With the weather blowing hot and cold these days, it’s easy to feel, well, under the weather. It’s the end of March and if you’re on track with all you wanted to do in 2020 — congratulations! But are you taking care of your health? Eat more foods to boost your immunity system today!
Dr John Cheng, primary care head at Healthway Medical Group, shares that the best way to boost our immunity is to “eat a balanced diet with enough fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water and fluids to keep ourselves hydrated.”
Here, we put together a shortlist of foods to boost your immunity systems and keep you in top shape daily.
1. Ginseng Chicken Soup
Sick of plain old chicken soup when it comes to foods for flu? Try its Korean counterpart! Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (available on cj_official) is one of the best foods to boost immunity systems with flu-busting ingredients like garlic and ginseng. From improving blood circulation to strengthening organs, ginseng chicken soup checks all the boxes for a full body nourishment and makes resistance against ailments a cinch.
Why it’s good for you: Increased blood flow, organ strengthening, aids digestion and lowers inflammation
2. Apples
Red apples (available on efreshsingapore) are brimming with antioxidants and can keep heart conditions and inflammation at bay! The quercetin and vitamins bolster you against viral attacks, making it an easy go-to food for flu. Are you put off by the waxy texture on apple skin? Don’t be! Apple skin is packed with fibre, vitamins and anti-cancer compounds. Keen on incorporating these fresh fruits into your diet? Start by munching on them during office hours as a healthy work snack!
Why it’s good for you: Enough quercetin, potassium and dietary fibre to (figuratively) keep the doctor away
3. Ginseng
Even if you’re not a TCM advocate, there’s no denying the positive impact ginseng roots have on the human body! From reducing fatigue to deterring the common cold, variations like American ginseng (available on Natural Brand Trading) are popular foods to boost immunity systems. You’ll appreciate the convenience provided with Natural Brand Trading’s 50g pack! These small ginseng pieces can be easily incorporated into your diet. One simple way is to soak them in a bottle of warm water for ginseng-infused goodness throughout the day.
Why it’s good for you: Sharpens the brain and raises energy levels
4. Dark Chocolate
Yes, you can have your dessert and eat it too! Studies have revealed that chocolates with high cocoa concentration are actually packed with antioxidants that are great for your immune system. If you need recommendations, look no further than Shears’ premium Belgian dark chocolate (available on SHEARS SINGAPORE). Packing 72% cocoa, this dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids to help ease stress and boost immunity levels.
Why it’s good for you: Nutrient-rich with antioxidants to combat heart disease and high blood pressure
5. Shiitake Mushrooms
Known for lending dishes that umami edge, shiitake mushrooms (available on Chinatown Food) are essential to healthy well-being because of their ample bioactive compounds and nutrients! From aiding heart health by lowering cholesterol to building strong bones with vitamin D, it’s this spate of health benefits that earned the mushroom high praise. Shiitake mushrooms are one of the best foods to boost immunity systems because of their polysaccharide content. These non-digestible fibres activate our immune systems so virus growth is inhibited!
Why it’s good for you: Activates your immune system and provides antibacterial and anticancer properties
6. Broccoli
Has your fussy child ever complained about broccoli? Remind them of the cruciferous vegetable’s many health benefits! Even though its appearance may be off-putting for young eaters, Frozen Pre-Cut Broccoli (available on Chinatown Food) more than makes up for it with its array of vitamins and antioxidants. Compared with other vegetables, broccoli blows the lid off the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and vitamin K — exceeding 95mg and 105mcg respectively. Ultimately, it’s this high vitamin and antioxidant content that makes the vegetable one of the best foods to boost immunity systems.
Why it’s good for you: Vitamins A, B9, C, K and potassium to put off oxidative stress and cellular damage
7. Oranges
When it comes to foods for flu, you’ll want to look out for options that balance tastiness with nutrition. Ideally, it should contain doles of vitamin C since this can help produce more white blood cells to combat illnesses. Curious about which fresh fruit has the highest vitamin C? Few come close to the copious amounts of vitamin C found in fresh oranges (available on efreshsingapore). When eating a large orange, you’ll enjoy close to 100mg of vitamin C, which exceeds the 95mg average RDA for vitamin C!
Why it’s good for you: Highest concentrations of vitamin C among citrus fruits
8. Herbal Soup
It’s common to easily fall ill in our stress-filled lifestyle. Thankfully, with the Eu Yan Sang’s revitalising tonic soup pack (available on Eu Yan Sang Official Singapore), you won’t need to fight overwhelming fatigue again. The soup pack includes traditional herbs like codonopsis roots, goji berries and poria to target restlessness and poor sleep quality. The end result is a wholesome soup that improves overall energy levels so you won’t be prone to viral attacks.
As for preparation, after rinsing, simply add the herbs into a pot of water and bring it to a boil before simmering on low heat.
Why it’s good for you: Experience digestive tract and fatigue relief with premium Chinese herbs
9. Almonds
Craving some additional crunch to your diet? Swap out your afternoon chips with nuts like baked almonds (available on tonggardensg)! As one of the richest vitamin E sources, all you’ll need is a handful of almonds to maintain your immune system. Besides preventing oxidative cell damage, almonds are also packed with healthy monounsaturated fats and fibre to offer a complete nutritional package!
Why it’s good for you: Best source of vitamin E antioxidants
Best foods to boost immunity systems and optimise cell health
Ready to incorporate these immunity boosting foods in your diet? Instead of just relying on your diet, read up on our guide on how to clean your phone and easy 15-minute home exercises so you’re covered on all fronts! Also, you can keep yourself nourished and fed with all kinds of groceries and home appliances with our guide to eating and cooking at home.
