Preventing Cold and Flu
ANTIOXIDANTS
BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Include fresh, organic vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, garlic, mushrooms and spinach in the diet as often as possible to boost the immune system. Fruits to include would be lemons, grapefruit, oranges, bananas and any dark coloured fruit such as blueberries, black cherries, blackberries, black currants and black grapes.
Add superfood concentrates of green foods and dark berries to other foods and drinks to increase antioxidant intake.
VITAMIN D: THE SUN VITAMIN FOR WINTER PROTECTION
Daily supplements of Vitamin D3 reduced the influence of seasonal flu (influenza A) by over 40 per cent, according to results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial from Japan.1
Recently Danish scientists reported that vitamin D is necessary to trigger T cells – the immune system’s killer cells – into action, and insufficient levels of the vitamin mean the cells remain dormant and inactive.
AVOID SUGAR AND FAT
According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sugar can suppress the immune system and impair the body’s defences against infectious disease. Eliminating foods such as fast foods, biscuits, chips, chocolate, cake, will increase energy levels and help the immune system to function as it should.
EXERCISE AND SLEEP
Regular exercise – getting your heart rate up for 20 minutes three times a week - is associated with increased immune function. Studies show that people who exercise have better-functioning white blood cells (the ones that help fight off infection) than people who don’t exercise.
Also, exercise is associated with the release of endorphins, natural hormones that affect the brain in positive ways and promote a sense of relaxation and well-being – all of which can help you de-stress and sleep better, which in turn improve immunity.
1.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Published online ahead of print, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094 “Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren” Authors: M. Urashima, et al.
