body's natural defenses.

Leah: Sounds helpful.

Teresa: Right? So you want to get lots of those colorful foods because really that's where a lot of those phytonutrients and antioxidants live.

Leah: Yeah.

Teresa: Berries, for example, are a preferred fruit option because they're high in fiber, they're high in antioxidants, and they're lower in sugar. These substances are found in real food carbohydrates, and these real food carbohydrates also provide fiber to feed our immune supportive gut bacteria.

#3: natural fats

Leah: Now, the third component of a well-balanced meal includes natural fats. This is avocados, olives and olive oil, butter, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and other natural fats.

These help make meals satisfying, tasty, while also build, providing the building blocks for immune cell membranes and allowing immune cells to communicate and respond effectively to threats.

Eat enough real food in balance (& tips for planning/prepping)

And just a final note, kind of a, a final little asterisk, eat enough. Your body needs energy from healthy, real foods in order to feed your immune response. So if your appetite and your energy are low from fighting these pathogens, you might want to try smaller meals a little bit more frequently. Try soups, eggs, the smoothies that we mentioned, or other soft and easy to digest foods. And maybe this is even a good reminder now if you haven't been struck down with anything, prep a couple of these things.

Have some meats cooked, make a soup or two and keep them in the freezer for those times when you will be knocked down or when you know, like, there will be either those days or those times where you won't have that energy and you just need that simple heat and eat. Planning, prepping, we talk about that a lot. Like thinking ahead at least a couple of steps ahead will save you when the time comes.

Teresa: Yeah, absolutely. And with, in thinking about prepping and having things on hand, there are options that you don't even necessarily have to do so much prep for. There are bone broths that you can just buy and keep in your pantry.

Leah: Yep.

Teresa: And there certainly are fruits and vegetables you can keep in your freezer as well as proteins. So having some things on hand I think is so crucial. Because in those moments the last thing you want to do is run out to the grocery store.

Leah: Yeah, or get on Google and try to find the options in that moment. If you have that list in your head or even so- a couple of notes jotted down, again, like just even thinking ahead can be really helpful.

Recap

Teresa: So let's bring it all together. We have good evidence that high blood glucose can dampen immune function, including the function of the neutrophils and our natural defense system. You don't have to stress about having the perfect blood sugar numbers all the time, but ongoing or chronic elevated blood sugar is particularly concerning because it's associated with greater susceptibility to infection.

Leah: So keep added sugars low. Build your meals around protein, vegetables, and natural fats. Choose whole fruit rather than sugary drinks or juice most of the time. Get adequate sleep. Manage your stress. And give your body the nutrient-dense foods it needs to do the remarkable job it's already designed to do.

Teresa: And if reducing sugar feels overwhelming, don't try to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Look for one place where sugar has quietly become a part of your everyday habits. Maybe it's your coffee drink, maybe it's soda, maybe it's that 3:00 PM trip to the candy drawer.

Change that one habit and replace it with real food, then build from there. And this is what we as dietitians work on every day with our clients. We often hear, "I know what to do, I just can't bring myself to do it." That's why meeting with a dietitian can make all the difference for that support and accountability.

Even if you know eating sugar is making you more sick, it's normal to need support and to help you make better choices. And as we've been saying for years, it's not just a lack of willpower, and that's what we're here for as dietitians and nutritionists at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. To learn more about working with us one-on-one, give us a call at 651-699-3438 or visit us at weightandwellness.com.

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Leah: Because supporting your immune system is more about the habits you make consistently day to day, and like Teresa said, it's, it is normal to need support to build up those habits and to be able to keep them.

It's not at all a sign of weakness. Learning how to eat real nutrient-dense food while keeping your blood sugar more stable is a great place to start. So if this episode resonated with you, we hope you'll come meet with one of us at Nutritional Weight & Wellness to help keep your immune system strong through this cold and flu season.

Teresa: Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to teach people the power of real food and how life-changing it can be. It's a simple yet powerful message. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.