Feeling sniffly? Cold and flu season is here, but we mamas don’t have time to get sick. Dietician and Swisse expert, Simone Austin shares some insider secrets on what to pop in your bod.
By Simone Austin
We know, we know, ‘tis the season for the sniffles. Statistics say that most people will catch an average of 2-4 colds per year. But mamas don’t have time to get sick!
So keep the bugs at bay with micronutrients from this immunity-boosting food.
“IF YOU’RE GENERALLY HEALTHY, EATING FLAVONOIDS FOUND IN LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CAN HELP STAVE OFF THE BUGS OVER WINTER.”
Major in the micros
There are two types of nutrients you need from your diet – macro and micro. Macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates and fats, while micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. All nutrients play different but vital roles in your health, wellbeing and immunity:
Vitamin A. Milk, cheese, eggs (yolk), orange and yellow fruits and vegetables
Vitamin B. Legumes, wholegrain cereals, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables
Vitamin C. Citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberry, parsley, cabbage
Vitamin D. Egg (yolks), cheese, fatty fish, fortified dairy and cereals
Vitamin E. Olives and olive oil, avocado, wholegrain cereals
Iron. Lean meat, green leafy vegetables, legumes
Calcium. Dairy products, almonds, tahini, green leafy vegetables
Magnesium. Nuts, seeds, wholegrains, legumes, green leafy vegetables
Zinc. Lean meat, chicken, fish, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, oysters
Selenium. Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, oats
Don’t forget your flavonoids
Certain phytonutrients, especially flavonoids, are all about enhancing your immune function. Getting them is as simple as eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruit – at least five and two servings a day (respectively), according to The Australian Dietary Guidelines. Make sure you include blueberries and apple in your fruit quota (they are amazing!)
Fun fact: research from the University of Auckland found adults who eat flavonoid-rich foods – found in green tea, apples, blueberries, cocoa, red wine and onions, or take flavonoid supplements – are 33 per cent more protected from the common cold, compared with those who do not.
Lead researcher Dr Andrea Braakhuis says people who eat flavonoids also have fewer sick days.
“If you’re generally healthy, eating flavonoids found in lots of fruits and vegetables, can help stave off the bugs over Winter. We’d all love to make it through Winter without one of these nasty colds. They’re a leading cause of visits to a doctor, so it’s worth giving flavonoids a go as part of a healthy diet,” says Braakhuis.
Stuck for inspo? Try porridge with grated apple and blueberries, pack a snack of sliced apple and blueberries or whip up a healthy apple blueberry crumble using nuts or muesli as the crunchy top.
The pros of probiotics
Most people think of zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea for prevention of colds and flu long before they think of probiotics. But research by the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group shows probiotics can enhance your immune system to help prevent viral respiratory tract infections like the common cold.
The pros of probiotics don’t stop there.
Another study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei reduced the risk of getting a cold and strengthened the subjects’ immune defenses by boosting B-lymphocytes, aka virus-thwarting immune cells.
The same study also found, if you do come down with a cold or flu, probiotics tend to reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. Add probiotics to your daily routine by either eating foods like yoghurt, sauerkraut, pickles, miso soup or by taking a daily probiotic supplement.
Make all meals happy
OK, so technically not a cold and flu fighter, but this may boost your bad mood immunity.
“That blah feeling we get in the Winter is related to a lack of serotonin, which is linked to lack of sunlight,” explains Dr Judith Wurtman, author of the Serotonin Power Diet.
As Winter progresses and your mood has the habit of going from sunshine to darkness, you can restore its serotonin to Summer levels, by eating complex carbs. She recommends eating a 150-200 calorie carb-based snack in the late afternoon like instant oats, a small sweet potato or wholegrain toast. Good mood food.
If symptoms persist, we recommend consulting your healthcare practitioner.
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