Dropping temperature, runny nose, sore throat and violent sneezing: sounds like it’s officially the cold and flu season.
Dragging yourself out of bed when it’s pitch black and freezing cold can be as tough as trying to stay healthy when literally everyone around you is getting sick. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be coughing in unison with your colleagues, but instead of waiting hopelessly for your fate, you may want to consider eating more of these immune boosting foods to prepare yourself for the season sick leave (or just to get through it with less stuffy nose).
Citrus fruits
Head straight to the supermarket and grab a whole lot of those oranges because it might save you from getting sick. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and berries are packed with vitamin C which provides a great support for the immune system. Berries contain polyphenols which have antiviral properties; blueberries especially also contain antioxidants that helps your body fight cold and flu viruses. Even if you are already starting to feel a bit under the weather, vitamin C in these fruits can still help shorten the duration and severity of common cold symptoms.
Garlic
Garlic has good reputation for its health benefits and has long been used both as food ingredient and medicine. These pungent cloves have antiviral and antibacterial properties, and boosts your immune system so your body fights cold and flu viruses better. Eating garlic regularly can keep you away from catching a cold and can also reduce the severity of the symptoms if you’ve already got them. Not a fan of spice? Garlic supplements are a good option for people who want to enjoy the wonderful health benefits of garlic, but not the garlic breath.
Honey
This is not a reason to load your pancakes with honey this season, but honey comes with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can actually help your body fight some bacteria and viruses. It can help relief sore throat and works as a cough suppressant. For relief of sore throat and cough, try adding some in warm water or tea. Maybe add lemon for some extra vitamin C.
Tea
A hot cup of tea is one of the home remedies to relieve congestions and sore throat, but tea in general also contains catechins, a group of antioxidants that helps kill cold starting bacteria. Green tea in particular contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps your cells fight germs, while ginger tea has anti-inflammatory properties that can boost your immune functions.
Yoghurt
The probiotics in yoghurt are friendly bacteria that not only gives you better digestion but can also help your immune system fight off cold and flu viruses. Yoghurt contains zinc, which could help shorten the duration of cold symptoms, and provides the nutrients your body needs to recover from a bad cold. Don’t forget to add our products to your cold fighting remedies this winter and check out our recipes page if you’d like to add more yoghurt to your diet.