It’s time to trade in the shorts for jeans! And soon, if not already, the sneezing, coughing and fevers will be causing us to bring out our hand sanitizer and sit a little farther away from people in class. But there may be a way to avoid all the woes of illness this year (and hopefully in the future): by paying a little closer attention to what you eat. It could be foods that are already a part of your everyday diet or something you have yet to try. Either way, here are seven immune system boosting foods that you should be considering adding to what you eat every day.
1. Oranges
Oranges are a big one for me when it comes to staying healthy because it is an easy and delicious way to get vitamin C which oranges are full of. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that will give your immune system the boost it needs to stay healthy. Drinking a glass a day can do a lot to help keep you healthy.
2. Garlic
Garlic, usually known for its role in cooking, has been used for thousands of years in medicine. It contains a compound called allicin which helps fight infections and can be used to prevent colds. So maybe it’s okay to have garlic breath
3. Blueberries
Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels out of all fruits and veggies. They can do the most good when eaten fresh so adding some to your yogurt in the morning is an easy way to stay well. And when dried they can be made into a tea that is beneficial in relieving a sore throat. They are also well known for increasing eye health.
4. Oats
Oats are a very popular energy source, but they are also a great immune system booster. They contain beta-gluten which tracks down the bacteria quickly to prevent it from spreading infection.
5. Kale
Kale has been gaining popularity as a super food lately and rightly so seeing as how it contains a large amount of your daily value of vitamins A, C and K. It is also abundant in antioxidants to boost your immune system and has been linked to preventing cancer. Plus, you don’t have to worry about it being out of season this winter since it thrives in cooler weather.
6. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants and other vital nutrients to keep your immune system running top notch year round. They are high in vitamin C and E as well as beta-carotene and manganese both of which can be beneficial in fighting off free radicals that can lower your immune system.
7. Sweet potatoes
Last, but definitely not least, is sweet potatoes. These are filled with the antioxidant beta-carotene and vitamin A along with vitamin C and manganese. And the cooking options go on and on with what you can do with them.
All of these foods have a tremendous amount of health benefits along with what they can do for your immune system and just helping you lead a healthy lifestyle in general. So, have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and, hey, add some blueberries to it, then wash it down with some orange juice. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? There’s a lot you can do with what is on this list and there are delicious ways to do it. For more information on these and other foods you can check out whfoods.org and for recipes, so you don’t have to eat garlic just by itself, allrecipes.com is a good place to start.