With winter just around the corner, and the boarders reopening soon; now is the perfect time to be boosting your immunity ready to beat those nasty bugs. Here is a list of 12 everyday foods that are superheroes for the immune system.
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We all know some basic things that help us stay healthy and keep our immunity strong. I won't be going into these in-depth; instead, I want to focus on some foods that boost our immunity, specifically foods that help us stay strong against colds and flu over the winter season.
“LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE, THY MEDICINE SHALL BE THY FOOD.” – HIPPOCRATES, ANCIENT GREEK PHYSICIAN
Here is a list of the basics:
* Drink lots of water
* Don't smoke
* Eat healthy – loads of fruit and vegetables (5+ a day)
* Exercise regularly (minimum 30 minutes a day)
* Drink alcohol in moderation
* Get a good 8 hours of sleep a night
* Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene
* Minimise stress if at all possible
Top five vitamins & minerals for boosting your immunity:
* Vitamin C is essential in the fight against colds and flu and is our best defense in keeping well; it actively takes the part of fighting the infectious agents when you are sick. Unfortunately, the body can't produce or store it, so we need to make sure that we take it daily to keep healthy. With so many foods containing Vitamin C, it is often unnecessary to take supplements.
* Vitamin E is an antioxidant called the immunoregulator; it plays a vital part in enhancing the immune system's response to infection!
* Vitamin B6 helps improve the immune system response to infection and helps produce antibodies.
* Vitamin D helps our immune systems stay balanced during the cold and flu season and serve as our own personal pharmacy resource.
* Zinc is a mineral that's important to the body for many reasons; it keeps the immune system strong, helps heal wounds, and supports normal growth.
Top 12 Immune-Boosting Foods to fit Colds and Flu:
Oranges & Citrus:
Full of Vitamin C, this fruit is in season in the winter months – isn't it amazing how our seasonal fruits and vegetables are available when the human body needs them the most? Do you need to boost your vitamin C? Start with oranges and lemons, lemon and honey drink, anyone? Freshly squeezed orange juice in the mornings is a great way to start the day, including the kids – maybe porridge with fresh orange instead of berries would be a great way to transition into the cooler months!
Water:
While water doesn't have any magical vitamins in it, it keeps us hydrated so that we can fight infection. It also helps to dissolve the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from food, so that these vital components can be delivered to the rest of your body and used as needed.
Greek yoghurt:
Greek yoghurt is full of the goodness of probiotics and has more protein than regular yoghurt. Researchers have discovered that probiotics help prevent but also help heal the common cold; the same paper suggests that those taking probiotics daily have a lower risk of catching a common cold altogether. I will go further into probiotics and fermented food in another blog post.
Blueberries:
Blueberries are filled with antioxidants (thus Vitamin E) that can help treat and prevent coughs and colds. Research conducted here in New Zealand shows that adults who regularly eat foods with the specific antioxidants called flavonoids, whether through food such as blueberries, or supplements, had a 33% less chance of catching a common cold! Bring on those Blueberry Muffins this winter!
Tomatoes:
Tomatoes have a high concentration of Vitamin C; one medium tomato contains over 16mg, the top vitamin required to boost immunity. Tomatoes are so easy to grow and are a huge part of almost everyone's lives; however, I don't think tomato sauce counts!!!!
Salmon:
Salmon is filled with zinc, a nutrient proven to reduce common cold symptoms. Researchers have found that zinc significantly reduced the severity and duration of cold symptoms when eaten in your daily diet or taken regularly as a supplement.
Dark chocolate:
Dark chocolate contains a high level of theobromine. This antioxidant has been proven to minimise coughing, which is excellent news *cough, cough*, I can just hear my daughter calling out at night, 'Mum, I am coughing and can't sleep, can you please get me some dark chocolate'!
Broccoli:
Broccoli is a seriously under-rated "superfood"; it is full of vitamins A, C and E, combined with antioxidants and fibre; it is a vegetable you can't look past in these difficult times. The best way to eat it is raw, but if your kids (or you) can't stomach it this way – then just lightly steamed and salted helps keep all the incredible benefits in the broccoli so that you can gain as much from it as possible!
Extra virgin olive oil:
Olive oil is known to help rebuild and boost the body's immunity; the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the body, which also assists in boosting the immune system and guarding the body against infection.
Spinach:
Spinach is full of vitamin C and also packed with antioxidants and beta carotene, which is said to increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Spinach is healthiest when cooked as little as possible to retain its nutrients. It is excellent in salads but also added to stir-fries and smoothies; it is good to get as much of this little gem as possible into your diet. It's super easy to grow and does well in the cooler temperatures we're going into – plant some now and reap the benefit for the next few months.
Eggs:
Eggs contain a high amount of vitamin D, especially the yolk; this is a vitamin that's imperative in regulating and strengthening our immunity systems. Research shows that people who eat daily doses of vitamin D (through food intake or supplements) are far less likely to catch a cold or get an upper respiratory infection.
Apples:
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" isn't just a saying — apples actually can help prevent the common cold. This fruit contains a range of antioxidants that help boost immunity and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. With apples just coming into season now, it's a great way to increase our immunity and our children; apples are such an easy fruit to pop into their lunch-box or turn into fruit leather.
In a future blog, I will discuss the 5 top herbs and spices for immunity and eight other foods worth including in your everyday diet. I will also be working on putting up recipes containing immune-boosting foods for the long winter coming; anything we can do that will naturally decrease our risks of catching a cold or flu (or at least reduce the effects of it) has got to be a win in my books.
So do yourself and your family a favour, and fill your pantry and fridge up this winter with these twelve amazing foods, and keep those winter bugs at bay.
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