It’s officially cold season. This year may be especially bad since our immune systems are weaker than usual due to Covid precautions. However, to stay healthy it’s important to protect yourself by wearing a mask in public, washing your hands often, and getting the flu shot. But there are so many other ways to protect yourself from this fall and winters’ germs. Here are some tips to help boost your immune system.
1. Drink or Cook with Chicken Bone Broth
Everyone knows chicken noodle soup is the official food of being sick, but did you know it’s scientifically proven to “bolster the movement of nasal fluids in the upper respiratory tract, which is essential for curing the common cold” (Simple Team, 2020). Bone broth is loaded with key amino acids that help fight inflammation. Not only will it help shorten your cold but it is also a powerful preventative. Bones are rich in vitamins and nutrients, including calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, all essential for immune health.
2. Tea, Tea, Tea
Tea is great for your immune system. It’s high in antioxidants and is a great way to stay hydrated. Viruses thrive in cool temperatures, so having a hot cup of tea can help avert colds or flu. Maximize the benefits of tea by drinking teas that have antiviral and antibacterial properties in them. Some of the best immune-boosting teas are turmeric, ginger, licorice root, peppermint, and chamomile teas. There are so many benefits to tea and so many blends to try.
3. Lots of Vitamin C
I’m not just talking like an occasional orange. The best way I have found personally to prevent getting sick is taking a Vitamin C supplement like a Nuun or Emergen-C almost daily. Vitamin C carries amazing immune-boosting properties but they really only work before you’re sick. Therefore, boosting your daily intake of Vitamin C with a supplement can fight off colds before you even start to feel one coming one.
4. Cook with Garlic and Ginger
Not only do ginger and garlic taste really good when added to meals but they both have antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and key nutrients to help support a healthy immune system.
A super easy way to add these ingredients to your meals is to buy the Trader Joe’s Ginger and Garlic Mini Cubes in the freezer aisle.
5. Can’t Go Wrong with Probiotics
Since 70 percent of our immune system lives in our gut, making sure you have enough good bacteria is critical to having a strong immune defense system. Foods such as yogurt, kombucha, kefir, etc. Probiotics help with so much more than just your immune system, they help support digestion, metabolism functions, skin conditions, etc.
I hope you found some of these hacks useful and give a few of them a try even before you start to feel sick!
– Rose
*Edited by Annie Stibora
Sources
Team, Simple. “Can a Bowl of Bone Broth Treat Cold Symptoms?” Simple.life Blog, Simple, 1 Dec. 2020, https://simple.life/blog/bone-broth-and-cold/.
Cherney, Kristeen. “What to Eat When You Have the Flu and What to Avoid.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 29 Mar. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/what-to-eat-when-you-have-the-flu.