Coldest winter for 8 years? How to feed yourself well and avoid the medicine bottle this winter
If you believe the forecasters, we’re about to have the coldest winter in 8 years with snow and freezing weather predicted until a White Christmas. So as we prepare to turn the heating up another degree (or two) and with winter germs reaching their peak, how can we help ourselves to avoid the medicine bottle this winter?
According to doctor of immunology Dr Jenna Macciochi, instead of treating your illness after it’s developed by popping a pill, we should look towards prevention by eating a plant-heavy diet, which ups your phytochemical ante significantly. Natural plants have been used to prevent and to treat various diseases for thousands of years and these properties are now attributed to the abundance of phytochemicals.
Take the humble little cranberry for instance. Not just for Christmas, this unassuming tiny fruit packs a mighty punch when it comes to health benefits, in particular when it comes to our immune system. The cranberry is like Mother Nature’s superfruit; one of the most nutrient-dense fruits there is, as well as being naturally low in sugar. It contains more naturally occurring polyphenol antioxidants than many other popular fruits, as well as offering unique health benefits. A study has shown that regular consumption of cranberry juice can reduce the number of cold symptoms.
The simplest and tastiest way of consuming cranberries? A glass of cranberry juice of course. Contributing to whole body health and rich in powerful nutrients including antioxidant vitamin C, one 200ml glass of Ocean Spray Cranberry Original juice a day provides you with 60% of your recommended daily dose.
But what other foods should we be consuming that contain high levels of phytochemicals?
At present a large number of phytochemicals have been identified (literally 8000+). They are broadly classified as Carotenoids & Polyphenols but there are many further subdivisions. Polyphenols offer many promising health benefits both in fending off infection and in protection from chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, obesity/metabolic disease/type 2 diabetes & neuro-degeneration.
Whilst more research is needed before polyphenols can be recommended in supplemental doses, for now it is best to consume polyphenols in their natural form of plant foods. Polyphenols are not just found in colourful fruits and veggies but also in beans & pulses, tea, coffee, red wine, cacao, herbs, spices, condiments & olive oil.
By eating a diverse plant rich diet you will also ensure that you have many of your micronutrient needs covered (vitamin and minerals) but also be getting plenty of gut loving fibre to nurture the microbiome – these gut resident good bacteria are actually helping us liberate these phytochemicals from the food we eat.
Key Phytochemicals to help feed yourself well
- Allicin in garlic. You may have heard that garlic is anti-bacterial and for centuries has been used as both a food and medicine. This potent onion relative contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria.
- Carotenes give produce such as butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, yellow & orange peppers their orange colours. Many of the immune-enhancing effects of carotenes, as well as other antioxidants, are due to their ability to protect the thymus gland from damage. The thymus is the major gland of our immune system and starts to decline from age 20!
- Rosmarinic acid is a natural antioxidant found in culinary spice and medicinal herbs such as lemon balm, peppermint, sage, thyme, oregano, and rosemary to treat numerous ailments.
- Curcumin in turmeric is responsible for its yellow colour. There is now extensive research on its solid anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Turmeric can also help to keep viruses at bay. So, adding this spice regularly to meals could be useful to ward off infections.
- Anthocyanins are found in many fruits with red, purple and blue plant pigments and help to prevent the adhesion of pathogens to cell walls. The humble cranberry is a case in point. In fact, when compared to other berries, the photochemical bioavailability was much higher in cranberry juice compared to other fruit juices, which is thought to be one reason it helps prevent adhesion of pathogenic bacteria in the urinary tract. That’s reason enough to drink a glass of Ocean Spray cranberry juice every day.
Other examples of phytochemicals shown to have pharmacological health effects in the body include:
- Capsaicin which makes pepper spicy helps protect DNA from carcinogens.
- Resveratrol in grapes/grape skins.
- Lycopene in tomatoes – enhanced by the cooking process.
- Lutein in spinach.
- Naringenin in grapefruit.
Information by expert immunologist Dr Jenna Macchiochi (www.drjennamacciochi.com). Dr Jenna Macciochi specialises in the close relationship between nutrition, lifestyle & the immune system in health & disease. A strong advocate of preventative medicine, she is on a mission to break down the immunological science behind our health.
