JUICING - A KEY TO YOUR HEALTH

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Immune Boosting Foods For Winter

Posted Dec 2nd 2008 1:19AM by Doug DiPasquale

http://blogs.lifestyle.aol.ca/2008/12/02/immune-boosting-foods-for-winter/



Now that it's December I think we can safely say winter is here (although it's already felt like winter for awhile now). And with winter comes the inevitable colds and flus on their annual circulation through our workplaces and schools. But there are dietary measures that can be taken in order to up your odds for not contracting every sickness that passes through your social circles.

Believe it or not the foods that we eat have a great deal of influence on how effective our bodies are at fighting off invaders. Sure, we all know that taking in more vitamin C is a good way to stave off colds, but how many people know that bogging down their system with a lot of nutrient-less processed foods can use up valuable resource which would otherwise go toward maintaining the immune system? A glass of orange juice isn't going to do much if it's washing down a giant stack of sugar-drenched pancakes.

Here are a few pointers for keeping your system in good shape over the winter.

Organic fruits and veggies - It may be circumstantial evidence, but I've spoken to a number of people who agree that they began getting sick much less frequently when they started eating foods grown free of chemical pesticides and using sustainable growing practices. If it was an expected outcome I could chalk it up to a placebo effect, but the fact is I was surprised to find I was getting sick much less frequently when eating organic foods.

Herbs - Herbalists use herbs as medicinal ingredients, but you can use them to add delicious flavours and reap the benefits as a pleasant side effect. Rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, black pepper and basil, even onion, garlic and horseradish are all immune system strengthening foods and herbs (and they're all delicious to boot). Make sure the herbs you're using have not been irradiated, however, as this destroys their medicinal effects.

Eating seasonally - Seasonal food means fresh food, so foods from the fall harvest should be the staples of your diet until spring. Hot-house grown foods are available year round but should be the accents to your meals rather than the main dishes. Kale, parsnips, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, beets, cranberries, cabbage, carrots - all of these foods can be eaten in abundance. Remember to maintain variety in your diet so that you're getting a rounded profile of nutrients and antioxidants to keep that immune system at the top of its game.

Eating raw - An apple a day is a good place to start, but don't forget other fall vegetables like carrots, kale, cabbage and even beets can be eaten raw. It's a bit tricky getting a lot of raw stuff in the winter but don't give up on raw altogether. Juicing is a great way to get a good dose of all the potential nutrients and enzymes from the fall harvest and more nutrients means greater immunity.

Preserves with a punch - Our ancestors relied heavily on preserves to keep them from starving over the winter. Although our modern conveniences make starving unlikely, the preservation methods we use today leave something to be desired. Skip the sugary jams and jellies and opt for making your own! Lacto-fermentation is a great way to preserve fruits and vegetables and boost your immune system at the same time. A good portion of your body's immune system resides in the gut, so keeping your digestive tract healthy with the probiotics from lacto-fermented foods is guaranteed to keep you fit for fighting off colds and flus.

Super foods for super health - Super foods are foods that have high concentrations of nutrients and antioxidants. They include goji berries, flax seeds, acai berries, blue-green algae, raw unsweetened chocolate, blueberries, kombucha tea, bee pollen, aloe vera as well as many others. Many of these super foods are dried or preserved and can therefore be enjoyed throughout the year. It's never a bad idea to add some of these foods to your diet.

Following these simple rules, and avoiding a lot of packaged and processed foods will help to keep you healthy all through the winter. And don't forget to get some exercise too.


The Healthy Foodie is Doug DiPasquale, Holistic Nutritionist and trained chef, living in Toronto. You can email him with questions at [e-mail].