Over the course of her career as a model, Gabriela Peacock was on the receiving end of the good, the bad and the ugly when it came to nutrition advice. Desperate to de-bunk the bad advice she had been given and make good nutritional advice accessible for more people, Gabriela decided to switch lanes and retrain as a nutritional therapist.
Having established her Belgravia clinic in 2012 and founded her own line of nutritional supplements, GP Nutrition, Gabriela has built her practice around a realistic approach to the demands of modern life. With good health at the top of everyone’s priority list - now more than ever - we asked Gabriela to share her top tips for supporting immunity through nutrition. 

ZINCZinc is a mineral involved in influencing the growth and development of the immune system. It’s crucial for the normal development and function of cells mediating innate immunity - the body’s defence mechanisms that get to work when an antigen (the bad guys) enter your system.

 

Where can you find it?

Zinc is highest in protein rich foods, like seafood, meats, poultry and liver. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can get zinc in the form of legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It’s important to know that there are certain factors that can reduce the absorption of zinc, such as ‘anti-nutrients’ found in legumes: the trick is to soak your beans overnight, discard the water, and then cook them in fresh water to increase the absorption capability of zinc into the body.

SELENIUMThis nutritional antioxidant strongly influences inflammation and immune responses. Selenium is actually an essential mineral, meaning it must be obtained through our diet. It helps lower oxidative stress caused by lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, toxins and stress, which reduces inflammation and in turn enhances immunity.

 

Where can you find it?

Foods rich in selenium include brazil nuts, fish, meats, eggs, brown rice, dairy products, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, lentils and oats. A single Brazil nut contains 68 to 91 micrograms (mcg) of selenium, meaning that just one nut per day can provide the daily recommended adult allowance of 55 mcg. Due to this, intake of brazil nuts should actually be limited to a couple of times a week.

VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of connective tissues, bone, cartilage, blood vessels and skin. It also activates ‘protective responses’ - think of them like your first line of defence. When your body is under attack, these protective responses kick into action to fight the bad guys.

 
 

Where can you find it?

As Vitamin C is not made in the body, we need to obtain it from external sources such as limes, lemons, oranges, strawberries, guava, kiwi fruits, papaya, spinach, kale, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, blackcurrants and brussel sprouts.

VITAMIN AVitamin A is crucial for maintaining vision, promoting growth and development, and protecting mucus integrity in the body - it sounds gross but mucus is very important, especially when it comes to defending our bodies. It is known as an anti-inflammatory vitamin because of its role in enhancing immune function.



Where can you find it?

Vitamin A is found in foods such as liver, cod-liver oil, butter, eggs and dairy products, and as provitamin A carotenoids (beta carotene) in foods such as spinach, carrots, and orange fruits and vegetables.

VITAMIN DAlso known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, vitamin D is made when your skin gets enough direct UV light from the sun. We can also get vitamin D through our food in-take however the sun is the most potent source. A lot of us are spending more time indoors whilst we work from home, so it’s really important to make sure we are getting enough vitamin D to modulate immune responses and keep your immune system in check.

 

Where can you find it?

Foods rich in vitamin D include oily fish (mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon, sardines), red meat, liver, egg yolk, some fortified bread and cereals and mushrooms.