Food To Fight Off Winter

Winter is here so we’ve got a super hit-list of powerful food that’ll give you a health boost and keep winter at bay — a fine antidote to the cold, dark evenings. This is food that’s said to help to counter colds, fight off flu and guard against general attacks on the immune system so that you can enjoy Christmas and the start of the New Year in the finest of fettle. (Also get ready for some terrible puns!)

There’s never too mushroom for mushrooms
Mushrooms are a great winter buster. They contain an antioxidant called Selenium which helps to support the immune system and is said to prevent damage to cells and tissues. Stock up on these and you’ll be helping to keep the colds away.

Mushrooms also absorb UV light as they grow and are a great source of Vitamin D. That makes them perfect for us in winter when there’s less sun around to produce it in our skin cells. So, whilst you’re dreaming of the hot, sunny beaches in the months ahead, tuck into a juicy meal full of mushrooms. Our Mushroom Galette would be a perfect for this.

We’ll have an Asparagus Mojito please
Asparagus is said to have several health benefits that’ll get you through to the spring. Firstly, it is a strong source of Vitamin B, which is known to boost good moods – perfect for days when you’re trying to beat a winter slump.

Secondly, Christmas and New Year celebrations can sometimes be a bit too heavy on the liver. According to recent studies, having a side of Asparagus with breakfast after a Christmas work party, may help to ease a hangover because it’s full of amino acids. It also helps protect the liver from toxins found in alcohol.

Get the mints ready!
If, you’re trying to avoid anyone under the mistletoe this Christmas, we’ve got you covered. Garlic, although incredibly stinky, has some very unassuming health benefits. You wouldn’t have thought it, but there is such a thing as garlic tea. It’s a drink that might blow your socks off, but it is said to be a fantastic remedy for shifting a stubborn cold. You may want to get some mouthwash in though!

Eating raw or partly cooked garlic regularly can also be a great way to lower cholesterol. It contains an antioxidant called Allicin which helps to achieve this. Which could come in quite handy after the Christmas Day mass consumption of pigs in blankets.

Try something new
If you’re looking for something a little bit different, Bok Choi (or Pak Choy as it’s sometimes known), is a powerhouse of a vegetable. It is a Chinese cabbage full of Vitamin C, A, K, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Iron. So, if you’re running low on multi-vitamins, eating some of this would be a great way to top up.

There’s a Nip in the Air
Finally, we have parsnips. Typically, parsnips are a bit like Marmite; you either love them or you hate them. But whatever your opinion, they can really work wonders! Parsnips contain high amounts of potassium which is great for skeletal, cardiac and muscular function. They can also lower blood pressure. So, toss them into your recipes to help keep yourself strong and healthy over the cold spell of winter.

Hopefully some of these vegetables are in your fridge already and you can start absorbing their delicious health benefits right away. Each of them would go incredibly well with a wintery and warming Higgidy pie (fancy that), so what are you waiting for? Blast winter out now!