What to Cook (Mar 2-6): Immune Boosting Dinners
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What to Cook (Mar 2-6): Immune Boosting Dinners
Five weeknights of healthy immune boosting dinners to help ward off late winter colds, flues, and viruses. Let’s get ready for spring with healthy bodies.
February is always a month of colds and viruses. Often a peak season for the flu. It seems that everywhere I go, these days, I hear sniffling and coughs.
Of course, allergy season has also arrived.
There is a lot hitting our immune system right now. Spring is just around the corner and I want to keep the bugs, viruses, and flu away.
So whether you’re sick or healthy, let’s boost the immune system this week with healthy immune boosting dinners, all ready in 30 minutes or less.
Are There Nutrients We Should Load Up On?
Prof. Roess says “there are no known specific nutrients to protect against the [circulating viruses]. However, she says taking vitamin C and zinc couldn’t hurt, since they show to boost the immune system. She also says research shows that zinc can cut the duration of a cold, so it’s worth packing these nutrients in as flu season winds down.”
Besides the nutients mentioned, the CDC “also recommends staying home when you are sick, avoiding close contact with those who are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.”
Practical Ways to Boost Immunity
Dr. Roess says the best actions we can take to reduce our risk of the virus include:
- Washing your hands when getting back home or to your office, after you use the bathroom and before you eat. You should prioritize washing your hands with soap and water rather than just using hand sanitizer, as it is more effective. And wash for 20 seconds.
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors. This includes getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated and eating well to help keep your immune system strong.
- Trying to reduce stress.
Foods That Boost the Immune System
“In general, your body needs nutrients to keep things running smoothly. Vitamins A, C, E & D all play a role in immunity and so do minerals, like zinc, along with antioxidants. Probiotics and prebiotics may help too. Before you go buying up the supplement aisle, try eating a well-varied diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and proteins. The one exception here is vitamin D, which can be very hard to get through diet alone.”
Immune Boosting Dinners and Ideas
Think cozy soups, pastas, and curries which are all great choices to help pack in foods that support the immune system. Think about lots of colorful vegetables and antioxidant-rich herbs and spices.
Which Foods Help Boost the Immune System
1. Citrus fruits
Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. These are key to fighting infections.
2. Red bell peppers
Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber.
4. Garlic
Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.
5. Ginger
Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses.
6. Spinach
Rich in vitamin C, spinach is also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems.
7. Yogurt
Look for yogurts that have “live and active cultures” printed on the label, like Greek yogurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases.
8. Almonds
When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, vitamin E is key to a healthy immune system.
9. Turmeric
You may know turmeric as a key ingredient in many curries. But this bright yellow, bitter spice has also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
See: Turmeric: How to Get Recommended 1 Teaspoon Daily
10. Green tea
Both green and black teas are packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.
11. Poultry
When you’re sick, chicken soup is more than just a feel-good food with a placebo effect. It helps improve symptoms of a cold and also helps protect you from getting sick in the first place. Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B-6. About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains 40 to 50 percent of your daily recommended amount of B-6.
See: 15 Foods That Boost the Immune System
Immune Boosting Dinners
This week is all boosting our immune system. And about easy, healthy dinners for everyday wellbeing.
Have a great week everyone!
RELATED: More 31Daily Dinner Ideas >>
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What to Eat This Week: Immune Boosting Dinners
Monday: Mexican Cabbage Soup
Tuesday: 15 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Pho
Wednesday: Roasted Vegetable Barley Risotto
Thursday: Simple Stir Fry
Friday: Salmon Durban Curry
Treat: Dr. Oz Never Get Sick Chocolate Cake
What to Cook (Mar 2-6): Immune Boosting Dinners
Monday: Mexican Cabbage Soup
Filled with colorful, immune-boosting vegetables, this soup is warm, cozy, and ready in about 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of mult-grain bread if desired.
Tuesday: Easy 15 Minute Instant Pot Chicken Pho (Vietnamese)
Filled with greens, this delicious Instant Pot Chicken Pho is one of my favorite ways to boost the immune system. Load in vegetables of choice, but make them plentiful. I would most definitely advise adding mushrooms as they have additional protective qualities. Serve with rice noodles, or noodles of choice.
Wednesday: Roasted Vegetable Barley Risotto
"Pearl barley makes a great alternative to arborio rice in risotto as it doesn't require constant stirring and has a lovely nutty texture."
Thursday: So Simple Stir Fry
A simple stir fry recipe completely customized to you. Add the meat of choice, whether than be a lean sirloin, chicken, or pork (or without to keep it vegetarian). Then add 3 to 4 cups of your favorite veggies. Simple and done. Serve with a grain of choice. I'm going to serve with brown rice -- which just might be the Instant variety depending on how the days goes.
Friday: Salmon Durban Curry
"Oily fish such as salmon is rich in omega-3 fats and protein. This delicious curry is the perfect healthy meal to end your week." The recipe calls for 12 curry leaves. If that is difficult to find in your market, substitute a bit of lime juice and fresh or dried basil. Here is a link for more ideas on substituting curry leaves.
Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Never-Get-Sick Chocolate Cake
From the Dr. Oz Show, this recipe comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a renowned physician and nutritional researcher. He has written several best-selling books about "warding off illness (from the common cold to cancer) simply by changing the way we eat. His new book, The Super Immunity Diet (Amazon), is based on his firmly held belief that food is medicine. His book relies on what he calls a “nutritarian” diet, based on foods with the highest nutrient per calorie density."
This chocolate cake recipe is his, and is chockfull of fruit and vegetables.
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