I feel like there is more scare in the air right now than pollution. With coronavirus being officially declared as a pandemic and a continuous inrush of information that may or may not be true. Besides the current scare any which ways, we humans are having a hard time staying healthy. There are many outside factors like pollution, quality of things gone bad, our sedentary lifestyles, and so on so forth. We cannot control all outside factors but we can factor in our immunity. We can notch it up by including some immunity-boosting foods. There is a rule that nutritionists suggest and that I kind of follow I.e. not to include anything in your diets that your grandparents won’t recognize as food. I always try to obtain nutrients naturally. So sans vitamins here’s what you can eat to updo the immunity.
Garlic: such a simple ingredient easy to use, and works wonders for your health. Garlic is famous for having anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Not just that, it is also good for heart health by helping reduce bad cholesterol and helps keep the blood thin.
Ginger: yup! another common household ingredient, which also has antioxidants in it. Also, it is rich in gingerol. Ginger helps you detox your body, aids digestion, helps keep you a healthy stomach (many troubles start there). Its anti-inflammatory properties make it an excellent immunity booster. It helps in fever, cold, headaches too.
Turmeric: you are probably wondering if I am writing this article from my spice counter, but truth be told it’s as good a place as any. Turmeric famous for the curcumin compounds in it is another excellent anti-inflammatory source. And as you may be aware many health woes start with inflammation. Also, some research shows that turmeric has immunomodulatory agents, meaning it can help modulate your immune system.
Well, we all know that vitamin C plays a great role in whether you are warding off cold, flu or nursing a hangover. It’s because they help amp up your immunity. Some of the best sources of vitamin C are raw guava, red bell pepper, tomato juice, of course, orange juice, oranges, papaya, pink grapefruit, broccoli, etc.
Greens: spinach, kale, swiss chards, high on vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, iron all good for your immunity. Sometimes I wonder if the color of immunity is green!
Elderberry: as most of us would know that generally speaking all berries are good for health, they are full of antioxidants and other useful things, but this elderberry is especially berry good for your immunity. It is rich in flavonols, dietary fiber, phenolic acids, and works as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It is been used in medicines for a long time for good reason. But be careful when adding it to your diet.
For now, these should suffice and when you need more come back for more information on others. Till then I leave you with, “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We must walk the path.”