Rhoda Writes :: Internal Resistance

Boost your immunity and beat the winter woes

You're on the bus when a fellow traveller's 'cold breath' piques the back of your throat. Within hours, the sting has become a scratch and you're scrabbling around for something to soothe the pain.

You can avoid that wretched progression if your immune system is strong. The best way to deal with winter woes, such as colds and flu, is not cure but prevention.

By boosting your body's protective powers with Echinacea (see Dr Rory Hafford's article here), immune-enhancing nutrients, exercise and sleep, your system become a No Go Zone for viruses and other infections.

Why would they squat at your place when your top-class anti-invader device (aka your immune system) is taking pot shots at them and trying to gobble them up?

The nutrients: food and drink

Natural foods are the backbone of an immune-boosting diet, while hot spices aid circulation and help to keep you warm during the winter months.

Vitamins A, C, D and E and the minerals zinc and selenium are key to tuning up your immunity. But where can you find them naturally?

Vitamin A: Dark red and orange fruits and veggies (e.g. red peppers, tomatoes, oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes and yams) and dark leafy greens (e.g. spinach and kale) contain a form of vitamin A.

Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, berries, blackcurrants, broccoli, tomatoes and red peppers are all great sources of vitamin C.

Vitamin D: The sun reacting on bare skin is our most potent source of vitamin D. Egg yolks and fatty fish (with the skin on) also contain some vitamin D but a D3 supplement might be your best bet in these northern climes. (See our article on vitamin D here.)

Vitamin E: Hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds are brimming with vitamin E, as are peanut butter and wheat germ.

Zinc: Zinc is found mostly in beef and seafood (oysters are a famously rich source) but vegetarians can find it in pumpkin seeds and sea vegetables (seaweeds). Seaweeds are a fantastic source of minerals and make a delicious addition to your diet. Ask your local health food shop for advice on how to prepare and use them.

Selenium: Selenium also helps to boost your immune system. Brazil nuts and seaweeds are the best sources.

Sprouted things: Sprouted beans, seeds, grains and so-called indoor greens (e.g. sunflower greens and pea shoots) are chock full of nutrients when eaten raw. Some health foods shops and supermarkets sell them in bags or punnets. Look for broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, radish sprouts, sprouted lentils, clover sprouts, or ready-made mixtures.

Probiotics, prebiotics and bitter greens for digestion: Approximately 70 percent of your immune system lines your gut. This means the health of your immune system is bound up with how well you digest your dinner! Live natural yoghurt and kefir contain probiotics (good bacteria) to keep your gut flora healthy for maximum nutrient absorption. To colonise the gut, probiotics 'feed' off substances called prebiotics, which are found in other healthy foods such as asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, leeks, chicory, lentils, peas, beans, oats and bananas. Eating bitter greens (e.g. rocket, endive, dandelion and radicchio (OK, that's red!)) stimulates your digestive juices, too.

Spicy things: ginger, chilli peppers and garlic make wonderful winter additions. Not only do they rev up your circulation and make you feel warmer, they contain chemical warfare for your immune system's arsenal.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms, especially shiitake mushrooms, are anti-viral and anti-bacterial and may enhance the activity of your immune system's white blood cells.

Other yummy seasonal foods to keep you healthy include turnips, pumpkins, butternut squash, pears, tangerines and grapefruit. Cabbages, peppers, avocados, apples and bananas are available all year around and are easily transformed into meals.

Frozen foods are helpful if fresh produce is unavailable, though fresh is best. Minimal cooking (e.g. light steaming or stir-frying) and slow cooking over a low heat (e.g. soups and stews) keep more nutrients intact. Eating plenty of uncooked food is good at any time of year but tasty, warming soups and stews are needed in winter to stop our bodies turning icy. Comfort is important, both physically and emotionally.

Whipping up healthy meals

Turning fresh produce into tasty meals can be hard, especially if you have been relying on convenience foods. The trick is to add new ingredients slowly and to enjoy the experiment. Here are a few ideas to make veggies delicious (or to hide them from the kids!):

• Make green smoothies. Green smoothies are made from blended leaves, fruits and water. If you whiz up a smoothie from 60 percent fruit (e.g. banana and strawberries), 40 percent mild-tasting leafy greens (e.g. baby spinach) and a cup or so of water, the spinachy taste disappears and you are left with a fresh fruity drink. OK, it is very green! You might need to weave a good yarn to charm the kids into trying it. But it tastes yummy and packs a powerful nutritional punch when drunk slowly and savoured. (Knocking it back too fast can lead to digestive upset and poorer nutrient absorption.) Check out green smoothie recipes online, especially those by Victoria Boutenko. Smoothies relying on fewer ingredients (greens + fruit + liquid) are easily digested and therefore more nutritious than those containing protein powders and other complex additions.

• Chop up some kale and add it to stir-fries, soups and stews. Use it as you would use spinach for variation.

• Add lots of herbs and spices to your cooking. Learn how to use specific herbs and spices. (For example, some are better added at the start of cooking, others at the end. And so on...)

• Ginger, chillies and garlic are tasty, immune-enhancing ingredients. These can be added to many savoury dishes, such as stir-fries, soups, stews, omelettes, fish dishes, etc.

• Purée butternut squash or pumpkin into macaroni cheese. As these squashes can be hard to hack open, bake them whole for an hour first. The skin and flesh will soften up, ready for use.

• Chop or purée peppers, carrots, spinach, kale, squash or any other lurking veggies into pasta sauces to boost nutrition and disguise them from veg-phobic little people! Mushrooms are an immune-boosting addition to pasta sauces and work very well in Italian dishes.

• Shred purple cabbage and carrots to make a colourful winter coleslaw (a tangy French dressing is nice with this, rather than mayonnaise).

• Add seaweeds to your cooking. Japanese recipe websites and cookbooks will give you ideas on how to do this, as will vegetarian/vegan websites and cookbooks. If you like fish, seaweeds are a great way to add a fresh seafood flavour to vegetarian or vegan cooking. They also contain tons of minerals, many of which are hard to find in land-based vegetables, so they are an excellent addition to any healthy diet.

Drinks

Ginger, honey and lemon infusion is a wonderful winter warmer. Fresh root ginger is available from most supermarkets and is very cheap. Slice a knob of ginger or grate about a teaspoonful (more or less to taste) and put it into a mug. Add honey (a great anti-bacterial), a squeeze or two of lemon juice and hot water. Stir and enjoy.

Drinking plenty of water (warm, if preferred) first thing in the morning and between meals is great for cleansing your system of unwanted visitors. Water transports nutrients to your cells and carries away toxins, helping to make you less vulnerable to infection. Aim for six to eight glasses a day.

Herbal teas – especially the spicier versions such as chai – are lovely in winter with a teaspoonful of honey, or simply plain.

Miso soup: this Japanese soup is fantastic for boosting immunity and is easy to make. It is available in sachets (dried) or in jars (as a paste). If using the paste, just add hottish (not boiling) water to a heaped teaspoon of miso for a delicious, nutritious snack.

The biggest no-no...

...is sugar. Sugar shuts down your immune system for several hours after you eat or drink it. It stops white blood cells tackling invaders properly. The minute you feel that insidious tickle at the back of your throat, cut out ALL sugar and artificial sweeteners (which bring their own health problems). Sugar includes corn syrup, agave syrup, golden syrup and all those other sticky things, so read the labels. Even fruit juice is out (especially bought juice, which is pasteurised and nutritionally dead). Eat whole fruits or drink green smoothies or vegetable juices instead.

Exercise

Exercise boosts your immune system, especially if you bounce. The lymph system (the circulatory system of the immune system) has no pump. Bouncing moves lymph around the body. Jogging on soft ground to cushion your joints or gentle rebounding on a trampoline fit the bill. Yoga and swimming also get things moving and calm the mind. Even a nice bracing walk is a start, such as 15-minutes once or twice a day.

Sleep

Sleep is much overlooked but it holds the balance of power between thriving and succumbing to sickness. Your body heals when you sleep, which is why a string of sleepless nights can make you feel so wretched. For my part, I have suffered bad colds and migraine due to lack of zzzzs. When I sleep deeply my immune system works well. But lack of sleep + that scratch in the throat = days of illness! A rotten formula.

Winter in the northern hemisphere consists of shorter days and longer nights. If you can, take a clue from Nature and get as much kip as possible. If you feel unwell, try to take it easy rather than toughing it out. Your illness will be shorter, or you might even stop it taking hold! If you are a carer, please check out our edition on how to get restful sleep. Nothing is more important.