10 Foods to Eat During the Flu Season

There is so much hype about the flu these days. Should we vaccine or not? How dangerous is it? One thing we can do is eat these foods to help boost our natural defense to the flu – our immune system.

1. Mushrooms – One of the few vegetables that my husband likes, they’ve recently come to the forefront and gotten the recognition that they deserve as great superfoods. Selenium and beta glucan are the winners here!
2. Fresh garlic – Aside from making just about everything taste better, they contain allicin, which can help people fight off colds more readily.
3. Wild-caught salmon – or any other source of vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D increase your risk of picking up a respiratory infection.
4. Tea – Not only does a glass of hot tea take the edge off of that scratchy throat, it also boosts your immune system! Drink black, green, or white tea 1-3 times a day.
5. Yogurt – The probiotics in yogurt will keep your digestive system healthy, therefore helping the rest of you stay healthy.
6. Dark chocolate – I really like this one! Help support your T-helper cells by indulging!
7. Oysters – Just one oyster contains almost all of the zinc you need to keep your white blood cells at the top of their game. Or you can just take a zinc tablet : ) if you aren’t into the slimy little guys!
8. Almonds – Eat almonds to get Vitamin E, another immune system booster.
9. Strawberries – Vitamin C can help reduce the intensity of a cold or flu, so eat plenty of fruits to get your daily supply!
10. Sweet potato – Eat these and other orange foods to increase your beta carotene levels.

What will you be doing to fight the flu this year?