mom's quest to solve son's symptoms ends in plant-based business
lynq uses dehydrated fruit and vegetables to make nutrition easier.
4 minute read
most people don't meet the daily requirements for fruits and vegetables. stock/getty
when my son was five years old, he experienced a series of inflammatory symptoms. after a battery of tests with inconclusive results and no clear diagnosis, i was worried and frustrated, but also determined to make him better. i started doing my own research, spending countless hours reading articles and books on the how nutrition impacts our health and wellness. together with my friend mia, who is a naturopath, i set out to look deeper into how food could help my son, and hopefully ease some of his health issues.
my kitchen transformed into a lab, and we began juicing different fruits and vegetables to help him get the nutrients he needed to get back on track. when i noticed his health improving, i knew we had stumbled upon something worth exploring. through my research, i learned that nine out of 10 people don’t meet the daily requirements of five servings of fruits and vegetables. mia and i wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of those who were looking to increase their nutrition intake. we made it easy — we took the concept of juicing and created nutrient-dense powders that are affordable, convenient, accessible and portable, without the waste and mess. we called it lynq, which stands for love yourself no question.
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our fruits and vegetables are dehydrated in a way that allows them to retain their nutritional value — even in extreme temperatures.
ask us what we’ve learned through the journey to heal my son and we’ll tell you that food is medicine. consuming plenty of immune-boosting nutrients is critical to ensuring we build the best defence against viruses, ranging from the common cold to covid-19, and other complex diseases. when these nutrients come from whole food sources like fruits and vegetables rather than processed foods or synthetic supplements, we strengthen the body so that it can fight off germs and disease.
five immune system boosting foods
a healthy gut is crucial to our immune system. in fact, 70 percent of our immune system is actually regulated by our digestive tract, so it makes sense that what we eat impacts our overall health. in 2019, health canada updated its 2007 guidelines recommending that half of a person’s plate should be made up of fruits and vegetables. add immune-boosting foods to a good balance of rest and exercise and you’re moving in the right direction for your health. ideally, you’ll want to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to function properly, and some form of daily physical exercise.
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probiotics and prebiotics. let’s start with probiotics and prebiotics, which give your immune system a boost and keep the gut microbiome in check. it’s important to eat foods that foster the growth of good bacteria to produce the right kind of immune cells for our overall health. probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and apple cider vinegar. prebiotics naturally stimulate the intestinal tract and feed the probiotic flora in the body. prebiotic soluble fibre is found in jerusalem artichokes, chicory root, berries, garlic, raw oats, asparagus and leeks.
vitamin c. it’s no surprise that consuming foods high in vitamin c helps fight infection because they stimulate white blood cell production. oranges and tangerines are the usual choices, but sweet red pepper, spinach, broccoli, strawberries, kale, kiwi and amla berries are also excellent sources of vitamin c too. oregano oil is a great choice, but it needs to first be diluted.
mushrooms. another good source of protein and many vitamins (like vitamin d) and minerals, mushrooms also contain beta-glucans, a type of fibre that research has shown can help boost the immune system. reishi, maitake and shiitake are excellent choices.
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elderberries. loaded with antioxidants, immune system-boosting vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties, elderberries are good for preventative care and can help ease cold and flu symptoms. you can find elderberry as a syrup (you could even make your own), tea or in a gummy form.
green tea. one that has dominated the 世界杯决赛2022 over the years, green tea is packed with antioxidants that have been shown to enhance immune system function and contains amino acids that support the production of germ-fighting compounds in our t-cells. this, in turn, reduces inflammation in the body and helps fight infection. green tea can be enjoyed hot, cold or straight up as a matcha powder.
obviously, these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the foods that should be included in your diet every day if you want to build a stronger immune system, and just be more healthy overall. if you start here, you are building a solid foundation for health, not only today, but for the rest of your life.
antonella argento and mia scaff are the founders of lynq.
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