Tips on Staying Healthy Through the Flu Season
by Chef Melissa Friesen
As the weather becomes colder and we stay indoors more, people often catch colds or other viruses. The cold and flu season can begin as early as October and usually ends sometime in April. While there is no way to cure the common cold or the flu, healthy alkaline eating can help you avoid getting sick.
Alkaline Foods Boost the Immune System!
Researchers are finding positive links between immune function and components in food. If you or your kids seem to get one cold after another, eat plenty of alkaline immune-boosting foods.
Garlic boosts the immune system, increasing resistance to infection and stress. To get the immune power from garlic, crush the cloves with the flat side of a knife before adding them to your food. This releases the garlic juice, which has great immune properties.
Vitamin C found in citrus fruits such as oranges & dark leafy greens such as collards, kale, broccoli and cabbage will also help the body's immune system.
Zinc which is found in beans, brown rice and whole grains plays an important role in the proper functioning of the immune system in the body.
Check out our immune boosting Healing Broth Recipe by Chef Melissa. Make a BIG stockpot of this soup, then freeze and use it as a base in just about everything!
More foods that heal...
Fresh ginger root can help you when you are sick by inducing sweating and decreasing nausea and diarrhea. Make ginger tea by grating one ounce of fresh ginger in a pint of water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste.
Alkalizing Vegetable Soup and warm beverages, like those from a broth, increase the flow of nasal secretions, helping alleviate cold symptoms. Of course, the taste and wonderful aroma of Vegetable soup & broths may be an important part of the beneficial effects.
Healthy eating during cold and flu season means getting the daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals by eating a balanced diet that contains a variety of wholesome, alkalizing foods.
Did you know that garlic, onions or dahlias have a long chain polysaccharide (type of sugar molecule) that blocks the cold virus in its tracks?
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