By Drew Litchy, ND

Winter is here in Minnesota. It brings mornings of freshly fallen snow clinging to trees and houses, blanketing our state with pristine beauty. It also brings cold temperatures and the dreaded cold and flu season. Fortunately, we can prepare ourselves for the inevitable exposure to cold and flu viruses by strengthening our immune system. If we catch a cold or flu, we can help ourselves heal quickly and effectively.

1.)    Eat brightly colored foods

Food choices can help support a healthy immune system. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals leave us vulnerable in infection [1]. Eating fresh or frozen produce at every meal is a wonderful way to improve or maintain your health by providing essential nutrition. Bright vegetables have flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals that can boost immune function and have many other health benefits as well. Different colors of vegetables and fruit indicate different, healthy nutrients. A way to make sure we have what we need is to “eat a rainbow” every meal. That is, be sure to eat foods with several different colors. Simple!

2.)  Spices are great medicine

Common spices like garlic, turmeric, and cardamom also have been shown to have many health benefits, including enhancing immune function [2,3]. Not only are they delicious, but they also can help you stay healthy.

3.)  Enjoy fermented foods

Eating fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, or kim chi helps maintain a healthy intestinal tract [4]. When our gut is healthy, we have improved immune response to colds and flu [5]. Also, eating fermented foods can help slim belly fat [6].

4.)  Eat simply; chicken soup helps!

When we are sick, we should eat simple foods like soups or stews. These foods are comforting, and they are also easy to digest. The body needs to spend its energy on getting healthy, not digesting rich food. Try some mushrooms and onions in your soup. These vegetables possess immune enhancing compounds like beta-­‐glucans and flavonoids [7]. Plus, they are delicious.

5.)  Rest! Sleep!

If we do get a cold or flu, it is important to rest and sleep. Resting as soon as we start to feel ill will help us fight the infection quickly. This may be difficult with our busy lives, but it may be better to be ill for a few days then rather a few weeks.

6.)  Enjoy some tea

Herbal tea can also be very helpful when healing. A strong pot of fresh ginger tea can help clear your sinuses and boost your immune system. Try simmering some sliced, fresh ginger in water for 10-­‐15 minutes. You can add lemon or lemongrass for flavor and vitamins.

Winter is part of life here in Minnesota, but suffering from prolonged colds and flu is avoidable.

Take care of yourself with healthy foods and rest!

1.)   Hamer DH, Sempértegui F, et al. Micronutrient deficiencies are associated with impaired immune response and higher burden of respiratory infections in elderly Ecuadorians. J Nutr. 2009 Jan;139(1):113-­‐9. Epub 2008 Dec 3.

2.)  Kochhar KP. Dietary spices in health and diseases: I. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2008 Apr-­‐Jun;52(2):106-­‐22.

3.)  Srivastava RM, Singh S, et al. Immunomodulatory and therapeutic activity of curcumin.Int Immunopharmacol. 2011 Mar;11(3):331-­‐41. Epub 2010 Sep 8

4.)  Parvez S, Malik KA, et al. Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health. J Appl Microbiol. 2006 Jun;100(6):1171-­‐85.

5.)  Hatakka K, Saxelin M. Probiotics in intestinal and non-­‐intestinal infectious diseases-­‐-­‐clinical evidence. Curr Pharm Des. 2008;14(14):1351-­‐67.

6.)  Kim EK, An SY, et al.Fermented kimchi reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight and obese patients. Nutr Res. 2011 Jun;31(6):436-­‐43.

7.)  Volman JJ, Ramakers JD, Plat J. Dietary modulation of immune function by beta-­‐ glucans. Physiol Behav. 2008 May 23;94(2):276-­‐84. Epub 2007 Dec 4.