5 Best Winter Foods to Boost Your Immunity

With the arrival of the winter season, people are ready to snuggle a little longer in their blankets and bring forward jackets, sweaters, and mufflers from their closets. The winter season is especially likable due to the chilly atmosphere and beautiful sunrises it brings. However, something that we need to be extra careful of during wintertime is our health. Low exposure to sunlight and temperature drop may weaken our immune system. Our body's ability to fight bacteria and viruses loses its strength and this is the exact reason why we suffer from cold, cough, or flu especially during winters. Infections and germs spread faster in a colder environment and our body can't fight with them all at once. With getting sick, it also takes a longer time to heal during this season as our body can't get enough energy to fight back.

Not to worry about the changing environment if you can take good care of yourself. With winter comes our natural instinct and preference for food. We like to have something hot and warm so that our body temperature rises and we feel good against the soaring cold. Backing our seasonal preferences with science, some foods are proven to boost our immunity and increase our energy levels during winter. Incorporating these foods in your regular diet can help you fight bacteria and stay disease-free throughout the season. The intent of seasonal foods and changing diet patterns is for us to get adapted to changing seasons without getting sick.

You don't need to rely on chemical tablets to help you protect yourself from disease-causing bacteria and viruses. By opting to eat some of the below-mentioned immunity booster foods you can combat the toxins away from your body and stay healthy and fit.

- Spices: Indian spices are aromatic, full of flavour, and a must in every Indian kitchen. What makes them special is that along with enhancing the taste of any given dish, they are also full of health benefits. For ages, we have known about the importance and relevance the spices have in our cuisine and culture. With their high nutritional profile, they are a part of several ayurvedic remedies as well. They are mostly warm and hot in flavour and lighten up the fire in your belly that may get extinguished during winters. Spices like ginger powder, garlic powder, garam masala, cinnamon powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder, red chilli powder increase your body temperature and provide many antioxidants which fight the radical damage and charge up your body. 

- Ghee: Desi Ghee is not just a spread, it is a tradition in India. People consume ghee on a daily basis in one way or another. Full of vitamins and antioxidants, it is considered to be very beneficial in the growth of our body and mind. Many people consider ghee as unhealthy because of its fat percentage but it has many medical benefits which we tend to ignore. It is an incredible source of energy and keeps the body warm. One should definitely consume ghee in the winter season as it fights with cough/cold and keeps the immune system strong. Make sure you buy organic ghee as due to its high demand many people are selling adulterated ghee in the market which can be harmful to health. 

- Tea: One of the favourite drinks of Indian people has to be tea. Many people can't start their day until a cup of this bliss. Warn tea feels amazing during any time of the day in the winter season. As much as it is refreshing and enjoyable, it also has many benefits. It helps in better digestion, provides a boost of energy, and helps you to stay active throughout the day. It can not only quench your thirst for something warm in the cold season but also help you to keep your immunity strong so that you don't catch infections or diseases. Being a good source of antioxidants, it can cure headaches, relieve uneasiness and inflammation, and burn excess fat. Ailments like cold and flu will stay away if you enjoy your tea time. 

- Dry Fruits: We are all guilty of munching unhealthy snacks and overeating our regular meals during the winter season. To adapt to a colder environment, the body demands more food to generate more energy. However, what to eat or not depends on us. While fried and processed foods make our body more prone to diseases, healthy snack alternatives can help to bear the winter season by gearing up our immunity. Dry fruits provide much-needed vitamins and minerals to our body and make us feel fulfilled due to their higher fiber content. Nuts like almonds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins are considered superfoods due to their high nutritional profile. They provide essential fats to the body and keeps it warm by improving blood circulation in the body. 

- Seeds: One of the healthy trends you can pick up this winter season is to consume raw seeds. They are very versatile as they can be included in smoothies, shakes, baked goods, breakfast cereals, etc. These seeds can provide you with protein, fiber, and healthy fats which is very important to keep the energy levels up. Pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, etc, are the best ones due to their unbelievable benefits. Power-packed with nutrients and antioxidants, they produce heat in the body and gear up all the internal organs. The nutrients present in them help in making more immune cells that can protect the body in case bacteria or virus enters it. Organic seeds are a way better and healthier option if you are thinking to add seeds to your diet.

Summing it up
Along with a balanced diet, the above-discussed food can definitely help you survive winter in a healthy way. In addition to your winter-specific diet plan also make sure to do physical exercise as much as possible so that your body heats up with movement and becomes more flexible and active in the cold season.