There’s a nip in the air and it might be a season, most of us look forward to. But this drop in the temperature brings with it a spike in sicknesses and thus the chances of catching a cold and cough start to rise. Though we try everything from wearing layers of clothing to heating our rooms, the common flu still manages to catch on during this season due to our low immunity. Avoiding public places, washing hands time after time and also avoiding cold and sour foods help us to an extent but having a strong immune system is the key. You can’t hibernate for the entire winters so your best defence against getting sick is strengthening the immune system. 70% of your immune system is in your digestive system. You must keep your digestion healthy and boost immunity by feeding yourself good flu-fighting foods.
BOOST IMMUNITY WITH GINGER
It is a magical food that regulates the immune system very well. It can treat a variety of ailments like fever, soothe sore throat, and flu-like symptoms and encourage coughing to remove mucus from the chest. Ginger is very warm and promotes healthy sweating which is often helpful during cold and flu. It also activates T-cells (a group of white blood cells capable of destroying cells infected by viruses) which are an important part of the immune system and thus balances the immunity to restore it to proper functioning. You can incorporate it in your cuisines in any form ( fresh or dried ginger). I would suggest you start your mornings by brewing a daily cup of ginger tea. You can make it by adding fresh ginger root in boiling water. It eases throat pain, eliminates congestion and supports the body’s natural defence against diseases.
Better to seek the advice of your medical professional before you try to treat any medical condition with ginger as it interacts with blood-thinning medications.
HONEY
It has numerous medicinal properties and is quite well known for its warm consistency. Honey is probably the number one flu-fighting food that can not only boost your immunity but is also very delicious. Due to its anti-oxidants and anti-bacterial properties, it can help improve digestion, help you stay healthy and fight disease with ease. If there’s a cough, giving about a spoonful of honey mixed with one-third teaspoon of haldi powder once a day helps.
Never give honey to children under 1 year of age because their immune systems are not developed enough to ward off infantile botulism, carried in honey spores.
GARLIC
It is known for its nutritive properties as it’s a natural anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-septic. Including garlic in your diet can aid the immune system by helping maintain balance in your body’s cells. Garlic gets its immune-boosting powers from a compound called allicin which is activated when it is chopped, crushed, cut or chewed. Allicin is a very active ingredient and protect against bacterial and viral infections. Apart from adding flavour to the curries, garlic has proven to be a preventive medicine against coughs, colds and chest infections during winter. It is considered to be a natural decongestant and expectorant.
So don’t be afraid to experiment by incorporating it into different dressings, sauces and dishes.
TURMERIC (Haldi)
This immune-boosting spice is amazing to reach out for, this winter. Turmeric gets its bright yellow colour and its health benefits from “curcumin.” This, even at low doses has been shown to activate white blood cells in times of need. Thus it helps your immune system in protecting you from a problem before it even starts. It keeps bad bacteria at bay and found to fight infections and inflammations.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of the onset of flu, then taking half a teaspoon of haldi powder in hot milk before sleeping at night, really alleviates the symptoms. You can get raw haldi in the market, it looks like ginger, grate it into milk, boil and drink that milk. It takes care of body aches, and colds and fights all respiratory illnesses.
ALSO READ: Benefits Of Drinking Turmeric Milk (Haldi Doodh).
Just be careful with turmeric as it’s a very heat-producing spice, so don’t overindulge and not during summer!
CITRUS FRUITS
These are powerhouses of Vitamin C and contain lots of antioxidants. Vitamin C is essential for boosting the immune system. Studies have shown that these anti-oxidants can reduce cold symptoms by 23% and all that’s needed is just 1 to 8 gm to do the trick. Try to consume 5 varied servings of fruits and vegetables containing lots of vitamin C like Amla, Orange, Papaya, Guava, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Red Bell Peppers etc., thereby naturally boosting your immunity. Take benefits especially in winter when they are inexpensive and widely available.
TULSI
This holy basil is the most common plant in Indian households. It contains specific anti-asthmatic and anti-infective properties which help in curing many ailments and fevers. It improves the body’s overall defence mechanism including its ability to fight viral disease. Tulsi helps speed up the recovery process and also helps in strengthening the immune system of the body. Boosting your immunity with a cup of Tulsi Tea is an easy way to go. Just add a few drops of honey and some ginger in it to increase the efficiency for building resistance.
Take 4-5 leaves of tulsi every morning. It is advisable not to chew the leaves but to grind them coarsely on a grinding stone and then have it.
So, how do you boost immunity in winter?