Did you know that more than 200 viruses cause the common cold?
As we are in the middle of winter, we are in the heart of the dreaded cold and flu season. But there’s no reason to resign yourself to living off cold medicine and cough drops for the next few months. There are plenty of natural remedies to help you boost your immune system and stay healthy all winter long. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from colds and flu this winter is to strengthen your immune system naturally with immune-boosting foods and nutritional supplements.
Below is a list of a few remedies you might like to consider to ward off any nasty colds or flus this winter;
GARLIC: Raw garlic in the diet is very beneficial, however cooking garlic can destroy some of its health-promoting compounds. One way to get around this problem is to take Kyolic aged garlic extract. The natural ageing process increases antioxidant levels and enhances garlic’s immune boosting powers. It also has the added benefit of being odourless.
VITAMIN C: Vitamin C is an extremely important nutrient for boosting immunity. Include plenty of foods high in vitamin C in the diet, including fresh fruits and vegies, especially citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage and parsley. A vitamin C supplement is also recommended to ward off colds and flu, take around 2-3 g a day.
ZINC: Zinc is another important mineral needed for healthy immune function. Zinc is found in foods such as red meat, chicken, fish, dairy foods, eggs, legumes and sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Taking a zinc supplement is also beneficial, around 45mg a day.
PROBIOTICS: Kombucha tea is a fermented tea that contains billions of friendly gut organisms (probiotics) that help to strengthen your immune system by bolstering the levels of good organisms in your gut, which provides a first level of defence against pathogens from things you ingest.
OREGANO OIL: Oregano oil can help you improve your gut health and boost your immune system. It acts kind of like a weed killer by helping to eliminate some of bad bacteria that may be dominating your digestive system.
JAPANESE MUSHROOMS: Whatever variety you choose – enoki, shitake or oyster – Japanese mushrooms are a great immunity booster. They are also loaded with ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant that does not get destroyed during the cooking process.
