Fall is the time of year when the weather turns cooler, the days get shorter and the leaves fall.
It’s also the time for more indoor activities, upcoming holiday travel and yes – viruses!
And while we ALL know a thing or two about viruses from the pandemic, I want to share with you a slightly different perspective:
How to eat your way to a healthy immune system!
Here are 6 fall foods to boost your immune system:
Orange vegetables.
It’s the season for butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes. These vegetables are good sources of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. In addition, the beta-carotene in them helps to regulate our immune system and maintain good vision.
Chop up these veggies, sprinkle them with olive oil and roast them in the oven. Yum!
Green leafy vegetables.
You know I love recommending more green leafy vegetables to your diet, such as kale, collard greens, spinach, cabbage and more. Why? They have high levels of B-vitamins, vitamin C, and zinc and help with relieving stress and taming the toxins among many other health benefits.
Sauté these vegetables with olive oil for just a minute until they are wilted and add minced garlic to layer up the immune boosters in this dish.
Garlic and onions.
Garlic and onions, in addition to shallots, leeks and chives, are high in allicin which has potent antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Give your immune system some love by adding these to grains, veggies and soups.
Fermented foods.
Foods such as kombucha, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, and yogurt have probiotics which help support your healthy microbiome in your gut. And 80% of your immune system is in your gut!
Enjoy yogurt in the morning, a kombucha with lunch or kimchi as a pre-meal salad.
Ginger.
Ginger has a long history of use in various forms to aid digestion, reduce nausea, boost immunity and reduce inflammation.
Add grated fresh ginger to your salad dressing, blend into your smoothie or add to the recipe below.
Turmeric.
Turmeric, and its active ingredient curcumin, may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. It is anti-inflammatory, is bursting with antioxidants and is great for the respiratory system.
Look below for a tasty way to add turmeric to your diet!
Here’s a yummy fall recipe for you to get some of these immune-boosting benefits:
Golden Milk Latte
If you’ve never had a golden milk latte, sometimes called a turmeric latte, you’ll want to try this as a lovely way to wind down at the end of the day.
There are many recipes for this, but my favorite quick & easy way to prepare it is with Gaia Golden Milk (available in my FullScript Store):
You can simply put 1 teaspoon into any milk of your choice and heat.
Feel free to add ingredients that you’ll love such as cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.
It’s like a hug in a cup! Enjoy!
Need some personalized help around boosting your immune system?
Know that I am always here to support you and help you feel your best. Simply connect with me.
DISCLAIMER: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about nutrition and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not medical advice. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For my full Disclaimer, please click here.