This time of year brings the dreaded cold and flu season. Cold weather can wreak havoc on our health. Colds and flu can also trigger asthma. However, there are some ways of preventing colds and flu. Eating immune-boosting foods can help ward off nearly all types of illness. Eating these foods can make you feel healthy and happy. Here are 12 foods you should give a chance this winter.
1. Red Bell Peppers
We all know by now that vitamin C is important for boosting immunity. Red bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C. Five servings of fruits and vegetables can provide200mg of vitamin C. red peppers are a rich source of antioxidants, which can help prevent damage by free radicals. Besides being high in vitamins C, this vegetable is loaded with vitaminsA and E. Each serving contains 2.4 milligrams of vitamin E and all the vitamin A you need from your daily diet.
Due to their high concentration of Vitamin A, red bell peppers can help to protect your vision. They also play an important role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects tissue health.
2. Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are low in fat and high in fiber. They pack a nutritional punch. Brussels sprouts are versatile and they go well with every meal. You can eat them roasted or raw. You can add them to soups or salads. They make a great main course or a side dish. Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C.
Besides their high amounts of vitamin C Brussels sprouts are also high in fiber, protein, vitamin K, folate, manganese, vitamin B6, and a wide range of other nutrients. One cup of Brussels sprouts contains 124% of your daily Vitamin C RDA, 6% of your iron requirements and 13% of your vitamin A requirements. Try incorporating more of these into your daily diet.
3. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are great addition to just about any healthy diet. They are one of the best sources of beta-carotene. They are also loaded with vitamins C and E. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, vitamins that play an important role in age-related disease prevention and in attaining longevity. Both vitamins also can help keep your skin healthy and younger-looking. Plus, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C promote a healthy, glowing complexion and vibrant hair.
Sweet potatoes are also high in Vitamin B6, which plays a key role in converting homocysteine into methionine. High levels of homocysteine may damage the blood vessels and cause cardiovascular disease. Sweet potatoes are also high in potassium which plays a key role in fluid balance within your body.
4. Kale
Kale is an incredibly healthy food. Kale is one of the healthiest foods in the world. Kale is high in vitamins A, K, C, B1, B2, B3, and B6. Did you know that kale has 5 times the amount of vitamin C than spinach? Kale is also a great source of iron, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. This vegetable is loaded with fiber, protein, mega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, and water content.
Kale has the wide variety of health benefits. Kale can help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration of the eyes, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And even more, kale can help you lose weight. This vegetable even protects against certain types of cancer. So, try eating more kale.
5. Yogurt
Many yogurts contain probiotics that can help prevent diseases and infections. Probiotic foods can help you recover from flu symptoms faster. The probiotics found in yogurt are good bacteria that help keep your digestive tract remain healthy. Several studies have shown that people who consumed yogurt every day, had more immunity compared to those who did not consume yogurt on a daily basis.
Eating yogurt on daily basis increases your body’s resistance to infectious diseases. Yogurt contains numerous vitamins and minerals. There are so many health benefits from yogurt. Yogurt also contains potassium, a mineral really well for our kidneys, and calcium, a mineral needed for bone health. It also contains protein that helps in building muscle, blood circulation, and tissue regeneration.
6. Green Tea
Besides promoting weight reduction,green tea also contains antioxidants needed for optimal health. A recent study has found that green tea can help to protect your body against free radicals, which can cause many health problems like damage DNA’s instructional code, damage immune function and cause wrinkles. Free radicals can cause arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. Drinking green tea on a daily basis can help to lower your risk of developing cancer.
This tea can also protect your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Another study has shown that that green tea can help to lower cholesterol. This study has shown that people who consumed green tea on a regular basis significantly reduced the level of harmful LDL cholesterol in their blood, compared to those who didn’t drink green tea at all.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is also a powerhouse of nutrients. Just one cup of broccoli contains your daily required vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that helps boost immunity and prevents diseases. Broccoli is packed with anti-oxidants like beta carotene, indoles, sulforaphane, lutein, quercetin, glutathione, and glutamate. These antioxidants can also help prevent cancer (particularly breast cancer,prostate, lung, colon, cervical, and colon cancer).
Broccoli is also loaded with vitamins A, E, K and B6 and E, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, folate, and magnesium. Broccoli also keeps the eyes and skin healthy. It can reduce inflammation, regulate digestion, increase cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol levels in the blood, detoxify the body and decrease allergic reactions. And even more, broccoli can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
8. Garlic
Garlic packs the most nutritional punch of any vegetable. This vegetable can help fight off the cold.Garlic is a great source of calcium and potassium that get rid of unwanted bacteria.Garlic was found to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol, increasing HDL-C cholesterol, and reducing total cholesterol. Garlic has also anti-cancer benefits. A recent study has shown that people who ate eating garlic everyday had low rates of colon, prostate, and stomach cancer.
You can use garlic raw or cooked. You can add it to your salads, soups, and meat dishes. Garlic contains sulfur compounds, alliin, and allicin which both provide health benefits. They can be found in raw garlic. So, the best way to eat garlic is by eating it raw and fresh.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the healthiest spices in the world. Turmeric is a principal element in curry powder, and it is used in mustard. It is also is used in prepared mustard. Turmeric is also versatile and you can add it to soups, salads… you can even use it to make drinks! Turmeric contains a wide variety if vitamins and minerals. Turmeric also contains Curcumin.
Curcumin has a wide range of health benefits. A recent study has shown that people who consumed turmeric on a regular basis had much lower risk of developing cancer than people who didn’t consume turmeric on a regular basis, or those who didn’t consume turmeric at all. Plus, curcumin can help prevent free radical damage and create an antioxidant effect.
10. Salmon
Salmon is loaded with essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acid, which have been shown to have numerous benefits. They are necessary for the activation of T-cells. A higher number of T- cells indicates a stronger immune system. If you have a strong immune system your body can fight off infections from bacteria or viruses easily. Fish has long been called brain food. It contains omega-3 fatty acids that have beneficial properties.
Several studies have shown that they can help prevent a number of mental conditions ranging from depression and bipolar disorder to schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue syndrome and stress. Salmon can also help prevent obesity and control the inflammation in the digestive tract. It can also help to reduce the risk and incidence of depression.
11. Oysters
Oysters are the host of antioxidants that keep you healthy. They have many health benefits. Trey are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals and organic compounds. Oysters are also packed with protein, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and copper. They are also a great source of Vitamin C, phosphorus, niacin and riboflavin. And even more, are also high in antioxidants, healthy cholesterol, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Due to their nutritional profile, oysters are a god among superfoods. Several studies have shown that people who consumed oysters regularly had a lower risk of heart disease, dementia, and depression, compared with people who didn’t consume oysters at all. Oysters can boost your body’s health and overall functions. Oysters also contain and magnesium, which can lower your blood pressure and increase circulation and blood oxygenation.
12. Oatmeal
Oysters offer a ton of health benefits. Oatmeal is a great source of phosphorus, copper, biotin manganese, molybdenum, chromium, and magnesium. Oatmeal can boost your morning energy levels. Oatmeal is also high in beta-glucan, which significantly enhances the human immune system response to bacterial infection.Beta-glucan is a type of soluble fiber. Numerous studies have shown that beta-glucan has beneficial effects on diabetes.
And even more, beta-glucan is believed to play a role in lowering cholesterol. The fiber helps make you feel satisfied longer and slows the absorption of glucose. It also keeps sugar spikes and dips at bay and helps with your stool. Oatmeal also contains avenanthramide, the antioxidant compounds that can prevent free radicals from ruining your health.