Sage

‘Tis the season to be jolly but it is also the season for colds and flu! Unfortunately, this time of year is renowned for delivering unwanted bugs and colds. The stress of Christmas, children bringing home bugs from school and simply the immune system being lower at this time of year, will all have an impact.

However, with a little planning, there are simple ways you can infuse some immune-boosting nutrients into every meal.

Clinical nutritionist, Suzie Sawyer, tells you how to fill your plate with immunity at every meal!

Breakfast

There are some quick wins to be had with breakfast. This is probably one of the easiest meals to add immune-boosting vitamin C, widely available in many fruits. Some fruits have more vitamin C and immune-boosting antioxidants than others, however.

Watermelon contains some of the highest levels of antioxidants and strawberries the highest amount of vitamin C. However, whilst we may see both these fruits on the supermarket shelves at this time of year, it is not their natural season. Apples and pears are naturally available right now and it’s always best to try and eat with the seasons because nutrient levels are going to be at their highest. Interestingly, prunes (which are simply dried plums) are also high on the antioxidant chart and are often popular in the mornings (tinned is fine if you drain off most of the syrup).

Sliced apples or pears are delicious with overnight oats, granola, bircher muesli or good old porridge. Think about every meal being an opportunity to gain valuable nutrients and you’ll soon get creative. Berries are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, partly due to their beautiful dark colours. They are great as an added breakfast booster and also as an easy ‘on-the-run’ breakfast snack. Even though they may have travelled some way to get to the supermarket, which will have depleted a percentage of their nutrients, they still have many wonderful health benefits to offer.

Lunch

Lunch can be rather challenging just because we’re often away from home, maybe in the office or off-site. However, filling your body with nutrients is no less important at lunchtime and is not too difficult with just a little planning. It’s time to bring on the herbs!

The herbs sage, oregano and thyme all support the immune system, but also help relieve colds, sore throats and flu symptoms. All can easily be added to lunchtime meals.

Lunch is generally best prepared the night before which may mean eating ‘left-overs’ but these meals still deliver important nutrients. Think about dishes such as Bolognese, soups, stews, curries, roasted chicken or fish which are just as good the next day and taste even better with some extra herbs liberally added.

Dinner

Dinner doesn’t need to be overcomplicated for it to be healthy and immune boosting. Whatever dish you’re eating, the most important thing is to make sure you’ve included vegetables, which are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants. Also important is beta-carotene, rich in sweet potatoes, carrots and peppers, which the body converts to vitamin A as needed – another immune-boosting vitamin.

Any dark-coloured vegetables such as kale, broccoli, sprouts and red cabbage will provide lots of nutrients. However, even lighter coloured root vegetables such as swede (in season right now) can hold their head high when it comes to boosting immunity. You can always have a bowl of vegetable soup as a starter to further increase your veggie intake.

It’s also worth the investment of buying a slow cooker. You can literally throw all the ingredients in, maybe before going to work, and they will be beautifully cooked by the time you come home. A small amount of morning chopping is worth the health benefits you’ll gain.

With a little planning, every meal can support you through the cold and flu season by boosting your immunity this winter.

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Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

For everything you need to know about vitamins, minerals and herbs visit our sister site Herbfacts

Every season brings a wealth of delicious, nutritious and colourful foods and summer has it all! It’s always best to eat with the seasons to gain maximum nutritional benefit from foods. However, it’s also a great time to make sure your June diet is on-track, keeping you feeling healthy and energised through the summer season.

Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares the range of foods that can help kick-start your healthy eating plan for June.

Favourite fruits

Summer always brings a wealth of colour variety and nutritional goodness with all the delicious fruits available. It’s actually the best month for one of our all-time fruit favourites, strawberries! They contain some of the highest levels of vitamin C of all fruits, plus a wealth of beneficial plant compounds providing antioxidant protection. Many of these benefits are found in the skin and seeds.

And whilst there’s often a big question mark around fruit and sugar content, the good news is that strawberries (and all berry fruits) are low on the glycaemic index, so won’t upset blood sugar levels. Plus cherries are in season now too! Peaches are also on trend and they’re loaded with immune-boosting beta-carotene which helps protect skin from sun damage.

Flavoursome fish

Our fish arrives on the supermarket shelves from all over the world so it’s really heart-warming to know that at certain times of year, we can actually eat fairly locally-sourced fish. Scallops from UK waters are always delicious with a sweet taste and firm texture. Additionally, crab is at its best right now, and so is plaice.

These fish are all high in protein, low in fat and can be used in many recipes. Scallops are great gently pan fried in a little butter with lemon and garlic, plaice works really well also pan-fried with capers and chopped tomatoes and there’s few better salads than one that includes some freshly dressed crab.

Versatile vegetables

Vegetables should always play a hugely important role in the daily diet at whatever time of year. However, make the most of the array of vegetables in season and maybe try some different ones? English asparagus and Jersey Royal potatoes are just two of our seasonal favourites.

However, why not try some broad beans? As a member of the legume family, they provide a good source of protein, plus heaps of energising B-vitamins and immune-boosting vitamin A. They’re hugely versatile and very tasty. They can be blended with some frozen peas, lightly cooked for around 3 minutes, whizzed up with some garlic and a little extra virgin olive oil and then spread onto sourdough bread with a goat’s cheese base. Equally, if you’re feeling in the mood for beans then runners come into season in June and are great to eat whilst still tender. They’re perfect with roasted lamb, also now in season.

Plus, don’t forget carrots! They partner well with everything or can be eaten on their own with some hummus, aubergines (fantastic roasted and then eaten hot or cold) and globe artichokes (great for feeding the healthy gut bacteria and delicious too!)

Healthy herbs

Whilst there’s some wonderful perennial herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme, there’s plenty of others coming into season in June. Herbs have clearly been used medicinally for many years and whilst we generally choose them to add to our favourite dishes, it’s always good to remember their medicinal powers too.

Basil, which is the main ingredient in pesto, livens up many dishes that would otherwise be plain, such as pasta. However, it also works really well with chicken, mozzarella and tomato as well as white fish. Basil naturally helps the digestion which is why it’s often used with fattier foods.

Coriander is an essential herb in many curries, soups and casseroles and was originally used to help the urinary tract. Mint also aids digestion; another favourite in tea. Mint, of course is quite unique in that it works really well with sweet or savoury dishes: it’s a must with Jersey Royals and of course summer Pimms!

So why not make a point of eating as much seasonal food this June as you can and reap the fresh nutritional benefits?

FOR MORE GREAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE ADVICE:

Sign up to receive our blog and get a weekly dose of the latest nutrition, health and wellness advice direct to your inbox.

Visit us at www.feelaliveuk.com for the latest offers and exclusive Alive! content.

Follow and Chat with Suzie on Twitter @nutritionsuzie

For everything you need to know about vitamins, minerals and herbs visit our sister site Herbfacts

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Easy ways to boost your immunity at every meal

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