Our area just got a little burst of winter last night, which resulted in a beautiful morning of snow-covered everything! (Personally, I LOVE it….but, I feel your pain if you have to travel or work in it!) However, it is a reminder that we are still in the midst of winter and being indoors, as well as being more susceptible to illness for a variety of reasons. I wanted to share some tips on boosting your immunity so you can ‘survive’ until spring!
I have created a pretty straight – forward list, most you have probably seen before. You’ll notice that I expanded on the food section a bit. I figured these may not be as well known or understood. I don’t know about you, but it helps me to know the ‘why’. Kind of like when I was a kid and my mom convinced me to eat liver….The ‘why’? Because my grandfather (whom I idolized) ate it because he believed it helped him stay healthy (he lived well into his 90s)!
Here you go!
- Drink more water
- Prioritize sleep
- Drink less alcohol
- Exercise more
- Don’t touch your face, or someone else’s for that matter!
- Focus on your gut, which includes eating probiotics.
- Why? In simple terms, foods in this category undergo a chemical reaction where Lactobacillus bacteria convert existing sugars into lactic acid which creates B vitamins. It also increases the bio – availability of certain nutrients (ie, iron) and contains a plethora of microorganisms=probiotics. Probiotics, or friendly bacteria, help replenish and balance the existing bacteria the digestive tract, aiding in digestion and absorption of important minerals which work at boosting immunity. You could take a pill, whose ingredients run the risk of surviving until they hit the intestines and awaken to start working. The advantage of the following list of foods with live cultures is the immediacy of activation. Examples: Fermented veggies like sauerkraut, kefir, kimichi, kombucha, miso paste, yogurt, cottage cheese, and tempeh.
- Eat Immunity boosting foods
- Some more common (and probably more appealing to most of us) foods that help boost immunity are:
- Citrus fruits – Vitamin C
- Red bell peppers – Vitamin C and beta carotene
- Broccoli – Vitamins A, C, E
- Garlic – fights infections, lower blood pressure, immune booster
- Ginger – anti inflammatory
- Spinach – Vit C, beta-carotene
- Yogurt – Vit D and Live active cultures
- Almonds – Vit E and healthy fats
- Turmeric – anti-inflammatory
- Green tea – EGCG and amino acid
- Papaya – Vit C and B, potassium and folate
- Kiwi – Vit Kand C
- Chicken – yes that chicken noodle soup does have magical powers (just don’t do canned!) B6
- Sunflower seeds – vit E and B6 and magnesium
- Shellfish – packed with zinc
- Some more common (and probably more appealing to most of us) foods that help boost immunity are:
Stay well, Your Bff
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