Foods That Boost Immune System Health

In an era where maintaining good health is paramount, a robust immune system is absolutely essential. 

While lifestyle factors like exercise and sleep play a significant role, the food we consume can significantly enhance our immune defences. 

Here’s a look at some foods that can help bolster your immune system.

1. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits, are well-known for their high vitamin C content. Vitamin C is vital for the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections. Given that the body does not produce or store vitamin C, daily intake is crucial for maintaining an effective immune system.

2. Red Bell Peppers

While citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, red bell peppers contain twice as much of this essential vitamin. They are also a rich source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for maintaining the health of your skin and mucous membranes, which are the body’s first line of defence against pathogens.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fibre and many other antioxidants. It is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your plate. To retain its nutrients, it is best cooked as little as possible – or better yet, not at all.

4. Garlic

Garlic has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. It contains compounds such as allicin, which is known to boost the disease-fighting response of some types of white blood cells in the body when they encounter viruses.

5. Ginger

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after falling ill. It may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and inflammatory illnesses. Ginger is also packed with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.

6. Spinach

Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C but also because it’s packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Like broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients.

7. Yoghurt

Yoghurt that contains live and active cultures, like Greek yoghurt, can stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Look for yoghurts that have "live and active cultures" printed on the label, and try to get plain yoghurts rather than the kind that are pre-flavoured and loaded with sugar.

8. Almonds

When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, this powerful antioxidant is key to a healthy immune system. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with the vitamin and also have healthy fats, which help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

9. Turmeric

Turmeric is a bright yellow, bitter spice that has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. High concentrations of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive colour, can help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage. Curcumin has promising immune-boosting potential.

10. Green Tea

Green tea is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. In studies, the amino acid L-theanine found in green tea may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells. Additionally, green tea is a good source of the amino acid that enhances immune function.

Incorporating these foods into your diet can help enhance your immune system, but it's important to remember that no single food or supplement is a magic bullet. A balanced diet, combined with other healthy lifestyle habits, is the best way to support overall health and a strong immune system. Stay well, eat healthily, and keep your defences strong!

Beacon Foods Celebrates 120 Years' Combined Service by Six Employees

The combined service totalling over 120 years by six dedicated employees has been celebrated by Beacon Foods, one of the UK's top suppliers of ingredients and ready-to-eat products.

The award-winning Brecon-based business, which has in excess of 130 employees, arranged a special fish and chip lunch for all the employees working on the day to celebrate the occasion. They each also received a gift from the company.

Chairman Edward Gough is the longest serving employee with 31 years to his name, although he is closely followed by Rob Sweet with 30 years' service.

The other long serving staff recognised were Tracy Smith and Mansel Richards, both with 20 years' service and Nicola Lewis and Shir Gurung with 10 years' service.

Nearly a quarter of Beacon Foods' workforce have worked for the company for five years or more and 16% have given at least 10 years' service.

“We are really very grateful for the loyal service and dedication that our long-serving employees have given to Beacon Foods,” said Edward. “The company just wouldn't have been able to grow so much and be as successful as it is today without them."

The company has invested £6 million in a three-year expansion programme which has doubled both the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities - to 53,000 square feet – and its production capacity.

Beacon Foods supplies food manufacturers, food service, coffee shops, fast food chains and travel and hospitality industries.

The company is the UK's leading specialist producer of garlic, ginger and chili puree, roasted and char grilled vegetables and fruit ranges, relishes, chutneys, sauces and fruit compotes.

The ingredients go into literally thousands of products, including sandwiches, ready meals, pizzas, soups, drinks and desserts, which can be found on supermarket shelves, airlines, restaurant chains and coffee shops.

(Pictured: Beacon Foods chairman Edward Gough (second from right) with long serving employees Rob Sweet, Nicola Lewis, Mansel Richards, Shir Gurung and Tracy Smith)

Operations Manager Returns to Lead Major Expansion at Beacon Foods

Beacon Foods' new operations manager David Branter is excited to re-join Beacon Foods, one of the UK's leading suppliers of ingredients and ready-to-eat products, to contribute to the company's major expansion.

He says the Brecon-based business, which supplies food manufacturers, food service, coffee shops, fast food chains and travel and hospitality industries, is now perfectly placed to secure new business opportunities.

Investment totalling £6 million in the last three years has seen Beacon Foods double the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities to 53,000 square feet in preparation for business growth.

The company, which has 130 employees, has greatly increased production volumes, capabilities and packaging options by investing in state-of-art machinery.

David, 53, who previously worked for the company in 2021, is delighted to be back working closely with chairman Edward Gough and the management team to drive the business forward.

“It's a very exciting time for the company which is expanding and is in the best place it has ever been,” he said. “The leadership is very good and the staff recruited by the company over the last couple of years have made a positive impact to the business.

“We have doubled our manufacturing capacity, have a good reputation for quality, safe products and customer service and have already secured more business, so the future looks very promising.

“We have a stable, core workforce, with around a quarter of the staff having worked for the company for between 5 and 30 years, which shows the strength of the business.”

David says the company's USP are its huge variety of products, Beacon Foods has some 6,000 different recipes, and sharp focus on personal service, which appeals to customers in many different markets.

“There is a high level of complexity in the different products that we produce and we have many years of experience, which makes us stand out from competitors,” he added.

Established in 1993, Beacon Foods is the UK's leading specialist producer of garlic, ginger and chili puree, roasted and char grilled vegetables and fruit ranges, relishes, chutneys, sauces and fruit compotes.

The ingredients go into literally thousands of products, including sandwiches, ready meals, pizzas, soups, drinks and desserts, which can be found on supermarket shelves, airlines, restaurant chains and coffee shops.

Free garlic bread when you buy the latest Peter Kay book at Morrisons

Morrisons is helping its customers celebrate the release of Peter Kay’s, ‘TV: Big Adventures on the Small Screen’ by offering a free serving of garlic bread with every new book sold. 

Kay, who famously claimed that garlic bread ‘is the future’, is releasing a new book detailing his incredible journey through television to create some of the most popular comedy shows of the last two decades, like Phoenix Nights and Carshare.

The new book is available in Morrisons stores all over the country for £12 and customers will be able to bag themselves a free garlic bread from 28 September to 1 October to celebrate the new launch.

Whether it’s seeing a pack of Hobnobs in the biscuit aisle that reminds customers of Peter Kay or a loaf of garlic bread, it will be impossible to avoid the charm of the Bolton-based joker in Morrisons as he will also be lending his voice to Tannoy announcements in stores up-and-down the country to mark his latest release. (EDITOR: Oh, I'll look forward to listening out for those, the next time I'm in Morrisons, flashing my smile and my Morrisons More Card!)

Lee Newman, Media and Paper Shop Buying Manager at Morrisons, said: "Peter Kay is a national treasure with jokes that make people laugh from Bolton all the way to Amarillo. Hundreds of people will be rushing to grab a copy of his new book, and we know the main man himself would approve of the gift we're offering to our customers alongside it. It’s the future!”

To find your nearest Morrisons store, please visit: https://my.morrisons.com/storefinder. 

Incidentally, I think this will be a "must buy" Christmas stocking filler of a book. Just eat the garlic before you wrap the book up!

Aldi launches garlic bread crisps

Aldi have announced the absolutely ultimate combo this month. Aldi has merged two incredibly popular snacks, garlic bread and crisps, to create a tasty treat. New Specially Selected Garlic Bread Crisps!

The Specially Selected Garlic Bread Crinkle Cut Crisps, just £1.15 (150g), will be hitting the shelves on 30th July, the first of its kind to grace a UK supermarket’s aisles.

Packed full of fantastic flavours, shoppers will be hit with the delicious taste of smoky garlic, whilst experiencing the hearty crunch of Aldi’s premium Specially Selected crinkle cut crisp style.

What’s more, Aldi shoppers will be able to continue to explore tantalising new flavours this July with the Specially Selected Croque-Monsieur Crinkle Cut Crisps, also just £1.15 (150g). 

Boasting the classic popular cheese and ham flavour, these French inspired savoury goodies will also arrive to stores on 30th July.

The perfect dinner party nibble or ultimate partner to any summer picnic, both flavours of these luxuriously quirky crisps are set to have shoppers saying oh-la-la!

These mouth-watering new releases will be available to buy in stores nationwide and via Click and Collect from 30th July.

New season Wild Garlic Yarg cheese now available

Cornish hedges and woodlands are brimming with the vibrant green and pungent aroma of wild garlic at this time of year.

It is also the time of year that a dedicated team of pickers from Lynher Dairies spring into action at Pengreep Farm, West Cornwall to produce Wild Garlic Yarg. The result is a seasonal, handmade cheese that makes the most of the changing seasons and flavours of the Cornish countryside. This is a fabulous cheese for al fresco eating: mild, creamy and just a little crumbly, perfectly paired with fresh bread and fruity chutneys.

After gathering the wild garlic by hand, the team then 'paint' the leaves in concentric circles onto soft white rounds of Yarg cheese. This encourages the maturing process, whilst infusing the cheese with a hint of garlic.

The subtlety of the garlic in the cheese makes it a versatile cooking ingredient, adding extra, but not overpowering, interest to dishes. Try replacing gruyère with Wild Garlic Yarg in an Alsace style onion tart or for a real summery dish, try a twice-baked soufflé with a wild garlic salsa verde.

Wild Garlic Yarg is made by hand in the same way as Lynher Dairies' famous nettle covered Yarg, using milk both from the dairy's own herd of Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian cross cows and from nearby farms. As one of the UK's most successful artisan cheese makers, Lynher Dairies processes two million litres of milk a year and makes nearly 200 tonnes of cheese, which is distributed nationally.

A 900g truckle of Wild Garlic Yarg costs £16.95 (including p&p) from Lynher Dairies Cheese By Post and is also available from selected cheese counters nationwide.

For further information, visit www.lynherdairies.co.uk.