Beat the flu this cold season

NAIROBI: The cold is here and with it comes the ‘flu’ season.

Flu comes about as the body’s natural reaction to the environment and when it hits, you feel more than a mild discomfort.

A great strategy to avoid this is generally ensure your immune system is in check by eating immune boosting foods.

But when the flu does strike, there are foods you can eat to help fight it off and make you feel better.

Garlic: This has long been known as the wonder food, being hailed for its power in fighting infections. Raw garlic has Selenium, a powerful mineral that boosts your immune system.

Garlic also has a compound called allion that has antiviral effects, meaning it can destroy the flu virus in the body. If you cannot stand the taste of raw garlic, try cutting up raw cloves and sprinkling on your tomato salad. You can also sprinkle slices of garlic into soup.

Eggs: In cold weather, we rarely see the sun, and so Vitamin D availability is limited. Low levels of Vitamin D compromise immune function. Boost your Vitamin D intake by including egg yolk in your meals.

Onions: Onions are also rich in the antiviral allion and also in sulfur, which help to fight infection. Easy ways to include onions in your diet include making onion soups, including in stews and stocks or simply cutting them up and throwing them into your vegetable salad.

Spices: Spices like cinnamon, turmeric and powdered ginger are also rich in antioxidants that help to fight infection. Sprinkle them in your morning tea and broths and stocks.