It’s that time of year when sniffles soundtrack your commute on the morning train, when coughs are lobbed over office cubicles like water balloons, and when deafening sneeze after deafening sneeze outside your children’s daycare haunt your dreams.

Germs are in the air.

And for all the precautions we might take to defend ourselves, those viruses and bacteria don’t know when to give up. That’s why we need to fight back.

Our body’s immune system is an experienced warrior but not without help. Especially during the winter months, when a cold or flu can run through a community like a Ferrari through a holiday bike parade, it’s imperative that we supply ourselves with an arsenal of the nutrients, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds essential for combatting illness.

If you’re looking to stand strong this cold and flu season, try incorporating more of these immune-boosting foods into your diet to help fortify your natural defenses against germs:

Garlic

One of the easiest and most-flavorful immune-boosting additions you can add to your diet is garlic. Part of the allium family, garlic contains allicin, a compound known for its antimicrobial and immune-enhancing properties. It can help combat various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, potentially reducing the risk of infection.

Garlic can also help modulate the immune response by stimulating the activity of immune cells like macrophages and lymphocytes, contributing to a more robust immune defense.

Incorporating Garlic into Your Diet:

Raw or Minimally Cooked: To maximize the benefits of allicin, consider consuming garlic raw or lightly cooked. Crushing or chopping garlic and allowing it to sit for a few minutes before cooking can enhance the production of allicin.
Culinary Uses: Add garlic to savory dishes like soups, sauces, stir-fries, or roasted vegetables for flavor and immune-boosting benefits.
Garlic Supplements: For those who’d rather not be in fear of “garlic breath,” supplements containing garlic extract or aged garlic may offer a convenient alternative.

Berries

Not only can a bowl of berries give your table a pop of color, but these little round sweet machines are nutritional powerhouses. Rich with antioxidants, vitamins, and phytochemicals, berries — including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and the like — offer significant benefits for immunity.

Antioxidants such as flavonoids and vitamin C help neutralize free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which can compromise immune function. Studies have shown that a regular diet of berries can help improve immune cell function and lower the risk of certain infections.

Incorporating Berries into Your Diet

As Snacks or Toppings: There’s nothing more refreshing than popping a few berries into your mouth on a warm day. Also consider sprinkling them over yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal for an extra burst of flavor!
Smoothies and Juices: An assorted mix of berries is the perfect sweetener to blend into your smoothie or juice without feeling guilty.
In Desserts and Baked Goods: Who said desserts had to be all bad? Top off your pies or tarts with some sweet berries for a healthy touch.

Yogurt & Fermented Foods

The battle against germs begins with your gut, where 70-80% of your immune system lives. Your microbiome — the collection of trillions of species of beneficial bacteria that line your digestive organs — is the first line of defense against the pathogens that could make you sick, and it relies on the probiotics found in yogurt and fermented foods to succeed.

Probiotics, which are live beneficial bacteria themselves, help maintain the healthy balance of microorganisms that make up your microbiome and stimulate the production of certain immune cells, such as antibodies and cytokines, which regulate immune activity.

Incorporating Fermented Foods into Your Diet

As a Standalone Snack: Yogurt is the perfect quick and healthy snack. Opt in for a plain or low-sugar variety and you can minimize any added sugars too.
In Parfaits: Mix in your yogurt with some granola and fruit to make a nutrient-rich parfait that levels up your immune system and tastes delicious.
As a Cooking Substitute: Whether baking or cooking, consider using yogurt as a substitute for ingredients like sour cream or mayonnaise to enhance the nutritional value of your dishes.

Raw Honey

It’s hard to believe that something so sweet can be so good for you, but raw honey has been renowned for centuries for its nutritious value. Full of antioxidants, antibacterial compounds, and phytonutrients, raw honey combats oxidative stress, reduces inflammation, and supports immune cell function.

Thanks to its low pH and Hydrogen peroxide content, raw honey also exhibits natural antibacterial properties that have been known to help better balance the ratio of good to bad bacteria in your gut.

Incorporating Raw Honey into Your Diet

As a Natural Sweetener: Instead of using refined sugar to sweeten your drinks or dishes, drop in a spoonful of raw honey and benefit from its immune-boosting nutrients. Consider trying it any of the below ways:
- Mix into your morning oatmeal or yogurt.
- Add it to your coffee or tea.
- Use it in your baked goods.
- Sweeten up your dressings or marinades.

Fish Oil & Omega 3 Acids

Deriving from fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, fish oil is a great source for omega-3 fatty acids, which hold remarkable potential in supporting immune health due to their anti-inflammatory properties and influence on immune cell function.

Fish oil is comprised of two of the three omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, both of which can help modulate the body’s inflammatory responses. This helps the body react more quickly to infections and inflammatory stimuli.

Incorporating Fish Oil into Your Routine

Culinary Uses: There are many ways to incorporate fatty fish into your meals. Consider grilling up some salmon or adding sardines to your salad.
Dietary Supplements: On a more regular basis, you can take fish oil supplements to control your intake of omega-3 fatty acids more effectively.

Learn More Through My Personal Nutrition Programs

There’s no one-stop-shop for nutrition. Maximizing your body’s wellbeing, requires all your body to participate. That’s why my holistic nutrition services focus on more than just education and meal plans — I work with my clients one-on-one to learn about their daily habits and goals to devise healthy lifestyle changes.

If you’d like take a full-bodied approach to boosting your immune system or simply feeling better, reach out today for a free 20-minute consultation that’ll have you on the path towards feeling great!

Boost Your Immunity with These Five Foods