The best thing about eating healthy isn’t as much the affect it has on the outside as the benefits you can gain on the inside. Heath is more important than size, and these immune-boosting superfoods will keep you healthy and able to enjoy your busy work days, workouts, family time, and all that makes up your New York life!
Keep these foods prevalent in your diet for multiple immune system benefits:
1. Yogurt is a natural probiotic, which means it replaces all the good bacteria in your system!
2. Garlic contains an ingredient called allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. Eating garlic cloves raw is said to decrease your chances of catching a cold.
3. Chicken soup helps to reduce inflammation and thin mucus the same way cough medicine does. A classic!
4. Tea, which is quite a soothing remedy for a sore throat, also doubles as a virus fighter. Tea has so many additional benefits too – this is one of my favorites!
5. Mushrooms promote white blood cell production, which helps your body fight off an infection.
6. Strawberries, like citrus, come packed with vitamin C, which battles viruses before you even get sick. Use them in a smoothie to sooth a sore throat.
7. Brussels sprouts help nourish the thymus gland, which controls much of your immune system function.
8. Oatmeal is not only a great steamy comfort food when you’re under the weather, it’s also chock-full of beta-glucan, which has antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities that are as strong as those found in Echinacea. Eat oatmeal and you will notice wounds healing faster and antibiotics working better.
9. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash are members of the beta carotene-rich family. Beta carotene increases the number of infection-fighting cells and it’s a powerful antioxidant that helps eliminates free radicals.
10. Dark chocolate, thank goodness, is one of the best sources zinc, which will decrease your risk of infection and promote the growth of white blood cells. Buy a dark chocolate bar if you’re taking a sick day, and treat yourself to a square or two. Just make sure you buy it unsweetened, because extra sugar surely won’t help a cold.
CONVERSATION
What’s your go-to immune booster? Share your thoughts – and your recipes – in the comments!
