Food and Talk

With Swine and other kinds of flu spreading worldwide, we need to protect ourselves and our loved ones by taking protective measures such as taking a flu shot, using hand sanitizers, wearing gloves, and opening less public doors. Well apart from adopting these protective measures, it is  the time to ramp up our body’s immune system to fight these growing menace.

Here in our first blog post, we thought of bringing up in your notice, some immune booster foods that should be in your flu season diet in order to increase your immunity level to fight flu.

Green Tea: The list of green tea’s health benefits also includes fighting the flu. Green tea is high in anti-viral activity against influenza. Green teas contain higher levels of the flavonoids (substances that are responsible for plants’ colors, as well as many of their health benefits) which are thought to be responsible for tea’s antiviral properties.

Chicken Soup: A steaming bowl of chicken soup is known to be the cure for every ailment, from the common cold to a nasty scrape on the knee. To get the anti-inflammatory and other health benefits of it, doctors suggests making chicken soup with vegetables at home.

Foods with Vitamin D: A sufficient amount of vitamin D offers protection against flu such as swine flu as it produces antimicrobial substances in the body. Milk, malted drink mixes,  fortified cereals, roasted sockeye salmon and other good seafood etc. all provide vitamin D.

Yogurt: Probiotics the friendly bacteria found in yogurt and some other foods helps in boost the body’s immunity and reducing cold and flu symptoms. You can get probiotic bacteria naturally by eating yogurt with active cultures and fermented foods such as miso, tempeh, and kefir.

Spicy Peppers: Spicy peppers are also a great source of vitamin C  and have antiviral properties and stimulate antibody production. They have the power to reduce the incidence of pneumonia. Eating foods rich in chilli is a great kick start to your immune system as well as your taste buds.

Foods Rich in Beta Carotene: Beta carotene is an organic compound which is known as an immune system enhancer. It produces  natural infection fighting cells that help and protect your body from invaders. Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, mangoes, papaya and squash are foods high in beta carotene and should be included in the diet.

In addition to above mentioned foods, make sure you eat plenty of whole grains, fruit, vegetables and low-fat protein to keep your immune system strong. Think of nutritious foods as part of your diet, and you’ll be ready to do fight whenever illness strikes.