With fall right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about cold and flu season! You will want to prepare your body for the immune system challenges ahead the best you can. One way is to stock up on hand sanitizer and make sure you have a warm coat to stave off the cold, and the other way in which you can prepare is to stock up on healthy immune system boosting foods. In today’s article, we’re going to explore some of nature’s best offerings when it comes to helping your immune system get the power it needs to help your body overcome your next cold or flu. Let us know in the comments your experiences with immune boosting foods and give us your favorites!
Citrus Fruits
Aside from warding off scurvy, citrus fruits are a great way to help boost your vitamin C levels. This vitamin helps your body produce more white blood cells that help to fight infections and other nasties.
Garlic
Vampires beware! Garlic is a delicious and efficient way to help boost your immune system because the chemical compound allicin found within helps strengthen your white blood cells’ response to attacks. We recommend consuming it raw or lightly cooked to get the full benefit, or if you insist on cooking it, then be sure to eat a little more, just make sure to brush your teeth afterwards.
Ginger
Ok, now that the white blood cells have a leg up from two sources, it’s time to help the rest of the body. Ginger does just that. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce body-wide inflammation which helps lessen sore throat severity among other things. Ginger before, during, and after a cold is a great natural immune supplement!
Yogurt
Gut health is really in the spotlight these days, and for good reason. Yogurt’s probiotic properties with its live cultured bacteria are super beneficial to your gut health by boosting helpful gut flora. Look for yogurts that say “live and active cultures” on the label.
Almonds
Almonds have a large amount of vitamin E which acts as a strong antioxidant, vital for maintaining a healthy immune system. Try eating a handful or two each day or sprinkle them into your favorite recipes like breads, cakes, salads, and omelets.
Green Tea
Flavonoids help reduce inflammation and are superb antioxidants. They are abundant in green tea! It also has helpful amino acids like L-Theanine which also help boost your T-cell viability. Drink a cup or two daily with lunch or dinner for an excellent way to stay healthy and help your digestive system as well.
Broccoli
There’s a very good reason why moms and dads everywhere are always trying to get us to eat our broccoli and it’s not just because the local broccoli farms are paying them off. No, it is because this veggie has lots of vitamins like A, C, and E, as well as antioxidants and natural fiber which all contribute to a healthy immune system and gut biome.
For The Road
We hope you enjoyed learning about immune system boosting foods. If you would like to know more about this or anything else along these lines, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your health and nutrition goals. Schedule a consultation for any of our amazing services by reaching out to us here. We look forward to hearing from you.
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