Flu season is upon us, but that’s not even the worst thing to fear. Experts have also been warning people about the tridemic this year, which is the result of an increase in RSV cases, flu cases, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While these cannot be 100% preventable, there are ways to prepare for possible infection this winter. First of all, it is important to prepare our body by focusing on a healthy immune system.
To prime your immune system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends things like eating a balanced diet, exercising, taking vitamins, cutting back on alcohol, and getting a good night’s sleep. These steps can help us to have a healthier immunity, but there is always the possibility that you still have a cold or flu. When this happens, it’s important to have your pantry and refrigerator stocked with supplies. foods that boost the immune system.
To learn more about which foods would be helpful in maintaining a healthy immune system strong enough to weather cold and flu season, we asked dietitians about foods they’d like to have on hand when they get sick.
Having some colorful products on hand for when you get sick can help you recover faster.
“Antioxidants like flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids help fight free radicals (aka the bad guys) that can potentially damage cells and compromise the immune system,” she says. Amy Goodson, MS, DR, CSSD, LD, who is a member of our Expert Medical Advice and the author of The Sports Nutrition Playbook. “And luckily, these nutrients are found in all of their colorful products.”
So if you have a cold or flu, what exactly should you have stocked up as far as products to get these antioxidants in your diet as quickly as possible?
“Flavonoids are found in foods like berries, kale, cabbage, and even dark chocolate, anthocyanins are found in berries, grapes, pomegranates, and medjool dates, and carotenoids are found in orange produce, yellows and reds like summer squash, squash, mangoes, and apricots,” says Goodson.
“Vitamin C is another powerful antioxidant that can help keep your immune system strong against disease,” says Goodson.
In fact, this vitamin can help your white blood cells grow and produce, which is the type your body needs to help fight infection. It’s more, vitamin C it can help fight free radicals, similar to the other antioxidants mentioned above. you can keep a vitamin c supplement On hand for when you’re in a bind, of course. However, you can also get your daily value of vitamin C from different foods.
“While you may only think of oranges and orange juice, you can also get vitamin C from tomatoes and tomato juice, red bell peppers, other citrus fruits like strawberries, and green vegetables like spinach and green beans,” Goodson explains.
If you are a carnivore, you may benefit from keeping some lean meat on hand for when you need a nutrient boost after getting sick.
“Zinc is a mineral that helps support a strong immune system, and beef is considered an excellent source of zinc, providing almost half of what you need in a day,” says Goodson.
If you are a vegetarian or simply prefer plant-based proteins to Red meatAccording to Goodson, you can also get a zinc boost from legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, and even dark chocolate.
According to Toby Amidor, MS, DR, CDN, FANDan award-winning expert in nutrition and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Family Immunity CookbookHaving some Greek yogurt in your fridge can help give your body crucial nutrients in a pinch.
“I stock up on large tubs of Greek yogurt because it’s a natural source of immune-boosting nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, selenium, and zinc,” says Amidor. “Greek yogurt also provides live, active cultures that act as ‘good’ bacteria in the gut and help protect the digestive tract.”
If you don’t necessarily like plain Greek yogurt, try one of Amidor’s recipes like Mom’s Berry SmoothieEast Yogurt with berry compoteor this Hot cocoa made with whipped cream that boosts immunity.
While not technically a food, drinking some Green Tea it can help your overall health, especially during flu season.
“I always have green tea bags in my pantry because green tea contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help fight disease,” says Amidor. “Polyphenols tend to activate different signaling pathways in the immune system when a foreign invader is present to help the body respond in whatever way is needed to help fight it off.”
If you’re not a fan of hot green tea, you can always try this Green Tea Smoothie Bowl to incorporate powerful antioxidants in a unique way.
Along with green tea, the items mentioned above are great to have on hand for those times when you suddenly get sick. It’s important to take care of your immune system at all times, but giving your body these crucial nutrients will help speed up your recovery process.
