Avoiding the Dr.

Spring is here, and that means flowers…. and pollen…. and allergies…. sniffly noses, spring colds, sneezing, etc.  One of the best and often most overlooked ways to keep from getting sick is to make sure you and your kids eat right and get the right vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight sickness. 

After doing a little research, I made a list of the top immunity boosting foods and posted it on the side of the refrigerator.  That way, it’s easy to remember what we need to be eating on a regular basis and I incorporate these items as often as possible into our regular meals. For example, when I make chicken and dumplings, a family favorite, I use partial whole wheat flour (for whole grains), and throw a few handfuls of chopped kale into the broth; it mixes with the broth and gets tender, and the boys never even notice.  I keep yogurt and fruit around for after-school snacks; and try to add much of the boys’ favorites into other not-so-favorite dishes.  For instance, when I make a spinach salad, I sprinkle nuts and strawberries or raspberries on top to make it more enticing. 

Here’s a few of the top immunity boosting foods: 

• Peppers- bell and chile pepers
  

  Source: ABC News

• garlic
• yogurt
• turmeric (the yellow spice in curry)
• oregano (which has antibacterial properties)
• green tea
• ginger
• oysters
• green veggies, including broccoli, kale, and spinach
• Pumpkins (next fall, actually cook those pumpkins your little ones got at the local pumpkin patch!) 
• Berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, etc.
• whole grains 

To find out more about why these super foods work, ABC News recently ran a piece by Radha Chitale on avoiding the cold or flu; the story does a great job of explaining which vitamins are available in what foods and how the body uses them.