immune system boosters Archives

5 Travel-Friendly Foods to Keep You Healthy In-Flight

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Linda Baldwin

When you travel for business, you already know what you’re in for. Your sleep schedule will suffer; you’ll be constantly on the go; and you’ll be coming into contact with foreign environments your body isn’t used to. If you add to that mix the circulated air and un-sanitized seats of air-travel, you should probably just schedule your sick-time now, because you’ll need it.

But, while you might not be able to control your mode of travel or how much sleep you get, you can control your nutrition. Here are five foods that are airport security friendly and could potentially help you avoid getting sick while traveling:

Almonds

Almonds have high levels of vitamins E, B and magnesium. The combination of these vitamins working together creates an immunity boost that can help ward off upper-respiratory infections. As a bonus, the good fats in almonds also help you maintain level energy. To get the most benefits out of almonds, eat them raw.

Goji Berries

Goji berries are filled with powerful antioxidants and are rich in vitamins A, B, C and E. Goji berries also have trace minerals, such as zinc, iron, copper, selenium, calcium and phosphorous. Of these, the most active cold-fighting ingredients are zinc, selenium, vitamin A, and the extremely high levels of vitamin C.

Kale Chips

Kale is filled with cold-combatting antioxidants, vitamins A and C, calcium and is high in iron. Kale is also great for cardiovascular support.

Fresh Citrus

Believe it or not you can bring fresh fruit such as oranges and grapefruit on the plane. You just need to make sure it is wrapped or in a container when you go through security. High in vitamin C, citrus fruits boost the production of white blood cells which, in turn, help fight infection. Just be sure to wash-up before you eat.

Whey Protein Bars

Whey protein is rich in cysteine, an amino acid that converts to glutathione in your body which helps fight bacterial and viral infection.

Prefer to drink your whey protein? The rule is that you can’t bring fluids through security, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring something you can mix with fluid on the plane. Get a bottle of water on the other side of security from one of the vendors or in-flight, then mix a package of whey protein powder to gulp down those immunity boosters.

To further boost your immunity while traveling, be sure to drink plenty of water and stay away from alcohol and soda.

5 Foods to Cure Your Cold Fast

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Linda Baldwin

This time of year, everyone seems to have their own fail-proof “cure” for the common cold. Some swear by eating whole raw cloves of garlic (you can smell them coming). Others say the Vietnamese chicken soup, Pho Ga, with lots of spice added is what you need. An apple a day keeps the doctor away for many, and Mom’s traditional chicken noodle soup (or Campbell’s canned comfort-food) is a beloved standby.

While all of these “cures” have good reasons behind them (garlic is an antibacterial and immune system booster; chicken soup and apples have cold-fighting enzymes), there are even more powerful cold-fighters out there if you know where to look.

5 Super Cold-Stoppers

Goji berries are not only packed with antioxidants, they also have cold-fighting and immune system boosting properties. They contain more iron than spinach, along with lots of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Coconut oil not only boosts the immune system for colds, but has antiviral properties. So whether your stuffy nose is the result of bacteria or a virus, coconut oil will fight both. (Tip: You can also use a dime-size amount topically on your hair to relieve dry, itchy scalp and make your hair shine)
Mushrooms are one of the best food sources for vitamin D – when you can’t get out to soak up the sun yourself. Vitamin D enhances your body’s immune system response to viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Wheat germ is full of vitamin E (an immune system booster), calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, omega-6 fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory, as well as a digestion aid, which means it will help you feel better as it helps heal you from the inside-out. Try adding some ginger and garlic to a vegetable stirfry, soup, or green juice.

The 2 Worst Foods For Your Cold

When you have a cold, sugar is the worst thing you can eat. Sugar actually works against your white blood cells, making it harder for them to fight infections. Natural sugars, like those you get from apples and oranges are fine, but stay away from processed, pre-packaged foods (even OJ!).
Alcohol has properties that can suppress your immune system, preventing your body from fighting off infection. Even though a Hot Toddy with brandy, honey, tea and lemon might sound like just what your throat needs, you should leave out the brandy (the other ingredients are great!).

Stay well this season!