Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Can foods really fight flu?

One of my favorite eco-friendly sites, Mother Nature Network, posted Ten Flu-fighting Foods. I wondered if their research would have much in common with our recent wellness newsletter.

Mushrooms - selenium and beta glucan, check.
Garlic - it's not just for repelling vampires anymore. Check.
Salmon, especially wild caught - well, we try. Fresh water salmon does live in Lake Michigan; we could make a trip to Wisconsin's eastern coast to find a good supplier.
Tea: black, white, or green. I crave tea when I'm feeling lousy; my body's way of sending me a message, perhaps.
Probiotics such as those found in yogurt: Chuck and Amigo eat yogurt regularly. My intake could use a boost.
Dark chocolate!! That Reese's Dark peanut butter cup isn't just for PMS anymore.
Oysters? I'll pass. I'll have to get my zinc from a vitamin tablet. Delicious though they may be, they're expensive and hard to find in my northern Midwest homeland.
Almonds specifically, nuts in general. Check.
Strawberries. Well, by the time they're shipped here and displayed on grocery shelves, the amount of vitamin C is negligible. I'll plan to freeze more next summer. For now, I'll see if the local apples have enough vitamins and minerals to help me out.
Sweet potatoes? I love them. My family? Not so much. That's okay; more beta-carotene for me.

No matter what dietary changes we pursue in the quest for health, I'm still going to follow the main precautions. Wash hands, drink fluids, keep sanitizing common areas in my classroom like computers, doorknobs, etc.

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4 Comments:

Blogger Judy Jeute said...

Great information! I find that my family really feels a lot better after some good old fashioned homemade chicken noodle soup. Try and sneak in a few of the veggies that you mentioned, and it sounds like you'd be doing double duty!

10/29/2009 6:32 AM  
Anonymous Santosh Patil said...

Hello,
I like your article it’s very informative for all of us,
The first step in the fighting the flu is improving your immunity. This can be done eating a healthy diet. Having these in your diet especially boosts your immunity. But remember that “eating them overnight won’t prevent it; it takes 6-8 weeks for the body to build immunity”, says Dietician Dr. Shweta Iyangar.
http://www.medimanage.com/my-diet/articles/8-foods-to-fight-flu.aspx

10/29/2009 8:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

It is true that mushrooms do contain Beta glucan, but research has shown you have to eat at least 2-3 cups of them a day to receive any benefit. You can achieve a much higher immune benefit from taking a high purity supplement. Baker's yeast has been researched and shown to be the most effective source for Beta glucan.

10/29/2009 10:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sweet potatoes! Yay!

10/29/2009 2:55 PM  

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