They say you are what you eat. And it's true to a certain extent – if you're eating healthy foods, you're much more likely to stay in good health.
The winter months present quite a challenge to our immune systems. And it's a challenge the typical American diet doesn't equip us to handle. Our diets lack essential antioxidants, vitamins, and other nutrients to support a healthy body. That compromises the immune system, leaving us exposed to winter bugs.
But it doesn't have to be that way. You can boost your immunity and help yourself stay healthy this winter by eating the right kinds of good, clean foods.
1) Opt For Healthy Carbs
Fiber-rich foods contain
microbiota-accessible carbohydrates. These carbs are largely missing from western diets but because they support healthy gut bacteria they're great for regulating your immune system and fighting disease. Try to eat a variety of fiber-rich foods, including raw fruits and vegetables. A bowl of oatmeal, split-pea soup, or
sprouted black rice are also great choices.
2) Eat Your Antioxidants
The antioxidant lycopene is great for
boosting the body's defenses. Problem is, we usually only eat foods rich in lycopene during the summer when things like tomatoes and watermelon are in season. But winter's the time where you really need to make sure you're getting that extra antioxidant boost. You can get lycopene from tomatoes (including those cooked in sauces) and fruits like guava, papaya, and red grapefruit. Other antioxidants are good, too.
They're found in things like berries, nuts, beans, and certain vegetables.
3) Get Vitamins In Your Food
Our diets often lack essential vitamins. While it's tempting to fill in the gaps with vitamin supplements, I think it's better to add something to your diet that
naturally contains the needed vitamins. Vitamin-rich foods are typically easier for the body to digest and use than supplement forms. Try citrus fruits for vitamin C, dark leafy greens for vitamins A, C, and K, and winter squash for vitamin A, C, B6, potassium, and folate.
4) Use Superfoods
If you want to get the most out of your food, superfoods are the way to go. Adding a cocktail of these incredibly nutrient-rich foods to your diet gives you a huge boost. Not only will your immunity improve, but it'll also up your energy. Try our
mBreakfast Organic Superfood Powder for an easy way to get a whole bunch of different superfoods in one setting. Plus, we use wild, heirloom, and organic ingredients sourced all over the world to make sure you're getting the best options available.
5) Check Your Food Sources
As always, make sure the foods you're buying were grown responsibly. Even the foods I talked about in this article are only as good as how they were grown. Far too many foods we find in our supermarkets today were grown in depleted soils and contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals. You can't always control the sources of your food, but try to get the best quality you can.
