NUTRITION

Get the very most out of your training by packing your diet with immune system-friendly ingredients. Here are four quality, energy-rich recipes to do just that…

The power of nutrition to strengthen the immune system is not yet fully understood. But it’s widely accepted that lifestyle can have a major impact on a person’s immune system, for better or for worse. Stress, lack of exercise, bad sleep and poor diet can increase your susceptibility to disease, as can overtraining. During intense training it’s possible to stress your immune system by eating the wrong amount and the wrong type of foods, as well as underestimating the importance of recovery time. So, firstly, you need to take care to eat enough energy; not having the right amount of calories can increase your stress hormones which is detrimental to immune health.

Secondly, think about the quality of your diet – limit ‘junk’ foods and focus on variety, i.e. your 5+ a day to get in those crucial vitamins, minerals and other compounds that have both antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects. With this in mind, I’ve created these four recipes to help keep you in the best of health.

First up, a summery blueberry, pear, spinach and blue cheese salad. Packed with vitamin C, flavonoids (antioxidants which limit free radical damage) and omega-3s, this quickand-easy, delicious salad is a meal in itself. Once lockdown is more relaxed, you could even serve it as a BBQ side or dinner party starter.

Next, a warming and spicy one to add to your training repertoire – chickpea dhal with coconut and kale. Loaded with the good stuff, you can’t go wrong with this dish; it’s a good vegetarian source of protein and is also rich in fibre and vitamins A and C. You’ve also got the added benefit from the antiinflammatory properties of the ginger, garlic and spice. Serve with brown basmati rice or naan bread.

Moving on to a deliciously sticky ginger stir-fry. Packed with six varieties of veggies, this stir-fry is a quick and easy way to get your five-a-day. The variety ensures a good combination of phytonutrients to help protect you from disease. With the addition of chicken, this dish is also a great source of protein.

Lastly, I hope you enjoy my pea and broad bean hummus with homemade tortilla chips. A mouth-wateringly simple combo of peas, broad beans, lemon juice and olive oil, it’s rich in immunestrengthening fibre, vitamins and healthy fats.

Nutritionist and keen amateur athlete Kate Percy set up the #GoFaster campaign in 2009, and, following the publication of several sports nutrition books, now produces a range of all-natural energy balls, Go Bites (go-bites.com).