As the winter months wear on, many of us have been sick, are sick, or are getting sick. We’re run down because of stress, lack of sleep, and most importantly lack of nutrition! It’s very important to be getting enough sleep to keep your immune system strong, but it’s also important to be eating healthy. Have you been told that before? Most times, people will say, “eat healthy so you don’t get sick!” But, what exactly do they mean? In this post, I’d like to explore a few different foods that you should certainly be eating to prevent getting sick.
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1. Eat more fruits and vegetables
I seem to suggest this a lot, huh? Well that’s because fruits and vegetables have SO many benefits. Remember, we are supposed to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Many people tend to eat less fruits and vegetables in the winter, but that should not be the case! It’s essential to get the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. So what are some good choices? Well, any fruit is a good choice, but citrus fruits are in season in the winter and tend to be cheaper (if you’re buying your fruit!). They also are a great source of Vitamin C, which although it is disputed for its cold/flu preventative qualities, it’s still helpful in the winter! So, next time you head out of a dining hall, don’t forget to grab a piece of fruit from the baskets!
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2. Eat healthy proteins and whole grains
Healthy proteins include lean meats, chicken, fish, low-fat dairy, nuts, legumes, and seeds. These proteins are essential because they supply the amino acids that your body uses to build your immune system. Additionally, eating meats helps prevent a zinc or iron deficiency, which can affect your immune system. I think the dining halls do a great job of providing good sources of protein. There is grilled chicken available every night and there are fish entrees a couple times a week. Make sure to choose either grilled or baked (not fried!) because those are the healthiest ways to consume meat.
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3. Eat you oats!
We all have white blood cells in our bodies that work to fight bacteria and viruses; however, these cells are only activated by beta-glucans which are a component of fiber foods. The best source of beta-glucans is oats. So, next time you head to a dining hall to eat breakfast, don’t forget to eat some oatmeal!
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4. Healthy Fats
In order to absorb essential nutrients from fruits and vegetables, our bodies need fats. Sources of healthy fats include can come from salad dressings with oil and vinegar bases or nuts and seeds. Cheese can also be a source of healthy fat. And the best part is that all of these foods are readily available at the dining halls!
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Interested in more tips? Check out this article or this article from Women’s Health Magazine. Additionally, About.com has a great article on ways to avoid getting sick in the winter.
In conclusion, many of these tips are important for healthy eating in general, but we should pay specific attention to them in the winter time when we’re more likely to get sick. I hope these tips can help prevent you from getting sick in the future!
This is such a great and relevant post, especially because multiple bugs have gone around campus this winter. I think these tips are all really useful, and we can definitely get all of these foods so easily from the dining hall. Some tips that I’ve discovered this past winter are to eat oranges rather than drink orange juice. Juice is just sugar, so even though it has Vitamin C, it doesn’t feel as good for your body as whole fruit. Additionally, soup is a really healthy way to prevent getting sick since it’s full of proteins, grains, and vegetables, and it’s warm, which helps regulate your internal body temperature. What are your thoughts on supplements? Do we really need them if we keep a good diet?
I really like what you mentioned about oats! I had no idea. I am feeling a bit better about my favorite granola bars from Nature Valley as I believe they have a decent number of oats within them. I really do think people undervalue the effect of food on overall day-to-day health. It only makes sense, the more full of nutrients your body is the more it will be able to fight off illnesses.
This post was sooooo helpful for me because I get sick every single winter at least once. I have been good at getting back on my feet quickly this year, though, and have been drinking a lot of orange juice and eating lots of fruits and vegetables for snacks. However, I didn’t know that oats were so good for preventing sickness! I personally am not a fan of oatmeal but I love having granola and oats on top of my yogurt! So I’ll keep that in mind when I’m grabbing a snack.
Do you think there are other habits besides eating these things that can help us stay healthy during flu season? I know that your blog is focused on foods, but there are a lot of other things we can do I’m sure. I think a huge thing is sleep, which may seem simple but is hard to get these days. However, are there supplements we can take to stay healthy as a supplement to a healthy diet?