6 foods to boost your immune system
Nobody tries to become ill, on the contrary, most of us do our best to avoid any form of illness. But no matter how hard we try, sometimes that gurgling stomach or blocked nose rears its ugly head once more.
Sometimes these things are unavoidable, but with immunity and resilience becoming ever more important in an effort to avoid Coronavirus, it makes sense to arm your diet with as many immune boosting foods as possible.
In order to give your immunity that extra layer of strength, incorporate the following foods into your meals going forward. We have linked some delicious recipes with them to get you started.
1. Garlic
Garlic contains allicin, an active ingredient that has been found to help fight infection and rid your body of bad bacteria.
Garlic Chicken with Mediterranean Veg & Orzo
2. Shellfish
Selenium is found in many shellfish such as oysters, lobster, crab and clams – this helps your white blood cells produce cytokines (proteins that help clear flu viruses from the body).
Crab Salad with Chicory, Tarragon & Avocado
3. Yoghurt
Yoghurt contains live active cultures. These healthy bacteria help to keep the gut clear of germs and bugs. Although you should choose a plain yoghurt and add your own flavours in the form of fresh fruit or honey as flavoured yoghurts can be very high in sugar.
4. Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. It has been found that mushrooms increase the activity of white blood cells, enabling your body to fight off infection more effectively.
Spicy Pepper and Aubergine in Portobello Mushrooms
5. Oats
Oats contains a type of fibre in the form of beta-glucan. This will help to strengthen your immunity, speed up the healing process and increase effectiveness of antibiotics.
6. Eggs
Eggs are high in Vitamin A, which is vital for immunity. The majority of us get approximately half of our daily Vitamin A by making it from a nutrient called beta carotene – this is found in fruit and veg.
Sweet Potato, Spinach & Feta Frittata
