Immunity-boosting foods

The sniffles have started but you don’t have to hit the drugs to sort them. Lowri Turner talks us through immunity-boosting foods.

‘It would be nice if there was a “Never Get A Cold” food. Sadly, it’s a bit more complicated than that. You need to nourish your whole body to strengthen it, get your stress levels down if you can (stress depresses immune function) and then top up with key nutrients to fight off the sniffles.

I’d start with boosting your friendly gut bacteria as these are the basis of a healthy immune system. You can go for those little yoghurt drinks, but a daily probiotic capsule will supply a higher dose.  I’d then ‘feed’ these happy little microbes with prebiotic foods including vegetables like onions, celery, garlic and pulses.

Next, I’d increase disease-fighting antioxidant foods. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables are all good sources. I’d also give myself a whack of vitamin D with eggs, dairy and offal (if you’re not vegetarian).

Finally, I’d major on vitamin C and zinc, both of which are potent flu-fighters.  Citrus fruits and peppers are a great source of vitmain C and nuts and seafood contain zinc.

But, as I said, you need to strengthen the whole body, so make sure you get enough sleep (sleep deprivation runs you down) . Also, watch out for stimulants (tea, coffee and alcohol) as these can disrupt sleep and increase the stress response in the body, which further weakens it.

Lowri Turner is a nutritionist and hypnotherapist who sees clients at three clinics in London. To make an appointment, please go to www.lowriturner.com.