Rather than stocking up on cold
cures, feast on foods that boost your immunity and energy, and leave you
flu-free.
Getting ill this winter is as inevitable as
another X Factor Christmas No1, right? In fact, the right diet can prevent you
succumbing to seasonal bugs. We’ve identified the top 10 winter wonder foods
that’ll keep you fighting fit and even put them all into one nutritional
powerhouse of a meal. So, you know what to rustle up to eat yourself well. (If
only Simon Cowell was as easily defeated…)
1. Kale
Rich in beta-carotene, which keeps your
lungs and gut healthy, kale also boasts a combo of calcium, iron, magnesium and
vitamin C, which reduces the severity of colds.
2. Oranges
Oranges provide a daily dose of vitamin C,
which helps reduce the length of colds. They’re also packed with carotenoids
for healthy lungs. Eat the fruit, rather than drinking juice though, as lots of
the health-promoting goodness is in the pith.
3. Oats
High in beta-glucans which protect against
bacterial infections and viral ones such as colds. Not only that, oats are a
good source of selenium, and a trial found that people who took selenium
cleared viruses quicker.
4. Mushroom
Bursting with immune-boosting selenium,
these are also a good source of the B vitamins and beta-glucans that increase
germ-fighting white blood cells. And they’re a veggie source of vitamin D.
5. Almonds
Nuts and seeds are your best source of
vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps your body produce antibodies. A daily handful
will also give you a quarter of your magnesium needs, which prevents achy
muscles.
6. Chicken
Chicken-particularly the dark meat is rich
in iron, which helps your body make antibodies. It’s also a good source of
selenium, and US research shows chicken soup really does help relieve upper
respiratory infections.
7. Broccoli
One small portion gives you a day’s worth
of vitamin K, plus some vitamin A, which together help your body to absorb
immune-boosting vitamin D. It also contains sulforaphane, which fights toxins,
and glucosinolates which protect your tummy from unfriendly bacteria.
8. Eggs
Eggs are a top source of ‘sunshine’ vitamin
D and, by midwinter, our stores are heavily depleted. This Vitamin has been
found to cut flu risk by 40%. Eggs are also rich in Vitalirty boosting choline.
9. Yoghurt
Yoghurt improves the health of your
digestive tract home to immune cells. Regularly eating yoghurt increase
immunity preventing white blood cells by a third. Just look for yoghurts high
in acidophilus or Bifidobacteria.
10. Carrots
These colourful veggies give you a mega-hit
of beta-carotene to boost the cells that destroy invading bacteria and viruses.
Vitamin A is also important for optimal respiratory health.
