8 Foods to Boost Your Immune System

This winter has been a doozy. I don’t care where you are in the U.S, you are most likely experiencing one of the worst winters of your lifetime.

Unfortunately, with cold weather comes the flus, colds and weakened immune system. While I know the cold weather can’t cause these things, it sure doesn’t help, right?

Recently, I  was one of the unlucky individuals who caught a pretty nasty flu. Instead of sitting in bed sulking for 5 days, I did my research so that I could get better faster (and then share my knowledge with you to help)!

Here are 8 foods that you should stock up on to boost your immune system:

Garlic: This stinky food contains an ingredient called allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. Although it might not taste the best, eating it raw can actually help decrease your chances of catching a cold. If you are going to cook  it, let the garlic sit after you chop or crush is before you do. Waiting gives the alliianase enzymes an opportunity to work.

Dark Chocolate: Who knew chocolate of any kind could be good for you? This super food is good for both your heart and your brain. It is also chocked full of antioxidants. Antioxidants basically help rid your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are thought to be a cause of cancer, so eating foods with lots of antioxidant should help you protect yourself! On top of it, dark chocolate contains theobromine (which has been shown to harden tooth enamel). This means that instead of causing cavities, dark chocolate lowers your risk.

Now, don’t go run out an buy a Hershey’s dark chocolate bar. You need to make sure the chocolate is pure (no chemicals) and that you’re getting at least 80% dark to see any of the benefits.

Blueberries: According to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, blueberries have more antioxidants than any other fresh fruits or vegetables tested to date. Most of the berry’s antioxidant power comes from Anthocyanin, the pigment responsible for the blue color of the berries.

Green Tea: Green tea is considered to be one of the world’s healthiest drinks (containing more antioxidants than any other tea). It also contains a natural chemical called polyphenols which are thought to provide its anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects.

Almonds: This nut isn’t just good in the winter! Just one handful can really help protect your immune system  from the effects of stress since it is high in riboflavin, niacin and B Vitamins. As a bonus, every 1/4 cup serving has about 50% of your daily recommended amount of Vitamin E!

Cloves:  Cloves have a ton of eugenol, which is said to help prevent toxicity from environmental pollutants like carbon tetrachloride, digestive tract cancers, and joint inflammation.

Yogurt: Yogurt truly is the super food of all super foods. It’s loaded with vitamins including potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Yogurt also contains B12, which  helps maintains red blood cells and helps keep your nervous system functioning properly. It’s also been studied that eating four ounces a day can help keep common colds away!

On top of all the vitamins, most good yogurts contain probiotics (a beneficial bugs that live in your digestive tract and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections).

Sweet Potatoes: These babies contain lots of Vitamin D. Since we aren’t getting much sun, it is critical for immune system to get it in other ways during this time of year.  A lack of Vitamin D can cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Vitamin D plays an crucial role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth. To know more about the interesting facts about your teeth, click here to read the article that is very informative in every manner possible. If you particularly need help from dentists, you can click here and find out!

So let’s do our best to keep these foods in our pantry and in our bodies for the remainder of this winter! What are your favorite immune boosting foods?

Love always,
Erica