Flu is a common illness in winter. Even if you are careful, you can’t always get away with it. However, there are foods and nutrients that are great boosters for the immune system, so much so that we wonder why we never get sick if we eat them every winter. Let’s see what we can do to boost our immune system!
Sleep and recovery are the best things you can do to avoid the flu. Resting helps your body to regenerate, but if you don’t rest after a long day’s work, your immune system weakens, giving the flu virus a bigger attack surface, which means your immune system won’t be able to defend itself effectively.
When we get the flu, at first we just have a scratchy throat and a bit of a headache. You can do something early on to stop viruses and bacteria from getting stuck in your throat and causing infection. Gargle with plain or salt water to keep the mucous membranes moist so that germs and viruses can’t stick there. Drink plenty of fluids – in many cases this is the most effective way to avoid illness.
Zinc can also help by boosting immunity, but once you’ve got the disease, don’t forget this very important nutrient as it reduces symptoms and shortens the duration of the illness.
Warm broth is almost like a caress to the throat. It helps to keep the mucous membranes moist and is very soothing to the throat during illness. Broth is rich in valuable nutrients that are good for the immune system. Our grandparents and parents knew something when they put so much faith in the healing powers of this wonderful soup.
Don’t forget the hot or warm tea, flavoured with lemon juice and honey. Honey’s antimicrobial properties are a great disease preventative, while lemon’s high vitamin C content is a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals, whose proliferation can also be responsible for catching the flu virus.