The Best Foods to Stay Energized and Healthy During Winter
No-one can deny winter is the season of illness - we spend more time indoors, in close proximity to others who may be carrying infectious pathogens. It's a battle to stay healthy when our bodies are fighting to stay warm - the best thing we can do is feed ourselves well to keep our immune systems in tip-top shape!
Vitamins are key here: Vitamin C is well known for being a key player in maintaining a well-run immune system, and vitamin A is super important in the fight against inflammation, reducing the risks of infection. Vitamin D is another one that supports optimal immunity and health… although it tends to be in short supply with these shorter days (many of which are overcast - and even when they're not, we need to wear long sleeves to stay warm).
Eating a well balanced diet high in wholefoods, dark leafy greens and plenty of citrus will aid in keeping our body's vitamin, nutrient and antioxidant levels in check. Feeding our gut biome with plenty of good fibre and probiotics will go a long way to support our immune system too.
The five main food groups best known for keeping our bodies and immune systems running smoothly are:
Root veggies.
Any vegetables that grow well over our winter months are going to be good for us, and root veggies are a classic! They're loaded with vitamins A, C and K, along with complex carbohydrates to provide our bodies with a good source of energy.
Leafy greens.
Our winter greens are, once again, packed full of nutritional goodness - crops like kale and spinach are loaded with fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. In fact, kale is one of the most nutrient dense leaves known to our palates, with rather insane levels of vitamins A,C,K and B, fibre, and a plethora of antoxidants. Cabbage and broccoli maybe don't fall into the “leafy” category quite as well, but they're super important for our health, with their assortment of vitamins, minerals (think manganese and potassium), and glucosinolates (which have rather amazing anti-inflammatory properties).
Fruit.
Our seasonal winter citrus are jam-packed with vitamin C, making them a great - and cheap - addition to our winter diet. Eating plenty of oranges, mandarins and grapefruit… even squeezing lemon juice into cups of water and tea will do you well!
Berries.
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (given that they're not yet in season, frozen is the way to go) have good amounts of vitamins K and C, as well as plenty of fibre and anti-oxidants.
Nuts.
Containing vast amounts of healthy fats, a mere handful of nuts will go a long way to support a healthy body. Almonds, linseeds and walnuts are particularly good for boosting immunity!
Finally, they're not a food group, but incorporating herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, cumin, chilli, curry powder - they all have wonderfully warming properties that fend off the chill of winter.