Flu season – boost your defences

All the recent publicity surrounding Swine Flu has left many of us are facing the annual “flu season” with a little more trepidation than usual.

But there are lots of ways to maximise our body’s natural defences which, believe it or not, require no more effort than plundering the kitchen cupboard, garden or allotment.

Of course the very best strategy is to follow a consistently healthy diet, take regular exercise, drink enough hydrating fluids, get adequate sleep and minimise stress, alcohol and sugar. If this sounds a little too removed from your busy reality then you’ll be glad to hear that there are lots of simple changes you can make and which are designed to boost your body’s natural defences during the autumn and winter months.

Kitchen boosters

First of all take a look in your kitchen cupboard – many of those familiar ingredients add more than just flavour to our cooking thanks to some pretty impressive health properties. Take the exotic and fabulously warming spice, star anise, did you know an extract from this delicious spice is a key ingredient in the anti-viral medication, Tamiflu? What better reason to add it to home-made fruit compote, infuse in your favourite herbal tea or add to the poaching liquor for pears or plums.

Ginger is another warming spice which settles the stomach and relieves coughs and colds, so stop a cold in its tracks by grating fresh ginger into a warm lemon drink or add dried to sweet and savoury dishes.

If you are one of the unfortunate ones and fall victim to the cold or flu this season then make the most of cinnamon. This spice helps fight the tiredness associated with flu and when boiled in water the inhaled steam acts as a decongestant relieving blocked sinuses and chesty coughs.

Herbs are equally as useful, whether fresh or dried, and one of particular note is oregano which supplies active oils effective against coughs and bronchitis. For those with flagging spirits get out to the garden and pick some fresh rosemary, hang under the hot bath tap and allow the essential oils invigorate you as you bathe.

Other kitchen staples such as oats, rye and barley contain a fibre called beta glucans, this unusual sounding compound primes our immune response to viral and bacterial infection by boosting white blood cells. In fact, it is so impressive that many people choose to take a supplement but if your preference is a dietary one include these grains as porridge, bread or breakfast cereal.

Of course there are many nutrients which are supportive to the immune system and the most well-known is vitamin C. This water-soluble vitamin has anti-viral properties which shorten the duration of a cold or flu and best of all some of our favourite garden plants are rich natural sources. One of the very best has to be rosehips which are, of course, in abundance in most gardens or hedgerows right now >> See our war-time recipe for Rosehip Syrup

Don’t forget fruit and veg

As well as the all important vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables supply a host of phyto-nutrients such as resveratrol which is supplied by red grapes, blue-berries and cranberries and quercetin which is found in red skinned apples and red onions. These protective plant nutrients have anti-viral properties and protect the tissues of the lungs from damage.

Other vegetables such as onions, garlic, leeks, artichokes and chicory support the growth of beneficial bacteria which inhabit our gut and maintain much of our immune defences. Any disruption to the finely tuned balance of these bacteria can compromise our immunity but including live or “bio” yogurts, which supply healthy strains of these bacteria, helps restore this balance. Include daily to really reap the benefits perhaps with porridge for breakfast or with berries as a tasty dessert.

One nutrient that scientists now understand to be an important modulator of immune resistance is vitamin D. There are very few dietary sources although we can manufacture it through the action of sunlight on the skin.

So as we head towards the final days of summer aim to get out in the open air for 20-30 minutes preferably with some skin, such as that in the arms and legs, exposed. From a dietary perspective include oily fish such as sardines and mackerel as well as egg yolks and fortified foods.

Now wash you hands!

Finally, don’t forget some simple hygiene rules – wash your hands frequently with soap and water; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to avoid germs spreading.

>> For more information on this and other health related issues visit www.foodlinkfirst.com