You can be more resistant to the diseases knocking on your door in fall and winter by watching out for your nutrition.

 

Critical meal for your immune system: Breakfast

Diseases start to spread when the fall and winter knock the door. Many people become victims to flu, pharyngitis and bronchitis. But you are not desperate… A strong immune system is crucial for a healthy life. But, what should we consider in our diet for protection against diseases, which can significantly affect our quality of life? Ways to strengthen the immune system...

 

Do not skip breakfast for a stronger immune system

Considering a high-quality eating habit, “meals” are as important as foods that strengthen the immune system. Breakfast is the king among those meals! You absolutely should start your day with breakfast. No matter how heavy or healthy the subsequent meals are, your immune system weakens in strict concordance with duration of fasting, when you skip or do not have due care for your breakfast.

 

Kill the viruses with herbal teas

You can protect your body with a mix of herbal teas brewed in the morning if you think your immune system is weak or there are ill people around you. Put 2 table spoons of green tea, 2 to 3 pieces of ginger and 1 pinch of red pepper into a brewing pot. Add hot water and leave for brewing for 10 minutes. Add one dessert spoon of honey when the herbal tea becomes warms. The anti-oxidants (substances that strengthen the immune system) in the green tea and red pepper hinder entry of viruses into the body and their growth, while the anti-oxidants in ginger both strengthens immunity and kill the viruses.

 

Consume all types of nutrients

Consume all groups of nutrients in your daily diet. Keep meats, milk, dairy, fruits and vegetables and flour-based foods in your daily diet list. Thus, you will take all vitamins and minerals through foods to keep your immune system fortified. Remember that the more versatile your diet, the higher quality your nutrition becomes.

 

Strengthen your immunity with protein

Protein is the building block of our body and the main ingredient of the components in various defense mechanisms. Thus, a diet poor in protein can weaken your immune system. Pay attention to daily intake of quality proteins such as egg, meat, fish, cheese, milk, yogurt, kefir and legumes. However, you should also remember that excessive amount of protein is harmful, as it is the case with all other substances.

 

Always have onions and garlic on your table

Each member of the onion family is an anti-oxidant on their own thanks to sulfur content. They fight against toxins and oxidants thanks to these compounds. Garlic and leek are members of this group. They contain allicin that has both anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects. Consuming these winter vegetables abundantly helps you strengthen your immune system. You should consume fresh and dried onion and garlic frequently. It is adequate to consume leek once or twice a week.

 

Do not overdose Vitamin C

Orange, kiwi, mandarin, grapefruit, red pepper… Always keep these nutrients rich in Vitamin C on your table in fall and winter. Because Vitamin C is one of the most important anti-oxidant vitamins to prevent common cold. You should consume approximately 100 mg of Vitamin C a day on average. Eating two medium-sized fruits will be sufficient. But you should remember that Vitamin C is a fragile vitamin. Potency of Vitamin C decreases as the fruit is kept in slices, sliced with metal knives and especially when it is squeezed. Therefore, the best thing you can do will be eating the fruit after it is thoroughly washed.

 

Buy sourdough bread

Beta-glucan is a prominent nutritional component approved by food inspection institutions in the U.S.A. and Europe. Beta-glucan, contained in certain foods such as oatmeal, baking yeast and mushrooms, attaches to special surfaces on macrophages (white blood cells, the first defense line of your immune system) to activate the immune system. The beta-glucan, especially if contained in mushrooms and baking yeast, helps strengthening the immune system. Therefore, you should add mushrooms to your diet and prefer sourdough bread.

 

Ginger against infections

Ginger helps fortifying the immune system, as it contains all vitamins and minerals as well as other anti-oxidant features. You may consume it fresh or in dried form, but studies demonstrate that fresh ginger is more effective in prevention of infections compared to the dried form. You can add it to yogurt as well as consume it in soups or herbal teas. Drinking 1 to 2 cups of herbal tea with ginger will help fortify your immune system.

 

Sip curative tea for health!

You can consume curative teas to strengthen your immune system. You can easily consume your tea, which consists of linden or mix of sage and Echinacea depending on your preference, twice a day half an hour before or 1 to 2 hours after meals.

Linden Tea: Certain ingredients of linden help both prevent sore throat and facilitate healing if there is sore throat. Green tea also prevents viruses from contracting into the body and growth thanks to anti-oxidant ingredients in its structure. The tea is prepared by mixing two herbs and it is very effective in protecting the upper respiratory tract. However, you should brew the herbal tea rather than boiling it. Take care to drink your tea sugar-free, after brewing it for 5 minutes in warm water. You may add one dessert spoon of honey if you cannot drink it sugar-free.

Sage and echinacea: Efficiency of sage and purple coneflowers in protecting the body against virus and bacteria that may spread through inhaling is proven with very serious studies. You can help your body defend itself against diseases by consuming the two plants together or separately once or twice per day after brewing. You can add cinnamon while brewing.

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