FLU SEASON! - Prevention is better than a cure!

Taking care of your body by eating the right foods, staying hydrated, getting adequate amount of sleep and not over training are great ways to enhance your immune system. Here are six foods that can help to boost your immune system during the winter season and ways you can include them in your diet over these next few cold months.

Strawberries!

Strawberries contain high amount of vitamin C which most people know is much needed to keep the immune system strong. Aim to purchase Organic if possible. Frozen are always a great option too as they wont spoil quickly. Add them to Weetabix, porridge or even make syrups with them to add to your cereals for a healthy option sweetener.

Spinach!

Spinach contain great amounts of Vitamin A & C to help support the immune system. During the cold winter months eating salad might not be something your body might need, so, try adding spinach to soup, stir-fry's, omelettes, bolognaise and almost any warm meal. Slightly wilted spinach can give great flavour whilst still holding all the nutrients.

Liver!

Liver is packed full of vitamins and minerals and it can be seen as natures own multi-vitamin. Good old fashioned Liver contains excellent amounts of vitamin D. Many of us British people find ourselves deficient in Vitamin D, due to the low amount of sunshine we get. It's cheap to buy and super beneficial for the immune system and If you don't like it, try mixing it in with other meat recipes to hide it.

Bone Broth!

Keep your gut and immune system healthy this winter with bone broth. Make large batches of homemade bone broth and freeze it in smaller amounts. Bone broth can be added to recipes such as soup or you can drink it as it is.

Garlic!

Garlic has been shown to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Add fresh garlic cloves to your cooking as much as you can. For example, make a chilli con carne and chop a couple of cloves to throw in the mix, bolognaise, soups and stir-fry's too.

Lemon!

Lemons are super high in Vitamin C! There are numerous ways we can get more lemons in our diet. Simply add a slice to your drink (Hot or Cold), Add it to chicken breast for lemon chicken, squeeze half over the lemon and the rest you can chop up and leave in with the chicken as its cooking. Squeeze it over salads, over fish, grate the pulp into lemon sponge cake or even squeeze the juice into jellies.

So, there is a few extra immune boosting foods you can add to your diet from today to lower the chance of catching the flu this winter.