Foods to eat when sick with flu – Your diet and nutrition don’t just fuel your activity and build your body, they also provide raw materials and resources for your protection.

 

Your immune system is pretty complex as it is, but it needs a fair amount of nutritional intervention in order to truly optimize its function.

 

Each year, there are times where our environment changes.

 

These seasonal shifts present different challenges and expose us to different risks.

 

Winter and flu season is a time when our vulnerability to infections, especially flu, colds, and other respiratory diseases are at an all-time high.

 

Because of this, it might be a great idea to consider some extra assistance during this period, to help you stay on track and keep infections at bay.

 

When Its Winter

When the climate cools down, you’ll notice there is a general uptick in the number of respiratory infections in people around you.

You yourself might also pick up these winter bugs and have to deal with the customary sniffs and coughs.

 

When the climate cools down, your body, exposed to these elements, will also cool down.

 

This shifts your metabolic activity in a way that more resources are being spent on homeostatic temperature regulation than they are on your defense system or immunity.

 

We also tend to be less physically active and often cooped up indoors, both conditions can easily lead to the development of respiratory illness.

 

In order to combat this, we can implement some simple nutrition hacks and keep the germs at bay while we enter our yearly semi-hibernated state.

 

In this article, we’re going to share some of our favorite winter warmer and flu buster foods for you to try, here are some foods to eat when sick with flu.

 

 

5 Foods To Eat When Sick With Flu

 

Turmeric/Black Pepper Blend

Turmeric has been gaining mainstream popularity as a health remedy.

 

The potent, bright yellow spice sports some powerful anti-inflammatory benefits.

So powerful are the effects of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, that results show an efficacy close to pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen.

 

There is one interesting caveat when it comes to turmeric, and that’s that its absorption is minimal unless combined with black pepper.

 

Black pepper contains piperine, a chemical that has been proven to boost the absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%

 

Taking these two together can help keep your body in full defense mode during the viciousness of winter and flu season.

 

Foods With Probiotics

Another bunch of food you’ll want to include in your pick is fermented foods and foods containing probiotics.

Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that when ingested, add to the population of your healthy gut bacteria.

 

They play an important role in gut and digestive health by eliminating toxic elements and also producing useful nutrients through their metabolic activities.

 

Foods rich in probiotics include plain yogurt, kombucha, fermented cabbage (kimchi and sauerkraut) and miso soup to name a few. It is beneficial foods to eat when sick with flu.

 

These foods can be purchased easily in most modern grocery stores, but are just as easily made at home with the right ingredients and knowledge of methods.

 

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Garlic

Garlic is one of the most flavorsome foods you can get your hands on.

This bulbous vegetable has one of the most pungent aromas out there leaving it up to debate whether it should really be hated or loved.

 

Garlic also has a trick up its sleeve in the form of an active compound called acillin.

 

This chemical has antimicrobial properties, making garlic a great way to keep germs away or deal with them once they’ve invaded.

 

Ginger

Ginger is a common flu remedy. Often mixed with lemon to produce the classic ginger shot, this root stem-based plant is very similar to turmeric.

In fact, ginger and turmeric belong to the same class of plants and therefore share some properties.

 

Ginger’s active ingredient is gingerol, a known antibacterial and powerful ward against the flu and winter-related illness.

 

Green Tea

Green tea is an amazing beverage for winter. Not only does it keep you nice and warm from the inside out, but it also provides hydration and a bunch of useful micronutrients.

It’s packed full of antioxidants, and of course, caffeine, helping you keep your metabolism in tip-top condition as well as limiting oxidative stress and inflammation, all of which contribute to a stronger immune system.

 

Conclusion

Winter is a battleground when considering your health. Here are some foods to eat when sick with flu, make sure your nutrition is on point in order to effectively defend against an impending onslaught.

 

Also, remember that plenty of good physical activity is crucial in maintaining an optimal immune system during such trying times.