As the winter season kicks into full swing, we can all start to feel the chill in the air a little more with each day. But even though the days are becoming shorter, it doesn’t mean we don’t have enough time to sit down, relax and have a good healthy meal during the day.
We need to eat regularly to keep warm and maintain the vitamins and minerals in our bodies, that we get more of naturally during the summer.
Fruit, vegetables and vitamins
Vegetables are an easy-to-access super food that hold so many vitamins and minerals to keep your system in check. Leafy greens like spinach, lettuce and kale are all packed with vitamins A, C and K. Vegetables like our leafy greens hold many benefits aside from just a vitamin intake. They hold nutrients which act as an anti-inflammatory for our bodies when we get sick and also have antibacterial elements which fight off colds and infections.
Vitamin A helps your system make white blood cells, which help to get rid of bacteria in your system, easily fighting against a winter bug. If this is a vitamin you lack in, you’re far more likely to catch the flu or suffer from an infection.
Vitamin C doesn’t protect you against catching a cold, but it does help protect your system against immune deficiencies and certain diseases particularly with your heart and eye problems. Vitamin C is found in most fruits and veg, including oranges, kiwis and strawberries.
Vitamin K is mainly found in green leafy vegetables. Plants with a rich green colour are the keyholders to this super vitamin which keeps your heart and bones healthy by producing a protein, prothrombin, which is an important clotting factor in our bodies.
Fish
Fish is another great source for essential nutrients and more importantly, proteins. Salmon is full of omega-3 which act as an anti-inflammatory as well, if leafy greens aren’t your thing. Omega-3 works primarily on your heart, where researchers from livescience.com have found it can reduce an irregular heartbeat, decrease inflammation and decrease your blood fat levels, cleaning out your system and making things run a lot smoother.
Salmon contains vitamin D, which is essential for your system to absorb calcium, which helps maintain your bone strength, but also helps other parts of your body such as your heart, muscles and blood vessels. Vitamin D is naturally absorbed from the sunshine during summer, which makes it so important to keep up with its intake during the dark winter months. If you don’t have a liking for fish, egg yolks and cheese contain vitamin D.
Honey
While Mary Poppins said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, she didn’t take into account how a spoonful of honey could also be a medicine. Honey is high in antibacterial components and stimulates your immune system. If you have a sore throat, honey is a simple remedy as it coats your throat and acts as another important anti-inflammatory.
Garlic
Garlic is a handy health superfood that provides all sorts of health benefits and can be easily incorporated into everyday meals like spaghetti bolognese and chicken dishes. Garlic is full of a compound called alliin, which helps your immune system fight off germs and bugs. This compound is one of the key elements as to why garlic has been known as a major cure for colds and flus for decades.
Studies on healthline.com found that garlic can greatly reduce your likelihood of catching a cold and reduces symptoms. If garlic is too strong for your taste buds to handle, most shops offer a form of powdered garlic which means you can easily put a little bit into a dish without it overpowering your dinner.
Chicken soup
If you’ve already caught a cold or flu, chicken soup could be the route to go down to make yourself feel a little bit better while also easing some of your symptoms. Chicken soup is a great source for so many vitamins and minerals. It also provides key calories and proteins to help your system stay healthy and warm.
As it’s a liquid, it won’t hurt your throat too much to eat it if that’s a major symptom. Chicken itself holds the amino acid called cysteine, which breaks up any mucus you have and has antioxidant effects too, instantly helping to clear up how you feel.
Whether you’re a fussy eater or have an open taste, there’s something in this group of vital foods that will help to combat against catching the flu just before Christmas, and even still to fight one off if you’re already suffering.