***Superfoods to Help Fight the Common Cold

Eating, nutrient-dense foods not only nourish your body with essential vitamin and minerals but they provide the energy necessary to fight off the nasty germs that cause a cold. Enjoying whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low-fat meats are all important in keeping your body healthy during the cold and flu season.

In addition to eating antioxidant-rich foods, you should also drink plenty of water. A good rule of thumb is the drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weight 180 lbs. your daily water consumption goal should be 90 ounces or approximately 11 glasses of water per day. Drinking water and even decaffeinated drinks help to keep your body hydrated.

One of the best way habits to follow during the flu and cold season is to eat more meals you prepare at home and eat out less. The reason is simple if some else is preparing your meal and they are suffering from a cold or flu they may unknowingly spread germs directly on to your food, on to your plate or even the utensils you use to eat. So the first step is to “brown bag” your meals during cold and flu season to cut down the risk of getting sick.

Here are some specific super food ideas to fight the germs. A single cup of yogurt daily may help to keep your gastrointestinal track healthy, this in turn will help to combat germs. The reason is yogurt is full of live cultures as these are a key ingredient to keep the GI track going strong. In addition, recent studies of yogurt suggest regular consumption helps you maintain a healthy weight and may even lose weight.

Enjoy an orange daily. A single orange provides your daily recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Oranges are also an abundant source of flavonoids that help your cells to stay health and regenerate.

Another source of vitamin C are green bell peppers. Slice up some raw pepper, place them in a bag and enjoy as a healthy hunger squashing snack or toss them into a salad during lunch or dinner.

Garlic contains the antibiotic allican which research has indicated may offer a good defense against the cold. Mix us some green peppers, with green pepper dip and add some garlic and you’ll get a double-barrel approach to fighting the common cold.

Finally, ground beef is a good source of protein, zinc and selenium and when is very flexibility taste profile because you can mix in garlic, tomatoes and even green peppers to make an excellent antioxidant-rich meal.