The Immune Boosting Foods You Need Right Now

What to eat to boost your immunity.

We can all use a little extra help right now to stay healthy.  Because it is not only up to vitamin C, here are 4 foods to boost your immunity and keep you feeling your best.

1. Eggs are a personal favorite food and I love any round-up that I can throw them in to!  Eggs top off the immunity list because they are a good source of zinc.  Zinc revs up the response rate of our immune cells, a zinc deficiency actually slows down the ability for your immune cells to jump into action.  Personally, I love eggs for any meal of the day and frequently have some lox, eggs, and onions for dinner.  Whether you like them scrambled, hardboiled, or sunny-side up, any way you prefer will still get the job done.  Not an egg fan? No problem, get your zinc fill from shrimp or oysters.
2. Sweet Potatoes are give your immunity by a boost thanks to their high amount of vitamin A.  We need vitamin A to stimulate our antibodies and fight infections.  Additionally some studies have shown that vitamin A can also boost T-cells, the immune system’s front line soldiers that control inflammation that can be the result of all that coughing.  Try your sweet potatoes baked, roasted, or as from fries with your dinner.   Another great source of vitamin A are red bell peppers, so stock up on those while you’re shopping.
3. Tuna is very pantry-friendly so you can always have it on hand and it is high in selenium, an antioxidant that literally helps support every aspect of your immune system.  Aim to work it in once a week. Use it as the protein in your salad or sandwich, grill up a tuna steak if you’re feeling extra, or have it sushi style (with a miso soup for an extra cold-fighting punch).  Don’t love tuna? Then stock up on Brazil nuts, another pantry friendly item, that is a great source of this immunity mega-booster.  Chop of 2-4 nuts and add them it to this hot breakfast quinoa.
4. Berries, because vitamin C does still play a role!  Vitamin C has been linked to actually reducing the severity of symptoms as well as length of the illness. Vitamin C is also crucial in maintaining skin integrity, which is our body’s first line of defense against viruses and bacteria.  Start your day with some blueberries in your yogurt or oatmeal or snack on them as dessert after dinner. Either fresh and frozen will get the job done!

Already have a cold?  Try working in these helpers to knock that cold out of you faster.

Cherries naturally increase your levels of melatonin, helping you to get some much needed sleep for your body can heal.  After dinner try snacking on a few dried cherries (or fresh when in season) to get those sleepy vibes going.  Peppermint can dislodge that build of icky phlegm and mucus that always creeps up on us when we’re sick.  So brew up some peppermint tea during your day.  Honey can sooth a sore throat from all the coughing.  Use it in your tea, in your greek yogurt, or drizzle a little on whole wheat  toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a healing snack.

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