Absenteeism is costly! Not only to the employer, but also to the solopreneur who cannot deliver his mandates and to the individual confined to bed due to illness who cannot enjoy life as he wishes.

Although it would be easy to get lost in long scientific explanations and numerous nutritional advice, I present three tips to give you the best tools to optimize the work of your immune defenses.

Cover your energy and protein needs

Our ability to fight infections and viruses is reduced when our nutritional intake is insufficient, both in energy (calories) and protein. So this is not the time to go on a low-calorie diet, but rather to choose your calories better! Proteins are essential for the production of white blood cells, your little soldiers who go to the front to fight viruses, bacteria and other harmful invaders. Concretely, start the day with a bowl of plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with berries, nuts and seeds, a vegetable omelet or a smoothie made with silken tofu, among other examples. At lunchtime and dinner, make sure that a quarter of what you eat is in the form of lean meat, poultry, fish, seafood, legumes or soy.

Be careful not to overeat, though. Eating more than you need could harm your immune system, increasing the risk of infection. It's all about finding balance by taking the time to savor each bite in order to better listen to your satiety signal, the one that tells you it's time to stop.

2. Eat a varied and balanced diet!

Simple and complex goal at the same time. In fact, the proper functioning of our immune system involves several important nutrients including zinc, selenium, iron, folic acid, calcium as well as vitamins A, B6, C, D and E.

Phew, we're getting lost! To put it simply, the best way to get these nutrients is to include a variety of foods in your menu. In other words, eat foods from all the food groups at each meal and choose colorful fruits and vegetables.

For the more visual, take a look at the new healthy plate offered in the latest Canadian Food Guide , which allows you to achieve this dietary variety, namely a protein, whole grains and half a plate of vegetables and fruits at every meal.

3. Feed the gut bacteria

What we call the gut microbiota is actually a collection of billions of bacteria that inhabit the intestine. They have many roles and scientists have been making fascinating discoveries in this area for several years. Among their functions, these bacteria help intestinal cells in their daily work, in particular by contributing to the immune barrier either by producing more mucus or by promoting better intestinal permeability (letting in what is needed and blocking unwanted molecules).

Feeding these good bacteria well therefore means giving our immunity a good boost! There are many ways to pamper the intestinal microbiota and the most important remains the high consumption of dietary fiber. Known for their beneficial effect on the regularity of intestinal transit, they can also reduce the inflammatory load, frequently involved in immune reactions.

So, making your diet more plant-based remains the most effective way to increase your fiber intake. Cook legumes, add nuts to your snacks, sprinkle ground camelina, chia or flax seeds on your yogurt, top your plates with vegetables, aiming for two cups per meal, and be sure to choose grain products made with whole or integral flours.

Small nutritional additions that can make a big difference. What if we put as many elements in place as possible to make illness an option? Cheers!