We are reaching the middle of November, and before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here. This can only mean one thing—winter is upon us. While the winter season brings along so many great things like the holiday season, an excuse to have hot chocolate more than just on cheat days, and gingerbread house competitions, winter also brings along cold and flu season. With that being said, I am going to share with you the best foods to keep mixed into your daily diet to help boost your immunity and fight off any sickness as quick as possible.
Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C and therefore are a great way to kickstart your immune system. There are various ways to add citrus fruits into your everyday diet which include: infusing your water with sliced oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, drinking a glass of fresh and natural orange juice, or eating a clementine for a snack.
Ginger
Ginger is a great food that can be used to reduce inflammation which is immunity-boosting when you have a sore thought, and it can be an easy and natural fix for nausea and indigestion. Ginger is not a super popular everyday ingredient, but it can easily be worked into your diet. Ginger adds great flavor to soups, can be thrown into a smoothie, and it is found in many teas.
Water
You may be surprised to find water on this list, but water is actually one of the best things you can use to hydrate your body and keep your immunity high or fight off sickness. Water is all natural and pure, so it is filled with vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body to recover and remain healthy. In addition, drinking excess water when sick is super important to make sure the body stays hydrated and can help to flush the sickness out of the body.
Soup
I am sure that whenever you are feeling a bit under the weather the first thing your mom tells to you get yourself is some chicken noodle soup. While chicken noodle soup is not necessarily going to cure your sickness or keep your immunity high, adding certain ingredients into your soup can accomplish this for you. There are four main ingredients to add to your soups that are known to have an abundance of antioxidants, stimulate the production of white blood cells which are essential for fighting sickness and are anti-inflammatory supplements. These are rosemary, garlic, fennel, and turmeric. Add these ingredients into your soup pot, and let them soak into the broth so that the broth absorbs these great immune-boosting qualities.
Green Tea / Black Tea
Green teas and black teas are soothing and feel great on a sore throat and provide some awesome boosts to the immune system. Scientists have found that green and black teas have a powerful antioxidant called EGCG which is one of the number one immunity enhancers. This antioxidant is a stimulant of the production of white blood cells and T-cells which fight off infection in the body. Throw a drop of honey in your tea for a little extra sweetness, and watch your sickness melt away!
Whether you are under the weather currently or want to do everything possible to keep yourself from catching that common cold or something more serious, try adding these immunity-boosting foods into your everyday diet. These foods are easy to find at your local grocery store and can be added to your diet in numerous ways. While the approach of winter means the holiday season is rapidly approaching, it also means the "season of sickness" is too, so do your part to keep your immunity high and your body happy!