It is that time of year. The sniffles, coughs and fevers from getting the cold or flu. The body is designed to fight off infections by our powerful immune system. Stress, lack of sleep, poor food choices and certain medical conditions can make our immune systems not work as well so we will discuss some foods that can help your body fight off the next infection.
Ingredients for Immune Health this Winter
Eat foods with Probiotics which are found in yogurt, keifer and kimchi. It has been found that probiotics may boost your immune system. A large part of our immune system is housed in our gut so take care of it! Eat a probiotic rich food daily. For those of you with histamine issues probiotic foods are usually off the menu! You can use a probiotic supplement instead. Choose a supplement with bifidobacterium infantis which doesn’t promote histamine production in the gut. Eat foods with good prebiotic fibers to take care of your gut as well like asparagus, oats, beans & sweet potatoes.
Eat foods with Zinc which is found in chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and dark meats. Zinc has been shown to reduce cold duration and is important for keeping your immune system in top shape.
Eat foods with Vitamin C which is important for keeping your immune system strong and may help decrease the duration of your cold. Use peppers for a lower sugar option which actually provides more vitamin C per cup than oranges.
Eat foods with Flavonoids which are the phytochemicals found in berries, tea and even dark chocolate. These flavonoids keep the immune system strong and may even reduce the risk of getting a cold or other upper respiratory infections.
Eat functional foods like elderberry syrup and honey. Elderberry syrup has been shown to prevent flu infection and can reduce flu duration. Honey is a natural immune system booster and a natural antibacterial food.
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https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/local-news/keeping-your-immune-system-healthy/1668573023
Immune Boosting Mocktail
Makes 4 servings
1C V8 fusion blueberry pomegranate juice or another berry juice
1 orange cut into slices
1 liter of club soda
1. Freeze the juice into ice cubes (at least 2 hours or overnight)
2. In glasses place juice cubes, top off with club soda and garnish with oranges.