It is that time of year again where the pollen is falling and allergies are running rampant! I am literally drinking herbal teas like they are disappearing. Here are some useful foods that you can eat to boost your immune system, so you are not suffering from the early spring illness list!
Spinach: Spinach is tasty and great for your body! Spinach is packed with cell-repairing nutrients like folate, vitamin C, and fiber! According to this article, spinach is literally a "super food." Raw spinach is the best way to eat up all the good stuff, but don't forget your Popeye! Eating cooked spinach is also a great way to absorb all the antioxidants.
Honey: Honey is one of the best things for sore throats and your immune system. Local honey is the best thing for your body. The bees who are making the honey are pollenating the sames plants that strike up your allergies, so by eating local honey you are slowly adjusting your immune system. Talk about a great prevention system!
Oatmeal: One of my favorite things is to eat quick oats in cold milk! Oatmeal is so good for your immune system and it helps you feel better. According to a Norwegian study, oatmeal helps boost immunity, speeds wound healing, and may help antibiotics work better.
Watermelon: Watermelon is full of water, which is perfect for hydration and flushing out bad stuff! Watermelon is also important because it contains glutathione which can boost your immune system and it helps fight infection. Eat as close to rind as you can to help soak up the glutathione.
Garlic: Garlic is one of the best things you can eat for your immune system. According to this study, is one of the best infection fighters available for both bacterial and viral infections. Garlic is especially effective at treating upper respiratory viral infections due to its immune-enhancing properties and its ability to clear mucous from the lungs.
Almonds: Almonds are the perfect snack to throw in your bag, and it is jam packed with Vitamin E, niacin, riboflavin and B vitamins. They are also good for helping relieve stress! Only 1/4 cup serving carries nearly 50% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E, so think small, portable, and crucial to surviving the spring sickness!
Lemon: Can we say vitamin C??? Citrus fruits are amazing at providing antioxidants that can reduce cold and flu symptoms by at last 23%. Lemons go great with water, and a few squeezes on a salad gives your body a clean and refreshing feeling, and you will be pumping your body with lots of vitamin C!
Dark Chocolate: Chocolate? Yes, chocolate! Darm chocolate is actually filled with antioxidants. According to this article, dark chocolate also contains zinc, which will help with the growth of white blood cells and help prevent infection. Just be sure you are buying unsweetened. No need to add more sugar to your diet!
Hot Tea: Hot herbal tea is one of my favorite things to drink on when I am feeling under the weather. Apart from soothing a sore throat, this Harvard study people who drank 5 cups a day of hot tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink.
Beef: Beef is so important. It provides the zinc that you need to keep you healthy and happy! According toDr. William Boisvert, an expert in nutrition and immunity at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, zinc is very important for the development of white blood cells, the intrepid immune system cells that recognize and destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and assorted other bad guys.