By: Guest Writer, Natasha Bell, from The Healthy Ginger
Oh yes, cold + flu season is looming upon us, but guess what? If our body is healthily armed with a fighting army, we will steer clear of runny, red noses + coughing attacks that leave you feeling less than gorgeous and laid up in bed.
The following immune boosting foods are easy to include in your daily meals as well as some important lifestyle considerations that will leave you glowing.
And let’s be serious, who doesn’t want energy + vitality as we head into the holiday season?
‣ foods high in vitamin C: This includes kiwi, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons + limes), bell peppers, dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, romaine, etc), brussel sprouts, broccoli, berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc), cauliflower, tomatoes + herbs (cilantro, parsley, chives, thyme, basil).
‣ eat more of anything orange. This includes whole foods such as squash, carrots, sweet potatoes + yams. The vitamin A contained in these foods helps to support one of the bodies largest defenses mechanisms of our immune system – our skin.
‣ consume more garlic. This is an amazing antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal food that is so easy to add to almost any meal. Consider adding a few cloves to your morning omelet, salad dressing for lunch, or roasted vegetables with salmon for dinner.
‣ If you feel yourself coming down with a cold, I like to mince up a small clove + take with water. Do it just as you would take a vitamin, don’t chew it! That is when you will be left with bad breath.
‣ variety of mushrooms. All mushrooms are great to help build up our immune fighting white blood cells, especially shiitake + maitake; they are so easy to add to soups, salads, omelet’s, pasta’s, pizza’s and wraps.
‣ foods high in zinc: These foods will help to increase our white blood cell count by supporting our immune system. Try to include more pumpkin seeds, sea vegetables, spinach, beef (preferably organic, grass fed) and lamb.
‣ drink up some immune boosting tea: Tea’s that contain rose hips, echinachea + ginger are especially fabulous to support an overall healthy immune system and aid in prevention.
Rock it like a Redhead!
