Keeping your immune system robust and healthy has never been more important. So, as we enter cold and flu season this fall, it’s very important to get proper sleep, exercise and maintain a consistent diet of immune boosting foods to strengthen your body against diseases.
Here are 10 foods to help keep your body strong and healthy:
1. Garlic
When a garlic clove is crushed, cut or chewed it releases sulfur compounds which have great medicinal benefits for the body. Ancient civilizations used garlic for its health and medicinal properties.
2. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits have a range of benefits from fighting cancer to strengthening immunity because they contain high amounts of vitamin C and other vitamins as well as plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
3. Ginger
Ginger has long been considered a traditional medicine around the world due to its many health benefits including – abundance of vitamins and minerals, improved cognitive functions, powerful antioxidant and antibacterial and energizing effects.
4. Honey
Ingredients in raw honey help support our digestive system because of its anti-viral, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Honey has medicinal benefits such as being used to treat wounds, suppress coughing, preventing heart disease and many more.
5. Spinach
Spinach is a nutritious leafy green with vitamins and minerals such as E and magnesium that support the immune system. Eating spinach may help support good vision, bone and heart health and fight off disease, viruses and bacteria.
6. Turmeric
Used in Asia for both cooking and health purposes, Turmeric has major health benefits for the body as it’s a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory effects. It may help to fight cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
7. Almonds
Originally native to the Middle East, almonds contain healthy fats, magnesium, zinc, fiber and vitamins E and K. They are loaded with powerful antioxidants and can assist with blood sugar control, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
8. Yogurt
Yogurt has been consumed for centuries because of its myriad of health benefits. It is rich in key nutrients such as calcium, vitamins B and B12 and magnesium and high in protein which help strengthen the immune system and fight disease.
9. Broccoli
Broccoli dates back to the Roman Empire but it was only in the 1920’s that U.S. farmers started cultivating this cruciferous vegetable. Benefits include being loaded with nutrients, good for heart and gut health and contains cancer fighting compounds.
10. Eggs
Because eggs are so highly nutritious, they are widely regarded as the perfect food. They contain all 9 essential amino acids, they are a high quality protein source and contain a little bit of almost every nutrient the body needs.