Five on Friday: October 16

Flu season is upon us and with cooler weather and more indoor activities come more germs floating around in confined spaces. We all know the general rules for keeping sickness away – wash your hands, cough into your sleeve and if you’re feeling under the weather, just stay home and rest. But what about our diet? Our family is very lucky to have very little down time due to colds and flues and I attribute that mostly to our diet. For this week’s Five on Friday I’m taking a look at five foods that will help boost your immune system and hopefully keep you healthy this flu season.

Garlic – You receive the most benefit from it raw but you can also take it in supplement form if the taste is too strong. Garlic contains calcium, potassium and over 100 sulfuric compounds that wipe out bacteria and infections. I try to add fresh garlic to most of my cooking.
Onions – Along with garlic, onions get added to most meals. It’s a great flavoring and an easy addition to supper. High in antioxidants and Vitamin C, it will help boost your immunity all year round.
Broccoli – Broccoli is loaded with Vitamin C, 1 cup contains the recommended daily intake. It also contains high amounts of magnesium, potassium and calcium, vital minerals for maintaining a healthy body.
Red Peppers – Red peppers (bell and hot) are full of Vitamin A, B6 and C, three nutrients responsible for building a strong immune system. My youngest daughter goes through several bell peppers a week, one of her favorite foods! She loves the crunch and I’m happy to keep them in stock for her.
Pomegranate – One of our favorite snacks, the kids eat the seeds like candy! They contain lots of antioxidants which help keep the cells in our body healthy and able to fight off viruses.

Be sure to check out what the other bloggers are up to this week with their Five On Friday posts!

Just Another Edmonton Mommy