15 Superfoods to Kickstart Your Health and Immune System |The Little-Known Benefits You Should Add to Your Diet

Are you feeling run down and lacking energy throughout the day? Do you catch colds and the flu easily when the season comes around? Is the struggle to fight off infections and illnesses stressing you out?

Your solution to these common issues may come in the form of superfoods! These are made up of a diverse range of foods including light meats, fish, and numerous fruits and vegetables. They’re densely packed with nutrient content while remaining low in calories, providing the fuel your body needs to sustain vital processes. The stores of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your body are replenished by the nutrients found in superfoods, giving a boost to your immune system that your diet may be lacking in. These nutrients are necessary for hundreds of functions across the body that fight off infections and illnesses, maintain the health of your hair, skin, and organs, as well as improve your overall health. Superfoods may even lower stress levels, lessen heart conditions, and improve blood pressure in some cases.

What Are Superfoods and What Do They Do for You?

As previously established, superfoods are food types that are densely packed in nutrients from essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. These are necessary for your body to perform many natural processes, such as detoxifying your body, boosting and strengthening your immune system, and getting rid of waste byproducts made during energy production. Superfoods have also been linked to assisting the healing of damaged skin, as well as preventing and reversing damage to the body.

There is a misconception about superfoods that only adding one or two intermittently into your diet will give you a cutting edge over all health issues, especially during flu season. An overall poor diet can be a major cause of illness. Has anyone ever told you to drink orange juice when you fall ill, simply to pump Vitamin C into your body? While you get a handful of vital substances from doing this, a poor diet remains exactly that. A poor diet. Without always incorporating a range of superfoods, you’re closing off access to many varied nutrients.

Superfoods come in a diverse range of shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. Many superfoods are rich in color thanks to flavonoids and other properties, causing them to appear in shades of black, beige, green, purple, blue, red and orange, and yellow. Many notable varieties are berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, seeds and nuts, and plenty more.

Alongside this multitude of appearances, different foods contain different nutrients. Not every superfood contains every nutrient you need to keep your body healthy and in good working order. This is why it’s better to add more than one into your regular diet. Each food is packed full of the nutrients that they contain, often getting you a large portion of your daily recommended nutrients in decent sized servings.

Balance and diversity are crucial in making sure hundreds of vital systems in your body are supplied with the right nutrients from superfoods to ensure they are working efficiently, and any waste those processes produce can be cleaned up well. This greatly impacts your immune system and can keep your body fighting rather than giving up—as most bodies do—when flu season comes around. Over the course of the year, your body will also stave off other illnesses and infections easier than ever before after adding superfoods to your diet.

Many superfoods are really just naturally occurring substances; nature providing us with what we need. We just need to know where to look for them. Vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, kale, lemons, tangerines, broccoli, and spinach contain many compounds that your body needs daily. Nuts and seeds pack tons of energy into their small size and provide good fats that assist in absorbing vitamins into your body. For meats, you can choose from a range of fish such as salmon and shellfish, as well as most light meat poultry. Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, and poultry mainly provides protein. Protein, amongst other nutrients, can be found in beans and grains if you’re looking for an alternative.

I highly recommend choosing fresher superfoods that are in season over anything processed or including additives. All fruits and vegetables are essentially superfoods, but keep in mind your local store might have had to haul their fresh goods from remote places, exposing them to air and varied temperatures that cause them to lose some of that freshness. Farmers markets are generally the best place to pick up food with the freshest nutrients still packed in. Fresh-frozen is a good alternative if you have less of a choice. These items are frozen at, or close to their peak ripeness and contain similar amounts of nutrients compared to their fresh counterparts since freezing them prevents them from losing their freshness on a day-to-day basis.

Many consider Vitamin C the go-to boost for your immune system and health, often picking up oranges or supplements to aid their bodies. I can assure you there are many more minerals and vitamins your body needs to keep its defenses on point. These range between vitamins such as A, C, and K, often making up antioxidants as well as fuel for your body. Others include—but are not limited to—flavonoids, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and iron.

Each of these plays a vital role in your body’s defenses and upkeep each day, from energy to waste removal, and more.

What Nutrients Do for Your Immune System and Body

Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is found in colorful foods that contain carotenoids like carrots, squash, pumpkins, and cantaloupes. It plays a role in the health of your skin and tissue, as well as bolstering your immune system against infections.
Vitamin B6 is part of over two hundred biochemical reactions in your body. A lot of these can be found in your immune system while being critical to energy levels. Vitamin B6 is found in bananas, lean white meats like turkey and chicken, potatoes, and chickpeas.
Vitamin C is a great overall boost to your immune system. It stimulates the growth of antibodies. Vitamin C is responsible for the health of body tissue and more. This vitamin is often found in citrus fruits like oranges.
Vitamin D plays multiple roles in your body from calcium absorption, which ensures strong bones, to affecting your immune system and muscle function. Vitamin D is often found in fatty foods like fish or fortified foods such as milk, orange juice, and cereal. Another source of Vitamin D is sunshine. This vitamin has also been linked to controlling or preventing diabetes, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that stimulates immune function and fights off infection. Vitamin E also helps clear out the waste from energy production known as free radicals. It’s found in certain types of foods, like berries that contain a lot of flavonoids.
Iron is crucial to carry oxygen wherever your body needs it. You can find iron in lean, light meats like fish and poultry. If you prefer vegetables over those options, try beans, broccoli, spinach, and kale.
Protein forms part of the body’s defense mechanisms, as well as helps with muscle and tissue health. You can often find it alongside iron in chicken and turkey, as well as beans.
Selenium is a mineral that provides a powerful boost to your immune system by enabling antioxidants through the production of enzymes. It has also been linked to slowing the immune system’s responses, especially to certain types of cancers. It is often found in meats like fish and shellfish, as well as red meat and chicken. It can also be found in eggs, garlic, nuts, barley, and broccoli.
Folate, or folic acid, is essential to metabolism and cell growth while assisting the immune system. Folate is the natural form appearing in many foods like beans, peas, and leafy greens. Folic acid is a synthetic form that essentially does the same thing folate does and is found in fortified foods—also known as enriched foods—such as cereals, pasta, and bread.
Zinc is often found in shellfish, oysters, and lean poultry, as well as beans, yogurt, and chickpeas. It is vital to functions within the immune system and forms part of helping wounds heal.
Catechins are a flavonoid and potent antioxidant for anti-inflammatory-like effects. They contain anti-carcinogenic properties that can help manage stress and other ailments like arthritis. You can find catechins in green and white teas.
Omega-3 fatty acids have an effect on regulating heartbeat, as well as reducing cholesterol. They can be found in fish like salmon, trout, and herring. I recommend staying away from larger fish as they often contain high levels of mercury.
Antioxidants and flavonoids come in a wide variety. While providing boosts and clean-up to your immune system and preventing immune deficiencies, these nutrients have been linked to improving the health of your heart while preventing heart disease. They also have effects on respiratory problems, but can help reverse and prevent damage from arthritis, strokes, and cancer. These boost your overall lifestyle health. You can commonly find antioxidants and flavonoids in berries.

15 Superfoods to Provide the Nutrients Your Immune System Needs

What follows is a list of fifteen superfoods from across the range of nutrients that are necessary for you to keep your immune system running and give it a boost against any illness you come across. Incorporate these into your diet to gain a multitude of health benefits and efficiently fight off colds and the flu, not to mention infections.

Berries

Berries contain many potent antioxidants and a wide variety of nutrients. These versatile fruits play a role and can assist in many functions in your body. They give a necessary boost to your immune system that is great for cold seasons and provide benefits to your body all year round. These effects include cancer prevention, cleaning up waste and byproducts from energy production, removing toxins and carcinogens from your body, as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory.

Berries have been known to assist in lowering the risk of contracting a UTI (urinary tract infection) and decrease blood pressure. Many nutrients found in these fruits are also essential to the healing process of skin and scar tissues, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. They are loaded in Vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, flavonoids, and amino acids which fuel many processes. You can easily include these in your diet by using these versatile berries in smoothies, oatmeal, fruit salads, yogurt bowls, or even as a small snack on their own.

Acai berries contain amino acids and antioxidants.
Blueberries provide fiber and manganese, as well as Vitamin K. They contain high levels of flavonoids, which are responsible for the purplish-blue skin and flesh. Blueberries can assist in detoxification and help prevent UTIs.
Goji berries are high in flavonoids as well as Vitamins C, E, and B. They contain some essential fatty acids, as well as amino acids and trace minerals. They are used in treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes, and general health for your eyes, liver, and kidneys.
Cranberries contain a link to antioxidants that may prevent cancer, a benefit which extends to various kinds of cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the prostate, and lungs. Cranberries not only boost your immune system but help to regulate blood pressure.

You can easily include berries in your diet in oatmeal, yogurt breakfast mixes, several desserts, smoothies, and as a snack all on their own once again.

Nuts and Seeds

Ground nuts, almonds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more can be consumed alongside apricots and dates. They are sources of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and magnesium that greatly impact your immune system.

Certain varieties amongst this group of food contain several vitamins like B6, Vitamin E, and phosphorous which play roles in boosting and facilitating a healthy immune system. These also have effects across other parts of your body functions. These effects range from affecting the health of your skin by assisting in repairing it, cleaning up byproducts of waste production, and being important in promoting good vision.

A major factor of including nuts and seeds in your diet is that they provide a source of good and healthy fats to dissolve into and enter your body. This affects a wide range of fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Sunflower seeds are antioxidants that assist in metabolic functions and regulate your immune system. They contain a range of nutrients, most notably, Vitamin E. Magnesium is also found in sunflower seeds, used in over three hundred different body functions including improving your immunity. You will also gain phosphorous from these seeds, which can aid in strengthening bones and teeth.
Chia seeds originate in Mexico, with ties to usage by the Aztecs and the Mayans. Per gram, they have ten times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids compared to fish like salmon. Chia seeds are great for digestion and an alternative to flaxseeds. They contain sources of iron and protein. Chia seeds expand in liquids and are often used in puddings.
Pumpkin seeds are packed full of energy. They maintain other benefits for your health and immune system, boasting the nutrients magnesium and zinc, and healthy fats. Other health benefits include improved heart health and the prevention of some cancers. Pumpkin seeds make a good snack by themselves.

Alternatives to seeds and nuts are spinach and broccoli, which contain many of the same nutrients. You could even use the two in conjunction with one another. Incorporate these easily in your diet, sprinkled through or over salads, as a snack all on their own, or in other foods like bread, muffins, and even a bowl of yogurt.

Garlic

Garlic is a common addition to many meals. It adds a distinct and full flavor to any dish it accompanies. Garlic is easy to incorporate into your meals and can be consumed regularly. It has been linked to many health benefits such as lowering and controlling blood pressure, having a positive effect on high cholesterol as well as slowing the hardening of cholesterol.

Also stored in garlic are calcium, potassium, and antioxidants that strengthen your body’s natural defenses. These all assist in fighting off infections, but garlic is known for its immune-boosting properties, thanks to its concentration of sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin. Your immune system is most greatly affected by allicin in garlic, as it is also known for exhibiting many antiviral and antimicrobial effects.

Many people do consume garlic on a regular basis, but they may be missing out on some of the nutrients contained inside this superfood. To ensure you gain as many of the nutrients in garlic as you can, it is best to eat garlic raw. You can still mix it into your food, but set it aside while you cook and only mix it in afterward. A compound made by mixing raw garlic and honey together goes a long way to boosting your immune system and provide you with necessary nutrients.

Citrus Fruits

Some of what citrus fruits give you aren’t made or stored in your body. These nutrients would need to be consumed every day to maintain a strong immune system, in addition to other nutrients. Citrus fruits are notorious for containing high levels of Vitamin C. These fruits have also been linked to healthy skin.

Mangoes are rich in many of the B Vitamins—but not B-12—as well as Vitamin C, A, E, and K. This fruit will thoroughly boost your immune system. It contains a compound called mangiferin that is a noted antiviral and anti-inflammatory.
Lemons help balance out your pH from an acidic environment. Most diseases are contracted in an acidic environment.
Oranges boost your immune system through Vitamin C and are also linked to improving your heart health by regulating sugar and cholesterol levels.

Beans

Beans are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are also a great source of fiber and protein, especially if you’re looking to lower your meat intake.

Beans have been linked to controlling blood sugar levels and keeping them in check. Healthy blood sugar levels are vital for brain function.
Magnesium found in beans is linked to over 300 bodily functions, including effects that boost your immune system’s efficacy.
Beans are packed full of Vitamin A, which regulates the immune system. They fight off infections by maintaining the health of your skin and tissues in your stomach, mouth, intestines, and throughout your respiratory system.
Protein regulates your metabolism and is essential in fighting off infections. Some proteins even help process waste products.
Fiber in your body will strengthen your body to fight against infections, playing a vital role in stimulating your body’s t-cells, little cells that attack any invaders in your body such as viruses.

Beans are low in fat. You can easily include them in your diet alongside many other foods, especially lentils and other pulses that contain many minerals and nutrients.

Ginger

Ginger adds a spicy and aromatic kick to any meal you add it to. This food type plays several roles in your immune system by providing a detoxifying effect through sweating. This kind of sweating contains a germ-fighting agent.

Ginger is linked to several effects that improve your overall health. It is known to reduce inflammation and pain, and it mitigates nausea. Containing an antimicrobial, ginger inhibits the growth of some bacteria. Along with helping bad breath, ginger may be linked to lowering cholesterol levels.

It has a diverse range of ways you can include it in your diet, such as in ginger tea. Ginger and honey will help soothe a sore throat, as well as ease a tight chest and fight colds.

Green Tea or Matcha

This can be used as a substitute for coffee and can be found in a regular tea variant or as a ground-up powder that can be made into lattes. It gets its title as a superfood from the high content of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that powerfully boost the immune system to fight the flu and other illnesses. It also contains a high level of free radical scavengers, creating a detoxifying effect alongside the many antioxidants it contains. Green tea contains an amino acid necessary to aid germ fighting t-cells.

Green tea is known to regulate blood sugar, improve brain function, and regulate metabolism. This is a bioactive compound that contains many fat-burning qualities and aids in weight loss.

Make sure to store green tea in a cool, dry place like a fridge set to low or a pantry. Stay away from any products containing sugars and additives. Look for organic green tea if/when you can.

Yogurt

Live and active cultures found in yogurt stimulate your immune system. Yogurt is also a source of Vitamin D which regulates your immune system. It aids in the process of digestion and can be crucial to absorbing various nutrients into your body. Yogurt aids in general gut health and allows good intestinal bacteria to flourish which further synthesizes Vitamin B12. Other fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and tempeh improve your gut health, much like yogurt.

In addition to improving your gut health, prebiotics and probiotics found in the live and active cultures in yogurt help to prevent UTIs and other bladder infections, along with regulating overall bacterial health.

Mix berries and other fruits, as well as nuts and seeds into yogurt for a delicious snack. Use honey to sweeten the yogurt in place of sugar. Avoid any sweetened and pre-flavored yogurts from the store.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a well-known anti-inflammatory; it contains iron and antioxidants which boost your general and overall immunity as well as your energy levels.

The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric help with different forms of arthritis. Curcumin found in turmeric contains many antimicrobial effects that prevent the growth of bacteria. This compound has also been linked to decreasing muscle damage caused by exercise.

Much like white pepper, turmeric can be applied to small lacerations to stimulate coagulation and prevent infection. This can be handy to stop bleeding and make sure a wound won’t create illnesses in your body.

Include turmeric as a spice in your meals to add flavor and gain these immune and health-boosting benefits.

Honey

Honey contains very many vitamins and antioxidants, alongside healthy minerals. It is cholesterol and sodium-free, maintaining your general overall health without adding chemicals you don’t want in your body.

This healthy alternative to syrup boosts your immune system, as well as contains many antifungal and antibacterial properties. To gain these nutrients, your best option is raw honey. It has the least processes applied to it. Your next best option is non-irradiated honey, as the process of irradiation deteriorates the nutritional value in honey.

Honey can be used as a healthy substitute for any sugar, whereas agave syrup provides a vegan alternative. Mixing honey with warm water helps with high blood pressure and blood purification. Perhaps attempt to start your day with this and make a note of the changes you notice after a couple of months.

Poultry and Lean White Meat

Poultry and other lean white meat, such as turkey, are high in vitamins such as B6. Roughly three ounces of this type of meat contain up to half of your daily recommended daily requirement of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is crucial to many chemical reactions throughout your body including the immune system, but it is also responsible for producing and maintaining healthy red blood cells. Protein provided in these meats is vital for waste product clean-up, maintaining your immune system, and regulating your metabolism.

Using chicken bones to make a broth or stock allows the release of gelatin, chondroitin, and other helpful nutrients for gut healing and boosting your overall immunity. You can easily incorporate these into your diet while making meals around this meat or creating a sauce or soup using the broth and stock.

Fish and Shellfish

Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids necessary to maintain your general health. However, they also play a crucial role in your immune system. Supplement your diet with different kinds of fish and shellfish to boost your immune system.

In fish, you can find various nutrients like iron, vitamin D, selenium, copper, and vitamin B6, as well as zinc. Zinc is most often found in crabs, clams, lobsters, mussels, and other shellfish. While being necessary for your immune system and a variety of functions therein, too much zinc can inhibit your immune system.

Much like fruit and vegetables, fresher fish contain a high overall content of nutrients. Fresher is better. Avoid larger fish like shark, golden bass, and swordfish. Larger fish often contain prominent levels of mercury which can be toxic to your body.

Kale and Other Leafy Greens

Leafy greens contain high levels of antioxidants and water content. These antioxidants are linked to protecting your body from Alzheimer’s and arteriosclerosis.

Leafy greens, in general, contain many vitamins and general nutrients like Vitamins A, C, E, K, and many Bs. These are crucial to many processes in your immune system. They also contain various carotenoids, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber, which are all beneficial for a myriad of reasons such as lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, and boosting metabolism.

Kale can be added raw to salads, prepared as kale chips, or even added to smoothies with apple, kiwi, avocado, and ginger to create a superfood smoothie packed full of a wide variety of nutrients.

Avocado

Consuming avocado provides high levels of healthy fats alongside many carotenoids. Inside avocados is an antioxidant called glutathione that boosts the functionality of your immune system and is needed for lymphoid cells.

Avocados are high in mono-saturated fats like oleic acid that promotes a healthy heart and prevents several risk factors of the body. These fruits are linked to lowering the level of bad cholesterol in your body. Avocados are essential in regulating your body’s blood sugar levels, as well as assisting with digestion and regularity due to their high fiber content.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is rich in mono-saturated fatty acids crucial for many nutrients to dissolve into. The antioxidants found in olive oil help your body fight off illnesses and infections, as well as clean up toxins throughout your body. Olive oil has exhibited several positive effects on the body, including reducing the risk of cancer in your body. It prevents cardiovascular diseases and may have an effect on breast cancer, as well as controlling and regulating type-2 diabetes.

Vitamin E contained in olive oil is crucial to your immune system—without Vitamin E, you leave your body exposed to infections and diseases.

Oleocanthal found in olive oil impacts inflation and reduces damage done to your cartilage. Oleuropein, a polyphenol, can impact and prevent bone loss.

Create vinaigrettes to go on your salads to incorporate olive oil into your diet, or replace your regular cooking oils with olive oil to gain the same benefits.

The Superfood Advice Column

While superfoods do provide you with everything you need to beat illnesses and colds whilst still remaining in good health, I advocate eating a range of superfoods throughout the year. Cold and flu season isn’t the only time you need to make sure your body can protect itself and it is only a balance that really enables your immune system to take on illness at its strongest.
Superfoods are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, and fiber. Eating a wide range of these foods—veggies, fruits, and good fats—ensures you gain all the nutrients you need while maintaining your body’s processes efficiently and in a healthy manner.
To ensure you’re getting the nutrients you require, always pick fresher foods that are in season. Overexposure to light and heat during transport might mean your local store’s produce isn’t as fresh as it could have been. Try a nearby farmer’s market to source your goods as close to farm-fresh as possible. If that isn’t an option, frozen goods are often cultivated at their peak ripeness. They maintain a similar nutrient content to true fresh produce. When choosing frozen products make sure you pick natural options that don’t include added sodium or sugars.
Avoid marketing scams with overpriced superfoods. This often stands in the way of enabling yourself not only to afford good and healthy foods but in educating yourself on what a superfood is. There is no recipe for superfoods, they are the way they are naturally and their benefits cannot be chemically recreated. Essentially, every fruit and vegetable is a type of superfood and so too are many legumes and meats. Always do your research if you’re uncertain of something. This is the best way to ensure that you know what you’re putting into your body, as well as the effects it will have on your body.
Everything you find packed into superfoods lowers general health risks like cholesterol, heart issues, cancer, and other diseases. These nutrients empower your immune system and are vital in protecting you from toxins and staving off infections. A healthy diet of superfoods should be coupled with exercises and a good sleep schedule. Without adequate sleep, your body may be open to infections, while exercise helps to stimulate your immune system as well as assist in the efficiency of other systems.
A lot of what you can find in superfoods is available on the market in alternative forms or with added chemicals you want to limit in your body. I recommend staying away from additives like sugars and sodium. Many processed goods claim to be as good as the real thing but contain other substances that don’t help your body or even take away from the efficiency of the immune system.
MSG is used to enhance flavors and often added to foods. It is responsible for several health risks and does nothing to help your body function. Preservatives can also detract from your body’s functions and take away from the freshness and nutrient content in products.
Supplements are another form you can find these nutrients in. Unfortunately, many of these can raise the levels of toxicity in your body. Supplements can also cause issues and interactions with other medication. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to take them. Stay away from these unless otherwise indicated by a medical professional.
While many of the vital building blocks for your body and your immune system are found in superfoods and some have high water content, your body will also require water through drinking to maintain strong immunity. Many people don’t like the taste of water, but it is one of the most important things that we should all be consuming regularly. It is required in many processes in your body, and side effects from a lack of water such as dehydration can be detrimental to your energy levels. Drink water regularly to make the most of the nutrients in superfoods.

Conclusion

Will superfoods impact my health? Are they only good for my health, or can superfoods be harmful to me as well?

Superfoods are a necessity when it comes to controlling and maintaining not only your overall health but many other functions in your body. They are vital for this reason. These functions include your immune system, but go as far as general skin, tissue, and organ health, as well as cleaning up waste and byproducts.

While this is all well and good, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. There is only so much your body can do on a daily basis and only so much it needs and can process to effectively fight off illnesses, colds, infections, and maintain energy and other functions. There are recommended daily values of each nutrient that you should consume in a day. Too much of these nutrients can lead to other forms of damage, creating an over-reactive system which will strain and stress your body.

Do Superfoods work for everyone? Will the same foods and nutrients work the same way for different people?

Yes, superfoods will work for everyone. The vitamins, essential minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients found in superfoods are necessary for the functions in each person’s body. Everyone’s needs on a basic level are the same, but as each person is different, so too are the nutritional needs of each person.

Your diet won’t necessarily look exactly the same as the next person’s, but for a healthy body and immune system, you’ll need to include a variety of superfoods into your diet.

Another limiting factor can be existing health issues and concerns. Some people have deficiencies such as in iron and require an uptake in iron in their diet or even rely on prescribed supplements. On the other hand, it may be best to limit certain nutrients such as Vitamin K if you have a blood clotting disorder. All of these concerns should be noted with your health professional, especially before you start a new diet.

It is essential that you also maintain check-ups on your health while maintaining the diet. Any change in your nutrient intake can have a wide variety of effects on your body, especially if you stop getting certain nutrients or start consuming too many of another type.

If you’ve recently changed your diet and you’re feeling lousy and like you can’t keep yourself together, please see a specialist. Your GP or a nutritionist/dietitian are your best options, but keep in mind that not every specialist will be experienced with a modern, balanced diet, or your pre-existing health conditions. Therefore, it is best to see someone familiar with your kind of requirements, be that veganism, tailored to health issues, or otherwise.