Do you dread the winter months, when you and your family easily succumb to coughs and colds, sniffling and sneezing, headaches, sore throats and/or fevers from the flu?
These symptoms, while normally mild, are the leading causes of inconveniences such as days off work and school.
A strong, healthy immune system helps to keep us well, even when those around us are coughing, sneezing and getting sick.
There are many factors that may weaken your immune system, including stress, poor sleep, a lack of regular exercise, not enough rest and relaxation and making poor food choices.
A varied, nutrient-dense diet will help to support a healthy immune system.
Home-made soups using a base of good old-fashioned bone broth (recipe below), lots of garlic, onions and other vegetables and warm winter stews with lots of veges in them are also beneficial.
Try to eat foods that are in season.
Think warm meals such as cooked veges rather than summer salads, especially when it is cold.
Thymus vulgaris (thyme) is a wonderful herb that many people have growing in a pot at the back door.
It has antimicrobial and aromatic properties so if you feel congested or are coming down with a cold, add a few sprigs of thyme to a cup of boiling water.
Leave it for 10 minutes, strain and drink.
You can add some manuka honey, if desired, for sweetness as well as its antibacterial effects.
Zinc and vitamin C are nutrients essential to good health and there is a growing body of scientific evidence to support their benefits in boosting immunity and strengthening the healing process.
Oysters, beef and pumpkin seeds are all sources of zinc.
Good food sources of vitamin C include raw capsicums, fresh or frozen berries and sauerkraut, among many others.
We get such a diverse range of seasons here in Otago, so use this time to take a break, get cosy and read a good book in the evenings or weekends.
Ensure you get plenty of restorative sleep also.
For adults, that is between seven and nine hours a night, ideally.
• The advice contained in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional.
Bone broth
Ingredients
leftover bones from a roast meal
chicken necks and feet
1 Tbsp Braggs apple cider vinegar
2 medium onions, halved,including skins
4-5 carrots, washed and cut in half
6-8 celery stalks and leaves, washed and cut into thirds
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 tsp mineral salt
3.5 litres cold water (or enough to cover the ingredients)
Method
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the bones (approximately 3.5 litres), and the apple cider vinegar. Cover and set on low. Leave chicken bones for 24 hours and beef/lamb bones for 48 hours to draw the nutrients from the bones and marrow.
Using a colander, strain all the liquid into glass jars. Keep for up to 3 days. You can drink the broth as is, use it as a base for soups or add it to risotto/mince etc. If you don't need to use it right away, store it in the freezer.
