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How Food Affects Your Immune System

Colorful fruits, vegetables, and yogurt arranged in the shape of a shield

Your immune system is always working, whether you notice it or not. But like anything else, it needs the right fuel. What you eat can help your body fight off infections—or make it work harder than it should be.

Nutrients That Help Your Immune System

Some vitamins and minerals are key when it comes to keeping your immune system strong. A few of the big ones:

    • Vitamin C – Helps your body make white blood cells. Found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries.
    • Vitamin D – Keeps immune cells working right. Get it from sunlight, fatty fish, and fortified dairy.
    • Zinc – Helps your body fight off infections and heal faster. Found in nuts, seeds, and meat.
    • Antioxidants – Reduce inflammation and keep your immune system running smoothly. Found in colorful fruits and veggies.

Gut Health & Immunity: What’s the Connection?

A huge part of your immune system is in your gut. If your digestion is off, your body’s defenses might be, too.

    • Probiotics – Found in yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut. They help keep gut bacteria balanced.
    • Prebiotics – Found in garlic, onions, and bananas. These feed the good bacteria so they thrive.

Keeping your gut healthy means better immunity overall.

What Can Weaken Your Immune System?

Just like some foods help, others can slow things down.

    • Too much sugar & processed food – Can cause inflammation and make it harder to fight off illness.
    • Unhealthy fats – Found in fried and processed foods, these can mess with immune function.
    • Too much alcohol & caffeine – Can throw your body out of balance, making you more vulnerable to infections.

The Bottom Line

What you eat matters. A diet packed with whole foods, vitamins, and gut-friendly nutrients helps keep your immune system strong. Small changes—less junk, more real food—can make a big difference in how well your body defends itself.
Dr. Barbara R. Edwards is an experienced Penn Medicine Princeton Health internist who has practiced medicine for over 25 years. She is also the academic director of the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.

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Compassion in Mental Health: How to Be Kind to Yourself

Understanding Self-Compassion

Self-compassion is treating yourself with the kindness, care, and understanding that you would give to your close friend. Instead of criticizing yourself when making mistakes, use self-compassion to encourage yourself to embrace the imperfections you may have and respond to your own struggles with empathy.

How Self-Compassion Can Benefit Your Mental Health

 Self-compassion is correlated to decreased anxiety, depression, and stress. Being kind to ourselves during troubled times will create emotional safety that allows us to emotionally manage setbacks and challenges. With self-compassion, comes resilience–helping us bounce back from difficult times without the typical self-judgment that often worsens mental health issues.

Simple Ways To Incorporate Self-Compassion

  1. Be Mindfully Aware: Recognizing moments of self-criticism and pausing to acknowledge instead of ruminating is always a good idea; take a breath and tell yourself that mistakes are part of being human.
  2. Positive Affirmations: Replace any negative thoughts and talk about yourself with positive, uplifting, supportive affirmations. For example, “I am doing my best, and it’s okay to make mistakes.”
  3. Self-Compassionate Touch: Gently place your hand on your heart and give yourself a hug whenever you feel overwhelmed or emotional flooding. Giving yourself a physical gesture can self-soothe your nervous system and ground you by connecting your emotional world to the physical world.

By simply practicing compassion for yourself, you improve your mental and emotional health, boost your self-esteem, and create a kinder, more forgiving relationship with yourself. When you are able to help yourself through compassion, you will be able to help others even more if they’re having trouble and need encouragement. 

Dr. Barbara R. Edwards is an experienced Penn Medicine Princeton Health internist who has been practicing medicine for over 25 years. She is also the academic director of the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.

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The Myth of “8 Glasses Of Water a Day”: Understanding Hydration Needs

Eight Glasses Of Water May Not Be Right for You

People often suggest drinking eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. However, when it comes to hydration, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. Hydration needs will vary based on the age, weight, activity level, climate, and health conditions of an individual.

Factors That Impact Your Hydration 

  1. Your Activity Level: Exercising regularly or engaging in physical labor–whether you have an active job or enjoy moving–your body loses water through sweat, requiring you to drink more fluids to stay hydrated and replenish the water loss.
  2. Climate: Keep your environment in mind because hot and humid weather will increase the need for water intake, due to your body working to regulate its temperature. On the other hand, dry or cold environments may reduce the amount of thirst you have, but still require the necessary hydration.
  3. Personal Health Considerations: There are some medical conditions and medications that may impact your hydration needs, so it’s essential to listen to your body and consult with a healthcare professional. Pregnancy can also change the way your body functions and requires additional fluids to support the pregnancy and the body.

What Are Your Ideal Hydration Needs

As an alternative to the eight glasses theory, you should simply listen to your body’s natural cues and instincts. Thirst is the body’s way of telling you to drink some water. If you are unsure, use the color of your urine to indicate your hydration level—pale yellow means you’re well-hydrated, while a darker yellow can be a sign of dehydration.

Ultimately, the general idea with hydration is to follow your body’s natural hints and tune into your exercise, environment, and medical history to understand how to hydrate your body properly and adequately. 

Dr. Barbara R. Edwards is a practicing internist at Penn Medicine Princeton Health and the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at the same institution.

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How The Western Diet Impacts Gut Health

The Western diet is often found to be riddled with processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats that can be linked to many gut-related issues. In particular, Western diet frequently disrupts the gut microbiome. Our gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria that play a vital role in digestion, immunity, vitamin production and overall health.

Consuming food that is highly processed and low in fiber, can lead to a lack of beneficial bacteria and an increase in harmful bacteria, throwing off our gut microbiome balance. The imbalance created is known to be dysbiosis–and in many cases can be associated with bloating, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the Western diet, excess sugar and unhealthy fats can create inflammation in our digestive system–impairing the natural digestion process, which leads to long-term health impacts.

Restoring Gut Health with Dietary Changes

One way to rejuvenate your gut health is to change what you regularly eat, and add foods to your diet that encourage healthy digestion.

  1. Increasing Your Fiber Intake:  Eating fiber helps nourish the good gut bacteria. Eat whole foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes. 
  2. Start Incorporating Probiotics: Eat foods that contain good bacteria–this will replenish the good bacteria in your gut. Some of these foods include: yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables.
  3. Keep Processed Foods and Sugar To a Minimum: Reducing processed foods and sugary beverages such as sodas and juices will support a healthier microbiome and decrease inflammation.

You can have profound positive effects on your gut health by incorporating more whole foods, reducing processed food intake, and adding fiber and probiotics to your diet. All these will decrease inflammation and benefit digestion.

Dr. Barbara R. Edwards is an experienced Penn Medicine Princeton Health internist who has been practicing medicine for over 25 years. She is also the academic director of the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.

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Stay Active At Work: Having An Active Workday

Sitting for hours at a desk may be taking a toll on body and mind, but getting in movement doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are quick and easy changes that can reduce your stress, improve your posture, and boost your productivity.

  1. Taking Breaks

You can set a timer to get up and move around every 45 mins or so. Movement can include a simple walk around the office, stretching, or light exercises–which can reduce muscle tightness and improve circulation.

  1. Desk Stretches

You can incorporate stretches into your daily routine to alleviate tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. Shoulder rolls, neck tilts, and seated spinal twists are a few simple stretches you can incorporate into the day to improve flexibility and posture.

  1. Using a Standing Desk

If available, use a standing desk that allows you to both sit and stand at different times throughout the day. If you can stand for just 10-15 minutes every hour–you can significantly decrease the effects of long-term sitting. 

  1. Walk and Talk

When you can, start walking when you take your calls or meetings. If your work allows, get up and walk around while discussing projects. You are able to stay productive while also staying active throughout the day. 

  1. Lunch Walks

Make a habit to go outside for a quick walk during your break. A little walk can clear your mind, boost energy levels, and improve your mood for the rest of the day.

  1. Desk Exercises

Trying simple exercises such as seated leg lifts, calf raises, and seated marches can engage your muscles and promote circulation without leaving your desk. Even smaller movements can add up, so don’t  hesitate to incorporate them–they can go a long way.

Increasing your activity throughout the workday is one of the ways you can maintain good physical and mental health while reducing your stress levels. Simple changes can make a large impact and will leave you feeling more energized and motivated.

Dr. Barbara R. Edwards is an experienced Penn Medicine Princeton Health internist who has practiced medicine for over 25 years. She is also the academic director of the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.