As fall turns to winter we start looking for ways immune boosting methods! No one likes to be under the weather! When we aren’t functioning at 100%, we want to get back to full power as quick as we can. Some foods can help soothe us when we’re done and others can help us ward off illnesses! The immune system protects against disease, infection, and helps us recover after an injury.
We have all heard the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! It is totally true that foods have vitamins and minerals to fight infection and boost the immune system. (Grandma’s chicken soup is a great example. It’s all in there! Hydrating broth, healing herbs, fiber, protein and antioxidants for a therapeutic meal in a bowl.)
5 Foods that Benefit the Immune System
Jalapeno Peppers
Jalapeno peppers get their spice from a compound called capsaicin. The Capsaicin acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and may even ease arthritis symptoms. Some research suggests that capsaicin can also keep your metabolism elevated. There’s even a Capsaicin cream in my medicine cabinet for muscle pain relief!
Add diced Jalapeno peppers to guacamole, chili, or as a pizza topping for an extra flavor kick. You can also mix these peppers into your scrambled eggs with some cheese.
Lemons
Lemons are high in compounds cancer-causing free radicals and also provide vitamin C, which we know is great for boosting the immune system. In fact, you can meet half your daily vitamin C requirement from one fruit. Adding lemon juice to your meals is so easy for protecting yourself against colds and other infections.
An easy solution is to drink lemon water, chilled or warm! It’s a simple way to work in a daily dose of vitamin C. A squeeze of lemon also makes steamed veggies tastier. Lemony green beans are so good!
Chicken Soup
There’s some science behind this herbal remedy! Chicken soup is good for the soul and it also helps soothe cold symptoms, most likely because the warm broth thins that annoying nasal mucus so it can clear out more easily. Keep the tissues nearby! Soup is good for hydrating, making it a smart choice when you’re sick.
Make your own soup and add nutrient-dense foods like carrots, onions and fresh herbs. A time saving tip is to pick up a rotisserie chicken to speed up your meal prepping. The Instant Pot is also a real time saver for homemade chicken soup!
Grapefruit
Half of a grapefruit has more than 60% of your daily vitamin C content, and eating grapefruit also helps the body absorb other essential nutrients, such as iron. Grapefruit has high vitamin C content, which has antioxidant properties known to protect our cells from harmful bacteria and viruses. When we regularly consume foods that have vitamin C the result is that we may have slightly shorter colds or milder symptoms.
Grapefruit is great on its own or for a treat try broiling grapefruit with a little cinnamon sugar.
Red bell peppers
We celebrate citrus fruits for having a lot of immune boosting vitamin C, but ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus fruits. Red bell peppers are also a great source of beta carotene. Besides being immune boosting, vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin. Beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.
Laughter also helps your immune system
Another saying is that laughter is the best medicine! When we laugh, dopamine and other feel-good chemicals flood into the brain, which can help decrease stress.
Twenty minutes of laughter a day may not keep you out of the doctor’s office, but it may help keep the immune system humming along.