It's that time of year. Already the second, maybe third wave of colds is making its way around my office. I've already had one cold, but I'm hoping it'll be my last because I really hate having colds but also because I ran out of the good sinus pills during my last bout only to discover that you can't get them here.
How did I live hear over four years and not figure that out sooner? Good question. I always assumed they must have kept them behind the counter and I'd have to have a conversation with a pharmacist in order to get them, and rather than attempt a conversation about my sinuses in Swedish I made sure to always pack some back from trips to Canada. Until now. And now I find out that they just plain old don't have them here.
I am also out of ziploc bags, which is an equally annoying problem.
Anyways, I'm making myself sound like some sinus tablet junkie, which I am not, but I can't sleep if I can't breathe through my nose so the once or so a year that I do get sick I want the good stuff. Hopefully I'll make it through cold and flu season without getting sick again and it will be a non-issue. And you better bet I'll be scarfing down these immune boosting every day foods to increase my odds of making it through unscathed.
Garlic is great for more than just warding off vampires! The cloves of this member of the lily family contain more than 100 sulfuric compounds which help wipe out bacteria and infection. Additionally, the potent plant contains the active ingredient allicin, a potent phytonutrient which helps fight infection. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.
Raw garlic is most beneficial for health as heat and water deactivate the sulfur enzymes and diminish the antibiotic effects. But garlic breath is better than being sick, right? So peel and smash a glove and gulp it down whole if you dare!
Ginger is a concentrated source of active ingredients, and you don’t need to consume very much to reap all of the great benefits. Ginger has antioxidant effects, can inhibit inflammatory compounds, and can also have direct anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger extracts have also been shown to have anti-tumor effects on cells. Gingerols, the main active components in ginger, powerful antioxidants, and the compounds responsible for its distinctive flavour, may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells. In addition to it’s immune boosting powers, ginger can help promote healthy sweating, which can be helpful during colds and flus. Go ginger!
I keep my ginger in the freezer so it's easy to grate into a fine powder and add to soups, a mug of hot water with honey or lemon, or big chunks into smoothies. How do you add ginger into your diet?
Carrots are for more than just good eyesight! They're an excellent source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, as well as vitamin C, and dietary fiber. The antioxidant beta-carotene helps to boost our immune systems by mopping up damaging free radicals.
You may not think of skin as part of your immune system, but it actually serves as a first-line of defence against bacteria and viruses. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene, like carrots, which your body then turns into vitamin A.
Honey has both antioxidant and antifungal properties. Did you know honey has been used as a healing agent for thousands of years? Raw, organic honey is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes which help to boost our immune systems and protect the body from bacteria. In the laboratory, honey has been shown to hamper the growth of food-borne pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella, and to fight certain bacteria
Cold and flu symptoms, such as coughs and sore throats are also kept at bay when treated with honey, as it helps fight infections and soothes membranes. Studies have shown honey to be an excellent cough suppressant.
Be mindful of a couple of things: first, your honey is only as good as the plants providing the pollen. Don’t skimp on honey, buy the good quality locally produced stuff.
Oats are host to a number of phenolic compounds including beta-glucan, a type of fiber which has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties reported to be even more potent than echinacea. Beta-glucan consumption in humans has been shown to boost immunity, speed wound healing, and it may even help antibiotics work better. Plus, what’s more soothing than a warm bowl of oatmeal when you’re feeling under the weather?
Lori
I like to sip fresh ginger tea concoction when I feel something coming on. It includes several slices of ginger, 6-7 cloves, a cinnamon stick (or two) and a lemon (quartered) in a small pot filled with water. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer until it's a strong as you can handle. It's delicious and sipping on it really helps you sweat out whatever you've got brewing.
Katie Trant
That sounds like quite the healthy elixer! I'll have to give it a whirl the next time I feel something coming on. Thanks for sharing!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Wonderful post- so much great information! Thanks for sharing!
Katie Trant
Thanks for reading!
Christine | No Gojis No Glory
You're definitely right about the lack of quality cold meds in Sweden. But maybe they don't really need them as much. The Swedes do live a pretty healthy lifestyle which does include plenty of fruits and veggies. The entire three years I was there, I only got sick twice...although I did used to load up on the Berocca. Lol
Katie Trant
I think it's partly the healthy lifestyle and partly just less of a 'a pill will fix this' kind of culture. But they do have the strongest nose spray I've ever experienced, which I really don't like to use because it'll burn your sinuses right out! I think they use that stuff rather than the sinus pills most of the time.
Catalina @ Shades of Pink
Eating these almost everyday in some form, well, except the garlic, as my co workers won't be happy 🙂
Devi
In Australia there were these garlic and horseradish pills that we took whenever we started to feel the slightest bit unwell - amazing stuff. So I wonder if horseradish also has some health benefits (https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/super-strength-horseradish-garlic-and-c)? So funny that you brought meds back from Canada.. Most of the non Swedes I know here bring suitcases full of medication because Swedish doctors don't really prescribe much.
Katie Trant
I'm sure horseradish has many health benefits, it's such potent stuff! I've had nothing but good experiences with the Swedish medical system, but it's the over the counter stuff that I usually bring back.
Alissa
I've been big on ginger as an immunity booster for a few years. I usually toss a couple slices into a cup of herbal tea at night. It has the added benefit of giving the tea a nice little bite. I don't know why it never occurred to me to freeze it though. Admission: I'm constantly finding moldy hunks of ginger tucked away in the fridge, because I buy so much of the stuff I can't always keep up. I'm totally freezing it from now on. Thanks for the tip!
Katie Trant
Definitely freeze it! Not only does it last forever, when you grate it you don't have to deal with it getting all stringy and difficult to work with. You just get a nice fine powdery dose of ginger.
Cammy
A huge hunk of ginger blended with an ultra ripe banana and a cup of any kind of milk. So good!
Katie Trant
Interesting! I don't usually associate ginger with milky things, but I'll have to give it a try!
Cammy
Do. You will love it.
Linda @ Veganosity
Thanks for this! I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm thinking that I don't get colds very often because most of these foods are staples in my daily diet. I just read a peer reviewed study about how beta carotene actually kills cancer cells. Powerful stuff!
Katie Trant
Super powerful stuff. There was a study I read ages ago on beta carotene and cancer where they started giving cancer patients beta carotene supplements and they actually got worse and had to stop the study. It raised a lot of interesting questions like, is it the beta carotene, or is it the beta carotene + something else in the carrot that it's interacting with that is so helpful. When we strip whole foods down to nutrients, we sometimes get into trouble. Food for thought.
Evi @ greenevi
This is a great article! When I am sick I eat a big spoon of honey mixed with 2-3 cloves of garlic. It may sound disgusting and it is, but it really helps...
And freezing the ginger is just the best idea, never heard of it before, but it is so clever, I am just putting my gingers there right now. Thanks for the great tips 🙂
Katie Trant
That does sound gross but I bet it really works! Freezing ginger is really the best way to store it. Especially if you're going to grate it on a microplane or similar, as it doesn't get all stringy and difficult to grate. Just a nice fine gingery powder.
Evi @ greenevi
Exactly! I already tried it out today and I am so impressed, thanks again for this amazing tip 🙂
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
As always, fab tips! Happily I eat almost all of these on a daily basis 🙂 Also, I just nominated you for the Liebster Award! I just love your blog and want to get to know you better 🙂 Here's the link: https://www.emmaslittlekitchen.com/liebster-award-lets-get-personal/
Katie Trant
Thanks Emma, that's very sweet of you. I've been nominated for this award several times over the years, and I'm always very touched. I can't fit a Liebster post into my posting schedule, but I'll answer the questions over on your blog 🙂
Jo
Ziploc bags? a super special kind? Granted I haven't seen small ones here but supermarkets have larger ones.
Katie Trant
It's the sandwich baggie size and some of the other sizes I'm after. I've seen a sort of ziploc ripoff (even Ikea has a version) but they're not the same!
Jo
I've been happy with the 1L ones that are ziploc branded but they're freezer bags.... I just use them for snacks anyway.
Katie Trant
Wait, you've found ziploc brand freezer bags in Stockholm? Where?! But I'm still mostly after the smaller bags. I like to cook big batches of dried beans or whole grains and freeze them in 1 cup portions.. the 1L bags are way too big for that!
Devi
Lidl has small bags - I froze 2 cups of pumpkin puree per bag. It's not a ziploc bag, but it works.
Katie Trant
Good to know. We've actually be swiping extra bags from airport security, and they work too. Not the same, but they work.
Regula @ Miss Foodwise
Having an Autoimmune disease I've been reading up on this, I've found out that oats, when you soak them overnight with a little lemon juice, vinegar, jogurt or buttermilk, of course ferment. But therefore when you eat them the next morning, you will not only be able to digest them better, your body will be able to absorb all its goodness better AND it will stimulate an enzyme that will help you get as much nutrition out of your food during the day. People with troubled immune systems often have trouble getting all the goodness out of all the food they consume. For me personally, it has made a difference!
Katie Trant
Great tip Regula! I love making overnight oats because they're delicious, but also for the wonderful nutrition benefits of oats. Soaking and fermenting the oats and making them easier to digest and the enzymes better activated is icing on the cake!