Eggplant and sweet potatoes are both on the list of immunity boosting foods. Photo by Meng He.
It’s flu season again. I might get hate mail from nurses and doctors after saying this but I refuse to get flu shots. I’ve gotten a serious cold only once in my life; I’ve gotten the flu only once in my life; both occurred immediately after getting a flu shot. Why get a vaccine that makes me sick, especially when I don’t get sick otherwise? Regardless of how you feel about flu shots, you can feel good about taking natural steps to protect your health. Boosting your immune system is a key to staying healthy year round.
I’m a big fan of superfoods, particularly those that are packed with antioxidants. Such a seemingly minor component, antioxidants can have positive effects on your skin, organ function, and immune system. Eating raw foods that contain vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and other antioxidants is a great place to start to build natural armor against adverse conditions. I want to emphasize one word: raw, raw, raw, raw, raw. There, hopefully you get the point!
Check out these foods that you can find at most supermarkets here in Atlanta and throughout the southeast. I’ve also made meal suggestions because I know we aren’t all into raw foods and some items are super gross uncooked:
To retain nutrients, don't sautee your veggies to mush. Keep 'em crisp. Photo by Jeffrey W.
Asparagus- Roasted Asparagus Spears
Broccoli- Better Broccoli Casserole
Turnip or Collard Greens- Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce
Pumpkin- Healthy Pumpkin Pie
Spinach- Spinach Smoothie
Tuna- Emeril’s Inside Out Spicy Tuna Roll
Green, Yellow and Red Pepper- Tofu Fajitas
Sweet Potato- Mock-Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Apples- Red Cabbage with Apples
Eggplant- Lebanese Baked Eggplant
Oysters- Oyster Stew
Stay healthy, my friends!
Source: WebMD