Easy Ways to Add Vitamin Rich Foods To Your Diet this Winter

With the cold and flu season around the corner, it is more important than ever before to try and stay healthy as it’s not just colds and flu you need to be careful of this year but COVID too. One of the best ways to prevent illnesses, in general, is to eat well and to boost your immune system. There are lots of natural and tasty foods that can help you to do this.

Fermented Foods
The fermentation process helps not only enhances food preservation, but eating fermented food can also boost the number of beneficial bacteria or probiotics found in your gut. Probiotics have been associated with a variety of health benefits, including improved digestion, an enhanced immune system, and even increased weight loss. Fermented foods include Kefir which is a type of cultured dairy product that may improve lactose digestion, decrease inflammation, and boost bone health. Natto is a staple probiotic food in traditional Japanese cuisine. Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans that have been pressed into a compact cake.

Vitamin C
Your body does not produce vitamin C. You need to be eating enough Vitamin C rich foods to create healthy collagen, which is the building blocks for your skin and healing. Vitamin C is found in leafy greens and citrus, like grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and clementines. It acts as an antioxidant and protects cells from damage. The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams a day. This is equivalent to one small glass of orange juice or eating a whole grapefruit. Another source that people often forget about is red peppers. These are can boost immunity with twice the amount of Vitamin C as an orange. To increase your vitamin C intake, you could take supplements, or you could also simply add red bell peppers to your salad or pasta. One medium-sized red bell pepper contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C, or enough to fulfill your recommended daily allowance.

Vitamin E
If you’re looking for a filling snack that’s also really good for your immune system, then go for a handful of nuts or seeds. These are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that’s been shown to improve the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. Just one Brazil nut will give you more than your daily selenium needs, a mineral that can strengthen your immune system. Other things like sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, and pecans can give you a vitamin E boost with just a small handful that can be added to salads and other dishes.

Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral which plays a vital role when it comes to immune function. Men can take magnesium supplements from buoyhealth.com as a complement to a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. There is plenty of food which have ample amounts of magnesium from pumpkin seeds and spinach to avocados and brown rice. One that’s really exciting is dark chocolate which contains between 70 and 85 percent cocoa can give you a good dose of the magnesium you need. Just pick up a dark chocolate bar that contains 70 and 85 percent cocoa and eat a small chunk of that with your morning coffee.

Hope these vitamin boosting tips helps remind you of the easy ways you can healthy bites to your diet.