Boost Your Immune System: The Best Foods and Supplements to Fight Off Flu Bugs and Colds

As the cold and flu season is here, it’s essential to strengthen your immune system to ward off pesky viruses. 

While good hygiene and adequate sleep play crucial roles in staying healthy, your diet can also be a powerful tool in preventing and fighting colds and flu. 

Here are the best foods and supplements to incorporate into your routine for optimal immunity.

Incidentally, nothing is guaranteed 100% and even though my wife and I follow these tips we came down with an infection that laid us low, which is why blogging activity has been severely curtailed, recently! Hopefully a normal service will be up and running soon.  

Immune-Boosting Foods

1. Citrus Fruits

Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits are packed with vitamin C, a key nutrient that helps boost white blood cell production, which is vital for fighting infections.

2. Garlic

Garlic has powerful antimicrobial properties due to its high allicin content. It has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of colds while also enhancing the immune response.

3. Ginger

Ginger is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can help relieve sore throats, combat nausea, and may have antiviral benefits.

4. Yoghurt

Probiotic-rich foods like yoghurt help balance gut bacteria, which play a crucial role in immune function. A healthy gut microbiome supports better resistance against infections.

5. Leafy Greens

Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are rich in vitamins A, C, and E, along with antioxidants that support immune health and help the body fight off infections.

6. Nuts and Seeds

Almonds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are packed with vitamin E, zinc, and healthy fats that help maintain a robust immune system.

7. Chicken Soup

There’s truth behind the old remedy—chicken soup contains amino acids and minerals that support immune function and help alleviate cold symptoms.

8. Turmeric

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has strong anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, making it a great addition to your diet.

Beneficial Supplements

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C supplements can help reduce the duration and severity of colds by enhancing immune function.

2. Vitamin D

Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased susceptibility to infections. During the winter months, supplementing with vitamin D can help keep your immune system strong.

3. Zinc

Zinc is crucial for immune function and has been shown to reduce the length of colds when taken at the first sign of symptoms.

4. Elderberry

Elderberry extract is packed with antioxidants and has antiviral properties that may help prevent and shorten the duration of colds and flu.

5. Echinacea

Echinacea supplements may help boost immune function and reduce the risk of catching colds.

6. Probiotics

Probiotic supplements help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for a strong immune response.

Final Thoughts

No single food or supplement can guarantee immunity from colds and flu, but incorporating these immune-boosting options into your daily routine can significantly improve your body’s ability to fight infections. Combine them with proper hygiene, adequate rest, and regular exercise for the best defence against seasonal illnesses. Stay healthy and flu-free this season!

Have any go-to remedies for staying healthy during flu season? Share them in the comments!

General Mills doubles vitamin D in Big G Cereals

One of the world's top cereal company delivers some good news for parents this summer, while reminding them of the wholesome goodness they grew up on with classics like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms and Cheerios.

Doubling the Vitamin D content of their Big G Cereals is just another step in their continued commitment to providing affordable, accessible nutrition because we know that breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated or break the bank – and it can be as easy as a beloved bowl of cereal.

General Mills reveals that your family-favourite cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cheerios now deliver 20% of the Daily Value of Vitamin D, twice the previous level, with the majority of Big G Cereals to follow over the coming weeks. As category leader, General Mills is the first to roll out this important nutrition upgrade across most of its Big G Cereals and is championing the effort in its new Goodness We Grow Up On campaign.

Vitamin D is absolutely vital for building and maintaining stronger bones, but is often under-consumed, with 96% of all Americans ages two years and older falling short on this key nutrient. But with the good news of an even better nutrition profile than what today's parents grew up on, they can now help close the Vitamin D gap simply with a bowl of the Big G cereals their kids already know and love.

The Big G Cereals advancement in nutrition follows approval from the U.S. FDA earlier this year to increase levels of Vitamin D fortification in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. 

Additional household favourites such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Cookie Crisp will hit shelves with the Vitamin D update throughout the coming summer months, ensuring there’s something for everyone from picky kids to busy college students right through to active adults.

“General Mills Big G Cereals have long been a leader in delivering good nutrition,” said Ricardo Fernandez, the president of U.S. Morning Foods. “We're obviously very proud to be the first major company to make whole grain the first ingredient in our Big G Cereals recipes almost 20 years ago, a commitment that we stand firm on to this very day. 

"And with the newly increased Vitamin D fortification of these cereals, we’re proud to remind parents of the goodness they grew up on with Big G and how we will continue to deliver nutritious options for their families today.”

Breakfast changes lives. Research shows that nutrients missed at breakfast are usually not made up during the rest of the day, and cereal for breakfast is hard to beat when it comes to nutrient density. For Americans at breakfast, cereal is the #1 source of whole grain, fibre and several key vitamins and minerals including folate, iron, zinc, vitamin A and many B vitamins. It's not easy to find this mix of essential nutrition in other breakfast choices. 

The old adage “the more things change, the more things stay the same” is at the root of General Mills’ new Goodness We Grow Up On campaign. 

Children of the '80s & '90s grew up with Buzz the Bee, Sonny the Cuckoo Bird and Trix the Rabbit delighting and providing delicious, affordable nutrition. To that end, families will see new premium online videos, banner ads, social content and experiential elements throughout the summer, a throwback reminder of the great taste, good nutrition and joy Big G Cereals have been delivering for decades. It’s the goodness kids grew up with then, and the goodness they’re continuing to grow up on now.  

Amy Cohn who is a Registered Dietitian and senior nutrition manager at General Mills said: “Cereal is one of few foods that’s consumed across people's lifespans and a household staple that can support good nutrition to a large portion of the population.” 

She went on to say: “Doubling the Vitamin D content of our Big G Cereals is just another step in our continued commitment to providing affordable, accessible nutrition because we know that breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated or break the bank, and it can be as easy as a beloved bowl of cereal.” 

Learn more at GeneralMills.com/gstandsforgood.

General Mill breakfast cereals are also available in the UK as well as the USA, their home country.