Who’d have thought!? It’s the beginning of March, there’s a good foot of snow outside and the country has come to a stand-still as a result. Storm Emma and the Beast from the East have truly challenged the people of Ireland.
The common challenge for us all will be the pressure this dramatic fall in temperature may have on our health.
To keep our immune system in check we’re often advised to take a multi-vitamin, but did you know that many of the foods we cook with every day can possess immune-boosting properties? So, if your local chemist is closed, give some of these home remedies a try.
The starting point of many delicious meals, garlic is not only full of flavour (and excellent at warning off Vampires) but it’s full of immune-boosting powers too. Garlic is a natural antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal.
Research suggests an intake of 1-4 cloves of garlic per day to avail of its benefits. Some simple ways to include garlic in your diet include adding to soups, stews, curries or simply roasting with rosemary alongside some potatoes.
Did you know? During World War 1, raw garlic juice was used as an antiseptic for bathing wounds.
You’re probably sick of hearing about the importance of fruit and veg in your diet but it’s the truth! A diet filled with lots of colourful fruit and veg is a diet inclusive of a variety of vitamins and minerals. In simple terms, eat the rainbow.
Red, orange and yellow fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamin C. Research suggests that while vitamin C does not prevent the common cold, it may help to lessen the duration of the cold.
A large orange will provide the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and given its abundance in so many foods, taking a synthetic vitamin C supplement normally isn’t necessary.
Green veggies, such as broccoli and kale contain a range of B vitamins. Strongly coloured vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by harmful modules in the atmosphere called free radicals. Many green veggies contain higher amounts of sulphur than bright coloured vegetables.
Sulphur has quite a strong taste and if you’re like me, it’s not the most pleasant taste. To sneak some greens into your daily diet, try adding broccoli to soups, kale to stir-fries and spinach to pasta.
My local market is held in the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire on Sunday mornings. Denis Healy’s Organic Farm offers a vast range of seasonal, fresh, organic fruit and veg – some of which you might not spot in the larger supermarkets.
To help your gut stay at its best during this unpredictable weather, try to incorporate some probiotics into your diet.
Probiotic bacteria helps to ward of “bad bacteria” in your gut, lessening the risk of nasty stomach bugs and supporting normal digestion. Certain types of probiotic bacteria have even been shown to lessen the duration of chest infections.
If you’ve been prescribed a course of antibiotics, it is often advisable to increase your intake of probiotic-containing foods and/or to take a probiotic supplement.
This is because antibiotics cannot always distinguish between “good” and “bad” bacteria. This results in your infection being cured but unfortunately your gut may not reap the same benefits.
Probiotic foods include probiotic yogurts (look out for probiotic on the label), keifir, sauerkraut and miso. Try adding probiotic yogurt to smoothies, serving sauerkraut alongside salads and using miso paste as a delicious base for noodle soups.
Or how about trying something new? King of Keifir soft drinks are an innovative way of treating your gut. Made using water keifir and sweetened with Stevia, a natural plant extract, these drinks are low calorie, gluten free, dairy free and are suitable for people managing Diabetes.
Omega 3Omega 3 fats can help speed up recovery and improve resistance to infection by increasing the activity of the cells that destroy bacteria. Eating one portion of oily fish per week, such as salmon or mackerel, can help boost the immune system while supporting heart and joint health too.
Remember, you are what you eat (to an extent) – Healthy diet; healthy body. Making the right food choices can go a long way to improving our natural defence system which is involved in fighting off winter colds and bugs. Make sure to check out some of our clean eating guides if you fancy some good food on the go.
A marketer, nutritionist, blogger, baker and cook among other random titles. Most often found drinking coffee, stalking dogs or photographing food.
Comments are closed.
Who’d have thought!? It’s the beginning of March, there’s a good foot of snow outside and the country has come to a stand-still as a result. Storm Emma and the Beast from the East have truly challenged the people of Ireland.
The common challenge for us all will be the pressure this dramatic fall in temperature may have on our health.
To keep our immune system in check we’re often advised to take a multi-vitamin, but did you know that many of the foods we cook with every day can possess immune-boosting properties? So, if your local chemist is closed, give some of these home remedies a try.
The starting point of many delicious meals, garlic is not only full of flavour (and excellent at warning off Vampires) but it’s full of immune-boosting powers too. Garlic is a natural antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal.
Research suggests an intake of 1-4 cloves of garlic per day to avail of its benefits. Some simple ways to include garlic in your diet include adding to soups, stews, curries or simply roasting with rosemary alongside some potatoes.
Did you know? During World War 1, raw garlic juice was used as an antiseptic for bathing wounds.
You’re probably sick of hearing about the importance of fruit and veg in your diet but it’s the truth! A diet filled with lots of colourful fruit and veg is a diet inclusive of a variety of vitamins and minerals. In simple terms, eat the rainbow.
Red, orange and yellow fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamin C. Research suggests that while vitamin C does not prevent the common cold, it may help to lessen the duration of the cold.
A large orange will provide the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and given its abundance in so many foods, taking a synthetic vitamin C supplement normally isn’t necessary.
Green veggies, such as broccoli and kale contain a range of B vitamins. Strongly coloured vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by harmful modules in the atmosphere called free radicals. Many green veggies contain higher amounts of sulphur than bright coloured vegetables.
Sulphur has quite a strong taste and if you’re like me, it’s not the most pleasant taste. To sneak some greens into your daily diet, try adding broccoli to soups, kale to stir-fries and spinach to pasta.
My local market is held in the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire on Sunday mornings. Denis Healy’s Organic Farm offers a vast range of seasonal, fresh, organic fruit and veg – some of which you might not spot in the larger supermarkets.
To help your gut stay at its best during this unpredictable weather, try to incorporate some probiotics into your diet.
Probiotic bacteria helps to ward of “bad bacteria” in your gut, lessening the risk of nasty stomach bugs and supporting normal digestion. Certain types of probiotic bacteria have even been shown to lessen the duration of chest infections.
If you’ve been prescribed a course of antibiotics, it is often advisable to increase your intake of probiotic-containing foods and/or to take a probiotic supplement.
This is because antibiotics cannot always distinguish between “good” and “bad” bacteria. This results in your infection being cured but unfortunately your gut may not reap the same benefits.
Probiotic foods include probiotic yogurts (look out for probiotic on the label), keifir, sauerkraut and miso. Try adding probiotic yogurt to smoothies, serving sauerkraut alongside salads and using miso paste as a delicious base for noodle soups.
Or how about trying something new? King of Keifir soft drinks are an innovative way of treating your gut. Made using water keifir and sweetened with Stevia, a natural plant extract, these drinks are low calorie, gluten free, dairy free and are suitable for people managing Diabetes.
Omega 3Omega 3 fats can help speed up recovery and improve resistance to infection by increasing the activity of the cells that destroy bacteria. Eating one portion of oily fish per week, such as salmon or mackerel, can help boost the immune system while supporting heart and joint health too.
Remember, you are what you eat (to an extent) – Healthy diet; healthy body. Making the right food choices can go a long way to improving our natural defence system which is involved in fighting off winter colds and bugs. Make sure to check out some of our clean eating guides if you fancy some good food on the go.
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A marketer, nutritionist, blogger, baker and cook among other random titles. Most often found drinking coffee, stalking dogs or photographing food.
Comments are closed.