5 Comfort Foods That Will Help You Handle Flu Season
Flu season brings out some nasty germs, but flu season combined with COVID? Run!
With an ongoing pandemic, the CDC has predicted that flu season 2020 should be handled with extra care.
Consuming immune-supporting foods in your daily life has certainly become the need of the hour. In addition to considering things like the flu shot and immune supplements, the top question on everyone’s mind appears to be, “what can I eat this winter to keep flu at bay?”
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the easy comfort foods you gravitate towards also served to boost your immunity?
Today, we explore five comfort foods for the flu season down below. Together, let’s learn the science-backed reason why these comfort foods can help you better handle the 2020 flu season.
Let’s dive right in.
5 Comfort Foods for Flu Season
1. Probiotic-Rich Kimchi Seoul Bowl
What’s in It?
Oven-baked tofu, garlicky spinach, rice noodles, and copious portions of kimchi topped with Korean-inspired flavors.
Here’s how you can make this irresistibly good Kimchi Noodle Bowl.
Why it Boosts Immunity
Kimchi in this specific Seoul bowl functions as a probiotic, and probiotics make your gut happy.
Probiotics have been all the rage these past few years. Not surprisingly, a recent global market report found that nearly 75% of Americans depended on some form of probiotic.
Even as the probiotic supplements market continues to grow, there has been a recent trend shift towards the consumption of natural probiotics. And Kimchi happens to be one of the many natural ways to get probiotics into your gut.
Did you know that probiotics and a happy gut are powerful indicators of a good immune system?
A research finding from a renowned gastroenterology journal found evidence for probiotics to strengthen multiple molecular pathways, directly reducing inflammation and improving many of our immunity markers.
Try out this kimchi noodle dish, and you will not be disappointed.
2. Ramen Bowl
What’s in It?
There isn’t quite anything like sipping a warm bowl of hot soup when it’s freezing outside. Don’t you think?
This bowl is pretty straightforward to make. Mushrooms, garlic, onions, and fresh coriander are fairly simple ingredients but are sure to make your immune system break into a happy dance.
Check out Daily Life’s quick and easy Ramen Noodle Recipe.
Why it Boosts Immunity
How often do you eat mushrooms? (Frequently enough, would be our guess, unless you’re allergic to or dislike them entirely.)
How often do you think about their health benefits while eating them? Did you know that edible mushrooms, in fact, have potent immune-boosting properties as studied by researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Your everyday garlic is now being referred to as a superfood owing to its immense health benefits. And last we checked, consuming superfoods is still trending. Its powerful antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties are due to its primary sulfur compound, Allicin.
In this ramen bowl, garlic adds just the right amount of savory kick and immensely elevates the flavor profile.
Raise your hand if you are down to making this easy comfort food bowl!
3. Kitchari
What’s in It?
This Indian dish is based on ancient Ayurvedic concepts of holistic health. It’s made with basmati rice, split mung beans, and seasonal vegetables sauteed in ghee.
Seasoning this dish with anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric, cumin, black pepper, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and dried red peppers greatly enhances both the nutrient and taste profile of this preparation.
This winter, learn how to make Kitchari.
Why it Boosts Immunity
Kitchari is a well-known Ayurvedic way to cleanse your gut of toxins and improve digestion. In addition to detoxification, the herbs used in this dish (turmeric, cumin, black pepper, fennel seeds) were found in recent research to have antibacterial properties.
A piping hot bowl of Kitchari is oh-so-good comfort food for the flu season that you don’t want to miss.
4. Winter Squash Soup
What’s in It?
Made with harvest squash, ginger, curry paste, and coconut milk, this hearty soup is sure to warm your soul during the winter months. Its basic recipe is encouraging for those looking to cook but don’t know where to begin.
Learn how to make this creamy, rich winter goodness with Daily Life’s Winter Squash Soup Recipe.
Why it Boosts Immunity
Ginger is quite literally a holy grail ingredient in most kitchens. Ginger is used for everything from fighting a cold, clearing congestion to helping with digestion.
Potent bioactive compounds in ginger give it its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, & anti-fungal properties. With so much going on, it’s safe to say that ginger is an anti-all-the-bad-stuff superfood.
Wouldn’t you agree?
5. Sweet Potato Spiced Chili
What’s in It?
This chili is a perfect way to hygge your winter. Because who doesn’t like to curl up by the fire on a cold evening and chow down on this delicious classic?
With sweet potatoes, avocados, and cooked beans stewed in a tomato lime base seasoned with herbs (oregano, paprika, ground cumin, etc.), your tummy is sure to scream out “oh-so-yummy” with this harvest chili recipe.
The recipe for this delish Sweet Potato Spiced Chili awaits you!
Why it Boosts Immunity
It’s no news that vitamin C foods (tomatoes and lime) can do amazing things to your body. But when it comes to flu talk, vitamin C gets all the credit.
Unfair, no?
The other ingredients in this chili also play their part in fighting pathogens. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A which is an essential component that regulates many of our immune pathways.
Lesser spoken of is vitamin E-rich avocados and their role in strengthening the immune response of our body to harmful pathogens. What’s more, oregano, paprika, and ground cumin are also enormously beneficial to your immune system.
Chili night on a chilly night. Are you saying yay or nay?
Holistic Immune System TLC With 5 Easy Comfort Foods
Supporting the immune system via supplements and flu shots is a standard way to keep flu at bay. In addition to this approach, we at Daily Life believe that tapping into nature’s abundance is an amazing way to provide extra TLC to your immune system.
Let us allow nature to be our medicine and the kitchen to be our pharmacy.
We hope you’ve learned how to use these five comfort foods for the flu. Use this as a food guide this winter and share your experience with us!
Related article: Supplements 101: Do You Need Them?
