Last Updated on June 30, 2016 by Jeff
We all know that eating a healthy diet is one very important way to avoid many types of diseases. As far as avoiding a cold, a complete diet full of fruits and vegetables is essential because once our immune system lets its guard down for a moment, that’s when the cold virus can sneak in and take hold. But what exactly should we eat to keep the sniffles away?
Turns out there are a lot of foods that tick the various boxes of a preventative diet. A big part of a cold-fighting diet is the antioxidants and nutrients in fresh vegetables, but that’s not all there is to the story.
Here’s a quick overview of the benefits and the dietary sources:
- Omega 3s from fish and krill oil
- Vitamin C from citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits and lemons
- Blueberries for antioxidants
- Garlic provides antioxidants
- Zinc from oysters
- Teas (green, black, etc.) provide antioxidants
- Yogurt contains healthy bacteria that lives in your intestine
- Vitamin D from milk, or even better, from the sun! Just don’t over do it.
- Mushrooms contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that boost immunity
- Leafy greens contain huge amounts of nutrients
Those are the big ones, though you can find more information here.
And don’t forget that a healthy diet is only part of the puzzle of keeping colds at bay. Getting enough sleep, exercising, reducing stress, washing your hands, and avoiding sick people will take you a long way to staying healthy year-round.