Winter foods don’t have to mean stodgy, comfort meals. Source fresh and seasonal ingredients to help you keep on top of your health during the colder months

1.Warm foods can be healing

When it’s freezing cold outside, turn on your internal heater with some hearty soups. Add as much veg as you can – it’ll increase your five a day, and help boost your immune system, which could ward off any nasty germs. Try a cold-banishing chicken soup, which may help reduce inflammation.[i] Don’t forget to include garlic, which has antibacterial properties can may reduce your risk of catching a cold.[ii]

2.Make protein your preference

Lean poultry, chicken, turkey breast with its skin removed and lean red meat are recommended to be enjoyed at least three times a week. These are protein foods, which also contain good amounts of iron, which is important for the immune system. Research has found that people with low zinc levels may have compromised immune systems.[iii] If you’re a vegetarian then opt for other protein-rich foods, such as lentils, tofu and chickpeas to up your intake.[iv] ^[v]

3.Spice up your life

Cold weather is a great excuse to make some piping hot curries, which may help boost your metabolism and warm you up.[vi] It’s also another great way to include extra veg into your diet: think sweet potatoes, spinach, and red meat. And try swapping out the fattening coconut milk with tinned tomatoes instead. They contain lycopene, which could help to boost immunity.[vii]

4.Indulge yourself

Is there anything better than snuggling up beside a fire with a delicious hot chocolate? Just be sure to use dark chocolate as your sweetener. This contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant which can help boost your health.[viii]

5.Supplement your health

Foods which contain the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are recommended for good health, and good body function, although eating enough of particular foods may be difficult. A new study has found that athletes who supplement their diet with Ubiquinol may help to reduce the depletion of the antioxidant CoQ10 (which typically occurs during exercise) and could even improve performance on the track and field. Ubiquinol is found naturally in foods such as red meat, spinach, sardines and wholegrains, however in order to receive the minimum required amount each day, you would need to eat up to 3.5kg of red meat, 5.7kg of chicken or 50 cups of spinach daily. Taking a supplement is an efficient way to help restore healthy levels of Ubiquinol in the body and support optimal energy levels, and help to reduce levels of oxidative stress in athletes.

Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare professional.

[i] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001018075252.htm

[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277319/

[iv] http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4338/2

[v] http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4302/2

[vi] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/pr901175w

[vii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3972926/

[viii] https://www.fasebj.org/doi/10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.755.1