Spring is beautiful, but it’s also the time of colds and viruses, so now is the right time to go onto the anti-inflammatory diet for the flu season. You don’t have to change your eating habits completely or buy some exotic and expensive produce. Just increase your intake of these immunity-strengthening foods.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet for the Flu Season Breakdown
- Chicken soup.
Hot chicken soup is the food you should eat first when you feel the first approach of flu. It helps the body fight off the virus as well as helps reduce swelling in the throat. Note that only fresh chicken soup has potent anti-inflammatory properties, so cook it in small portions. - Ginger.
Ginger root tea, lemonade, or just ginger-infused water is a must-have ingredient of any anti-inflammatory diet. This herb is one of the most potent natural remedies for inflammation and it boosts your immune system fast. Drink a cup of hot ginger tea if you get soaked in a spring shower to ward off a cold. You can also add some sliced root to your soups. - Honey.
Honey is renowned for its antimicrobial properties and has been used as an immunity booster by many cultures. You can switch to honey from sugar in order to infuse every cup of your tea with a bit of its anti-inflammatory power. However, it loses potency when heated up, so you might just enjoy a spoonful of the delicious treat a day to get most of its benefits. - Citrus fruits.
An anti-inflammatory diet for the cold season must include a wide range of citrus fruits. They are one of the best sources of vitamin C, which is one of the most efficient strengthening elements for the immunity. However, our bodies don’t store this element well. If you can’t enjoy several oranges or grapefruits every day, you might consider taking a vitamin C supplement. C-1000 With Rose Hips offers not only the extracts of citrus fruits but also antimicrobial properties of rose hips that have been used in herbal medicine for centuries. - Green tea.
Green tea is full of flavonoids that help fight off the influenza. It’s an antioxidant-rich drink that improves your general wellbeing in many ways. All kinds of tea contain them, but the green type retains the most health benefits. - Yogurt.
Yogurt, like all fermented foods, offers you a boost of probiotics. The importance of gastrointestinal microflora for your health can be explained by the fact that 80% of the immune system resides in the intestines. As probiotics maintain the healthy function of this system, they are essential in your fight against viruses and bacteria. You can also get a boost of ‘good’ gut bacteria from supplements, like Pro-Biotic 30. - Salmon.
Salmon is one of the food sources that give you vitamin D, which is an important element for the immunity. It also provides you with a small dose of zinc, a mineral that speeds up healing. However, you can get only small amounts of these elements from a regular diet, so supplementation might be best for your anti-inflammatory diet for the flu season. Zinc 50mg and Vitamin A & D from Nature’s Potent will provide you with sufficient amounts of these elements.
Does Anti-Inflammatory Diet for the Flu Season Really Work?
Including the foods with antimicrobial and immunity-boosting properties into your meals definitely strengthens your body’s natural defenses. However, there are many factors that affect the human immune system, so in order for your diet to work most efficiently, you must eat healthy at all times.
You’ll also need to exercise as physical fitness increases the natural level of resistance to disease.
Most importantly, you’ll have to reduce the possible risks by minimizing your exposure to bacteria during the flu season, so avoid crowded public places.
