The newsletter which curates & delivers the best nutritional advice, fitness hacks & holistic health strategies to your inbox every week.

🌿 HEALTH HACK

7 Amazing Immune-Boosting Foods (To Protect Your Body Against Sickness & Disease)

Our body’s immune system is our body's last line of defense against sickness, infection & disease, so we obviously want to keep it strong...

‘How can you do that exactly?’ is the all-important question…

While there are a lot of lifestyle changes that you can make to boost your immune system, we're going to specifically focus in on nutritional ones here in this week’s newsletter, highlighting amazing foods that you can eat to boost your immunity naturally...

Let’s jump in…

1. Fruits

If you are looking for foods that contribute to a boosted immune system, get yourself some whole fruits all year round...

Particular fruits that are rich in antioxidants that help boost immunity & below are some of the fruits you can include in your diet…

• Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, limes, clementines, tangerines & grapefruits are all rich in vitamin C which contributes to the immune system by supporting various cellular functions…

• Berries: Berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries & blackberries are full of antioxidants, which help your body fight oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which help keep our immune system strong...

• Apple: It is a great source of natural sugar… It brings fibre to the body, remember to add apple skin to your diet... (it contains quercetin that works towards maintaining immunity)

• Pears: They have anti-inflammatory properties along with high fibre, potassium, & vitamin C... (which makes them a great source for boosting your immunity)

2. Vegetables

When it comes to immune-boosting foods, there is no substitute for vegetables, they are rich in vitamins, minerals & fibre…

Below are some of the important vegetables to include in your diet...

• Broccoli: It is a nutritional powerhouse & it's got several immune system boosters, including vitamins C, A, & E & several antioxidants… (here’s a healthy vegan recipe with broccoli & tofu if you’d like to check it out)…

• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables: Spinach contains vitamins A, E, C, & K, folate, manganese, zinc, selenium, & iron... (all of these nutrients work in different ways to enhance immune system function)

• Nuts & Seeds: They are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc & magnesium which help boost immunity (eating a wide variety of nuts & seeds also enables the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, & K in our body…)

• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, brazil nuts & peanuts are rich in vitamin E, essential oils, & antioxidants which are beneficial for boosting our immunity... 

• Seeds: A variety of seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax seeds & chia seeds, are rich in antioxidants & omega-3 fatty acids… which help reduce inflammation & regulate inflammatory responses in the body…

• Dry Fruits: Dates, apricots, raisins, prunes & dried figs are loaded with essential oils, proteins, potassium & calcium that help to increase your immunity…

3. Herbs & Spices

People often underestimate the benefits of spices & think it is just used to add flavour to the food...

But some herbs & spices can boost immunity, as well as number of other amazing health benefits. Herbs & spices we’d like to highlight here are:

• Turmeric: It contains curcumin, which is a potent antiviral for our body… it activates white blood cells in the body, which in turn enhances its antibody response (we have covered more about turmeric & its powerful benefits in a previous newsletter…)

• Basil: It’s been used for ages to relieve the symptoms of colds, flu, & sore throat… it is known to increase the “T” cells in our body that naturally help to fight diseases & illnesses…

• Cinnamon: Studies have shown cinnamon to have therapeutic effects on our bodies (this includes antimicrobial, antifungal, & immunomodulatory effects…)

4. Lean Meat & Poultry

They are high in protein & have less fat…

They also contain selenium, B vitamins, & potassium…

They are also loaded with zinc which helps ward off infections… 

Beef tenderloin, beef loin chops, pork tenderloin & pork loin chops in particular are good sources of animal protein, as well as zinc, which boost the immune system & strengthens our ability to fight off infection & disease….

5. Fish

Tuna, salmon, bass, trout, cod, red snapper, & catfish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, B vitamins, potassium & selenium…

Studies have shown that lean fish reduces inflammation, helps manage blood pressure & reduces heart strokes…

(here’s a healthy & delicious salmon recipe loaded with cajun spices from our previous newsletter if you’re interested)…

6. Garlic

Garlic is found in almost every cuisine in the world...

It has been known for centuries to influence health & provide benefits to the body…

It is a potent anti-bacterial & anti-viral food, thanks to the naturally present allicin…

In one of our previous newsletters, we have discussed the whole-body benefits of garlic in great detail how garlic has always been a potent herbal remedy to fight infection, parasites & stop sickness.

7. Ginger

Similarly, ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick…

It is an antimicrobial, antibiotic & anti-inflammatory compound…

It is effective in soothing sore throat & dispelling nausea & also intestinal gas…

Due to its high antioxidant content ginger can enhance the immune response system…

(here’s a simple, yet incredibly powerful, ginger recipe proven to give your health a positive boost).

🧠 FREE TRAINING

‘Holistic Health Secrets: What The World’s Healthiest, Happiest & Longest Living People Do Differently’

Last week, we ran a very special, live training for the Potencia community called ‘Holistic Health Secrets’.

In case you missed it, you can watch the replay/recording of this training (for a limited time) for free on this page:

👉 Watch the training for free here »

💭 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

🏋️ FITNESS HACK

2 Amazing Gym Hacks To Improve Workout Effectiveness, Build Muscle & Boost Strength Fast!

Shifting gears a little & to wrap up this week's newsletter, let's cover 2 super simple, yet immensely powerful techniques that can be used to improve your results at the gym...

This relates to 'weight/strength training' which we covered the benefits of (& how to get started) in another newsletter, which you can check out here.

Both methods offer unique benefits & can significantly increase the effectiveness of your workouts…

Here's a deep dive into each one:

#1: Supersets: Efficiency Meets Intensity

Supersets involve performing 2 exercises back-to-back with minimal rest in between.

This approach is not only time-efficient, allowing you to pack more exercise into each session, but it also significantly increases the intensity of your workout…

You can target the same muscle group to deepen muscle fatigue & promote growth, or work on opposing muscle groups to improve balance & recovery times…

The continuous nature of supersets keeps heart rate elevated, offering cardiovascular benefits alongside strength training.

#2: Dropsets: Pushing Muscles To Their Limit

Dropsets, on the other hand, are designed to push your muscles beyond their usual fatigue point...

After completing a set of an exercise to failure at a certain weight, you immediately reduce the weight & you continue doing more reps until failure (no pauses/breaks in between!)

This process can be repeated multiple times, gradually decreasing the weight…

Dropsets are incredibly effective at breaking down muscle fibers, which can lead to significant muscle growth & endurance improvements due to the high level of muscle exhaustion & the increased ‘time under tension’ (this is key!)…

They're particularly useful for overcoming plateaus & pushing your limits, ensuring continuous progress…

Combining Techniques For Optimal Results

Integrating both supersets & dropsets into your workout regime can dramatically improve your gym performance...

Supersets maximize workout efficiency & intensity, making the most of your gym time, while dropsets focus on muscle exhaustion & growth, ensuring that every bit of effort translates into visible results.

Together, they provide a comprehensive approach to training that can cater to various goals, whether you're looking to build muscle, lose fat, enhance endurance, or simply get the most out of your workouts…

Speaking of muscle, strength & improving physical fitness, if you'd like more techniques like these... put together into a complete guide to burning fat, building muscle & transforming your body forever… then be sure to check out the full Potencia fitness course, called:

‘Unstoppable Fitness: How To Burn Fat, Build Muscle, Improve Flexibility & Create An Unstoppable Body’