78: Diet, Immunity, and Covid-19 with Anthony Thomas, PhD

07/01/20 • 51 min

On today’s Liz's Healthy Table podcast, we’re talking about foods, nutrition, and dietary supplements that support a healthy immune system. What does science say about vitamins D, C, A, and E? What about zinc? Why is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables more important now than ever as we deal with a global pandemic? And why are the elderly at greater risk for nutritional deficiencies? Join me as we dive into these topics and more, including why you’ll never hear me claim that anything can "boost" your immune system. (I prefer the term, "support.")

Anthony Thomas, Ph.D., is a Nutrition Researcher and Director of Scientific Affairs at Jarrow Formulas in Los Angeles. Anthony evaluates research for ingredient use in dietary supplement formulations, including dosing and usage recommendations to reflect scientifically supported benefits. He has authored and co-authored multiple published peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and served as peer reviewer with relevant expertise in the field of nutrition and metabolism for multiple scientific journals. Anthony is an avid user of dietary supplements, but he believes strongly that diet and physical activity come first. You may remember Anthony from last year’s two-part series on probiotics. If you scroll down, you'll find those links.

Show Highlights:

Updates on Anthony’s family, which includes a new baby girl
To put diet and immunity in perspective, Anthony doesn’t use the phrase “boost immunity,” but thinks of diet and supplements as things that reinforce and prime immunity
How macronutrients and micronutrients are the building blocks for cellular function
With Anthony’s “food first” approach, nutrition supplements are one tool to support immunity and overall health
Other lifestyle factors that affect immunity include stress management, sleep, and physical activity
The role of a healthy immune system and how it relates to COVID-19
Why the elderly and people who suffer from obesity tend to have higher rates of nutrient deficiency, and may be more susceptible to COVID-19
How to get more calcium, vitamin D, and zinc into your diet
Why eating for immunity is not an “all-or-nothing” proposition (a weekend cheat meal won’t blow it for you!)
Protein’s role in a healthy immune system
How fruits and vegetables (and vitamins A and C) are critical for fighting infections
Anthony’s thoughts on the role of probiotics in immune function
The scoop on turmeric, garlic, and ginger as they relate to immunity
Why elderberry and mushroom supplements could be important during times of higher stress and vulnerability
Why Anthony says everyone could benefit from taking vitamin D supplements
The benefits of zinc supplementation
The supplements that Anthony takes every day or every other day: vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics
Takeaways we’ve learned from the global pandemic: “We weren’t well-prepared, but we can learn and be better prepared for the next one with our diet and strategic supplementation.”
A final question: Does a healthy immune system reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 or improve our outcome?

Show Highlights:

Updates on Anthony’s family, which includes a new baby girl
To put diet and immunity in perspective, Anthony doesn’t use the phrase “boost immunity,” but thinks of diet and supplements as things that reinforce and prime immunity
How macronutrients and micronutrients are the building blocks for cellular function
With Anthony’s “food first” approach, nutrition supplements are one tool to support immunity and overall health
Other lifestyle factors that affect immunity include stress management, sleep, and physical activity
The role of a healthy immune system and how it relates to COVID-19
Why the elderly and people who suffer from obesity tend to have higher rates of nutrient deficiency, and may be more susceptible to COVID-19
How to get more calcium, vitamin D, and zinc into your diet
Why eating for immunity is not an “all-or-nothing” proposition (a weekend cheat meal won’t blow it for you!)
Protein’s role in a healthy immune system
How fruits and vegetables (and vitamins A and C) are critical for fighting infections
Anthony’s thoughts on the role of probiotics in immune function
The scoop on turmeric, garlic, and ginger as they relate to immunity
Why elderberry and mushroom supplements could be important during times of higher stress and vulnerability
Why Anthony says everyone could benefit from taking vitamin D supplements
The benefits of zinc supplementation
The supplements that Anthony takes every day or every other day: vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics
Takeaways we’ve learned from the global pandemic: “We weren’t well-prepared, but we can learn and be better prepared for the next one with our diet and strategic supplementation.”
A final question: Does a healthy immune system reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 or improve our outcome?

Previous Episode

77: Cooking with Beans with Joe Yonan

They are healthy, nutrition-packed, and can be the building blocks to some pretty delicious, yet hearty meals. There is perhaps no food quite so convenient, versatile, and humble--finding a home in even the tightest of food budgets. What is this miracle food of which we speak? Beans! They come in so many different varieties, and the meal possibilities are endless.

A kitchen without beans is like a day without sunshine. Beans are versatile, delicious, nutritious, and they add an endless array of recipe possibilities to meals, snacks, and desserts. I use them all the time in my everyday cooking, and so does Joe Yonan, author of the new cookbook, Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein. If you've been cooking more and more and more these days at home, then you'll love the recipes, kitchen wisdom, and cooking advice from Joe Yonan. He's the Food and Dining Editor for The Washington Post, and as you'll discover on this week's show, he's also the master of cool bean cookery. Oh, and wait till you hear about his recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrots and White Bean Dip and Julia's Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse. Let’s get cooking with Joe!

Show Highlights:

Get to know Joe better
How Joe became interested in food shopping and meal prep at eight years of age
How the coronavirus crisis has affected the restaurant industry and food journalism
The new website geared to novice cooks with recipes, tips, and guidance for beginning cooks: Voraciously
The silver lining to the pandemic: more people are interested in cooking at home, and family dinners have made a comeback
How Joe became fascinated by beans as a vegetarian for the past eight years
Benefits of beans: incredible nutrition, packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, versatile, shelf-stable, and affordable
How beans are a common denominator in “blue zones,” places across the globe where people live longer than average
Benefits of dried beans over canned: they are cheap and include many different varieties that aren’t canned; also, you have more control in the cooking process and texture and have the cooking liquid that can be added to dishes for extra flavor
Joe’s rules for cooking dried beans and his take on the “to soak or not to soak” question
How kombu (dried seaweed) helps digest beans to reduce flatulence and soften the beans
Joe’s favorite recipe in Cool Beans, Lalo’s Cacahuate Beans
Joe’s recipe for Harissa Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip, which uses harissa (a North African chili paste); toss the carrots with harissa and roast them at high heat (chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be substituted) and puree them with a can of white beans with mint and lemon juice
Where Joe’s inspiration for recipes comes from
The adaptability of beans in many recipes, since they are a vegetable AND a protein that’s starchy
Gateway recipes for beans include hummus, chili, and purees to use in soups and pasta
Joe’s recipes for Julia’s Deep, Dark Chocolate Mousse and Black Bean Brownies

Resources:

Photos by Aubrie Pick, food styling by Lillian Kang, courtesy Ten Speed Press.

Joe Yonan

Food and Dining Editor, The Washington Post

Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein is out NOW from Ten Speed Press.

Find Joe on social media!

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Next Episode

79: Sick of Cooking? We've Got You Covered with Wendy Lopez, MS, RDN & Jessica Jones, MS, RDN

If you are sick of cooking, we’ve got you covered with today’s show. Since March, I’ve been cooking up a storm, and I’ve only been out to eat twice, which is a big deal for me. Maybe quarantine cooking has you frustrated, uninspired, and tired of planning yet another family meal. This episode will give you lots of delicious, healthy ways to get quick, effortless meals on your family’s table night after night and day after day.

Joining me on today’s show are Jessica Jones and Wendy Lopez, fellow dietitians and founders of Food Heaven, an online resource for inclusive and accessible wellness. They also host the popular Food Heaven podcast, named by iTunes as a New & Noteworthy Podcast in 2016. Jess and Wendy are the co-authors of 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot. They write a monthly food and nutrition column for Self magazine, and their Instagram page is a must-follow. Together, we’ve got mealtime hacks and speedy recipes designed to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly and without a single ounce of stress. You don’t want to miss Wendy’s “Avocado Tale of Woe;” I’m still laughing at her crazy story that explains why avocados are NOT her favorite food.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Jessica and Wendy, how their brand was born, and their podcast that focuses on healthy and sustainable strategies for living
The reality of cooking in quarantine, then and now
Best throw-together meals to use leftover vegetables, fresh vegetables, canned beans, etc.: quesadillas, pitas, salads
Jessica’s favorite three-ingredient meals: pasta, marinara sauce, and cashews; frozen burrito (Trader Joe’s), avocado, and baby carrots; rice, black beans, and salsa
Liz’s new four-ingredient favorite filling for tacos: chipotle salsa, ground beef, black beans, and shredded cheese
The best prep ahead meals are one-pot/pan meals like soups, stews, and casseroles; Jessica’s favorite go-to site is Pinch of Yum for balanced, flavorful, and simple meal ideas
Foods that are easy to prep ahead and freeze for later use: hard cheeses, tofu, pizza dough, and sauces like pesto and sofrito
Why the neighborhood food swap is perfect for quarantine and the best practices to follow to stay safe
A great idea to prepare and share with neighbors: stir fry with tofu, peppers, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce
Why pre-made meals can preserve your mental sanity, make life easier and less stressful, and still be nutritious and delicious
Jessica’s meal kit experience takeaways, including why she loves the many options and how she found favorites like ramen noodle stir-fry and sloppy joe varieties
Mental health hacks to keep from stressing out about preparing meals
Final words of advice: “Take it one day--or one hour--at a time. Don’t pressure yourself to keep going when you need a break. Don’t try to be perfect.”