5 Immune-Boosting Foods
It’s flu season! Odds are, you can think of at least one person you know who is sick right now. Everything is going around: flu, bronchitis, common colds, sinus problems, and more. The cold weather is no friend to your immune system. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need to keep your body strong and ready to fight off disease. To help keep you healthy, we’re providing you with a list of immune-boosting foods that you should start incorporating into your diet.
1) Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of the best natural dietary sources of selenium, which is an antioxidant that stimulates the immune system and protects against heart disease and cancer. In fact, these nuts have about 2,500 times as much selenium as any other nut. They’re also high in protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. If you’re looking for a nutritious boost, snack on these nuts or add them into some of your regular lunch and dinner recipes.
We can’t say enough good things about goji berries. In fact, we recently wrote a whole post on their nutritional value. These berries, which you might also know as “wolfberries” or “western strawberries,” contain more vitamin C per ounce than oranges. The amount of vitamin C combined with the various number of antioxidants make goji berries one of your fiercest allies for your immune system. They’re easy to incorporate into your diet, too! Try adding these power-packed berries to your cereal, trail mix, and yogurt.
3) Green Tea
If you’re looking for a drink that will help strengthen your immune system, look no further than green tea. Green tea is world-renowned for it’s abundant amount of antioxidants. Green tea has been known to help prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and weight gain. It’s also been known to kill bacteria, which lowers your risk of infection. You can drink this tea hot or cold.
4) Spirulina
Spirulina is an algae that commonly grows in freshwater lakes and ponds. It’s considered a superfood for many reasons. First, it’s a complete protein, which means it contains an ideal balance of all nine essential amino acids. Second, it’s loaded with iron, potassium, calcium, antioxidants, and vitamins A through E. All you have to do for a major nutrient boost is sprinkle the powder on your food or mix it in with liquids, smoothies, and salad dressings. You’re just one teaspoon-a-day away from a butt-kicking immune system!
Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for ages, so it’s no wonder that it has healing properties. It helps alleviate indigestion, colds, hot flashes, nausea, and even sea sickness! Crystallized ginger is moist, chewy, and has a spicy-sweet flavor. You can eat it straight of of the bag, throw it in a cup of tea, or add it as an ingredient in your cooking. (Try adding it to your stir fry. It’s delicious.) The road to a powerful immune system never tasted so good!
Do you have any suggestions for immune boosting foods? Share them with us!
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