Instead of vitamins, how about adding one or two of these foods into your daily intake? Now that is an easy plan to keep the flu and cold away all winter long!
Yoghurt
A study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that eating 6-7 ounces of yogurt a day naturally boosts your immune system and helps to protect from getting the flu and other infections. The live active cultures (or probiotics) found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that help keep the stomach and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. We recommend organic Greek yoghurt – buy it plain and add a little organic honey for sweetness or tossing in a few fresh organic berries.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. In addition, quinoa is rich with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Organic is best.
It is important to rinse quinoa well before cooking to remove the bitter residue that coats the seeds.
Mushrooms
According to Prevention Magazine, all mushrooms, but especially Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi mushrooms, contain over 300 compounds that stimulate immunity by helping to escalate the production and function of infection-fighting white blood cells. There is also newer evidence to support mushrooms as a weapon in the fight against breast cancer. Organic varieties offer your best ammunition.
Lemons
Dilute lemon juice with warm water to create a highly effective anti-bacterial gargle for mouth ulcers and sore throats. Lemon juice added to water also acts as a blood purifier, a natural diuretic and liver tonic that aids in digestion and decreases the amount of phlegm produced by the body. Buy a bag of organic lemons weekly.
Apples
Packed with vitamins and nutrients, apples are a fantastic source of antioxidants that aid in neutralizing free radicals and help to prevent cell damage. Although they’re not as well known as the orange for high levels of vitamin C, apples contain phenolic acids and flavonoids that have the antioxidant protection equivalent to taking 1500mg of straight vitamin C! We cannot stress the importance of buying a bag of organic apples weekly.