EAT FOR IMMUNITY

Our bodies have a remarkable ability to heal themselves and ward off illness if given the right foods.

A fully functioning immune system is one of the most vital aspects of a healthy body, helping to prevent and combat disease. However, for many people, the immune system does not function as effectively as it should, in some cases, the immune response fails to offer protection from disease, such as infection or cancer. In other 'cases, the Immune system actively turns against its host, triggering a range of autoimmune and other disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or allergies that are increasingly prevalent in the modern world.

Natural Defence

When it comes to maintaining good health, the immune system is the body's most precious asset. By helping the body to resist infection and avoid cancer, it offers protection against many of the world's most widespread and .deadliest diseases. Yet, despite modern scientific understanding and major advances in medical treatments, infection is still the commonest cause of illness and death worldwide. And cancer of the lung, stomach, breast; cervix, bowel and prostate continue to be scourges of the world - responsible for over two and a half million deaths' worldwide per year.

What is going wrong? Why hasn't our detailed knowledge of the immune system enabled us to enhance our body's defence mechanisms in a sustainable way? In the process of developing ever more powerful means of attacking and destroying micro-organisms and cancer cells, have we lost sight of the need to strengthen our innate protective systems and nurture our inner environment?

In the early 1950s, with antibiotic therapy, general vaccination programs, radical cancer surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy moving into the medical front line, it seemed clear to most people that scientific know-how was going to provide more effective solutions to disease than old-fashioned naturopathic methods designed to encourage the self-healing processes. Now, 50 years on, we are faced with the spectre of malaria and tuberculosis on the rise once again, new strains of drug-resistant superbugs outwitting our most powerful techniques, vaccinations that may harm as well as protect, a rising incidence of cancer and the engulfing tide of collapsed immunity that is AIDS.

History suggests that, when things go wrong, human beings have a tendency to continue doing what doesn't work – only doing it harder. Despite valuable short-term tactical advances in the management of infectious disease and cancer, we are signally failing in our strategic goal of improving world health in a sustainable manner. This is because we have attempted to usurp the power of the natural world, attacking it with crude weapons and losing ourselves in a maze of technical detail, instead of working with nature and doing everything we can to enhance our natural powers of healing and self-defence.

Just as the pioneers of microbiology - Didier Bechomp, Claude Bernard and Louis Pasteur - explained that micro-organisms should be thought of as agents of disease and not as causes, we need to understand that our detailed, valuable and hard-won knowledge of the process of immunity is not the same as an understanding of its purpose.

We have superimposed a dualistic male-oriented, warlike model on to the remarkable scientific observations we have made, and are assuming that life is a battle between ourselves and the microorganisms and cancer cells; that we inhabit a dog-eat-dog, kill-or-be-killed biological universe.

The effect has been to focus our attention on external factors, while neglecting an inward-looking, broader approach to healing that attempts to observe the interaction between the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of self, and to understand how these affect health and our susceptibility to disease. As a result, we have developed a range of medical weapons that are becoming increasingly hazardous to use.

As a society, we seem to find it easier to spend out money on weapons and drugs rather than on good food, basic sanitation and clean water for those most at risk of disease. Therefore, we do not even keep faith with the knowledge that we do possess - that immunity is profoundly compromised by malnutrition; that the typical Pakistani diet and lifestyle lead to cardiovascular problems and cancer; that fear and stress create an internal bodily environment that is prone to disease and degeneration.

This is written in the knowledge that good health involves paying attention to body, mind and spirit, that the immune response is the fundamental physical process of healing, and that health and healing are encouraged and enhanced by good food. The medicinal value of food for warding off illness has been acknowledged for thousands of years. More recently, scientific research has discovered hundreds of beneficial nutrients in the foods we eat- By applying our knowledge of these nutrients and of how they work to our diet, we can eat foods that boost our immune system and so help protect ourselves against a host of ailments.

Walnut Squash With Red Pepper And Tomato

· Walnut squash helps protect against good food cancer, hear! disease and mental dysfunction. It aids normal blood cell function and encourages healthy skin, muscles and nerves.

· Red pepper boosts immunity and helps protect against cancer. It also helps maintain normal blood-fat levels and aids production of haemoglobin by the red blood cells. It encourages a healthy nervous system and may protect against asthma, migraine and depression.

· Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants, including vitamins A and C and lycopene. They improve the immune response while also helping to maintain energy levels- This combination makes tomatoes a useful addition lo the diet of those suffering from energy-compromising conditions such as caner and AIDS. They boost resistance to Infectious disease, encouraging wound healing and keeping the skin and mucous membranes in good condition.

Ingredients:

· One walnut squash, deseeded and peeled
· Two tablespoons of olive oil
· One red onion, chopped
· One garlic clove, chopped
· One red pepper, in strips
· Six ripe tomatoes, skinned and sliced
· Two tablespoons of tomato paste
· Two tablespoons of fresh (or two tea-spoons of dried) basil, chopped
· One teaspoon of paprika
· Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
· Two tablespoons of parsley, chopped, to garnish

Method:

1. Chop the squash into chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, garlic and squash, saute for two minutes, and then add the red pepper.

2. Heat through and then add the rest of the ingredients except the parsley. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season, garnish with parsley and serve with rice.

From Good Food Magazine