By Angela Martindale
If you would like to reboot your immune system, but don’t know which healthy snacks you should eat to do it? I’ve got you covered. Below are my top 5 favorite grab and go snacks to give your body an immune boost.
What’s Great About Green Tea?
Although this not a food snack, it is vital for resetting your immune system and can replace 1 cup of your normal coffee throughout the day. Here’s why you need this in your nutrition make-over: Green tea is considered to be 1 of the healthiest drinks in the world for your immunity containing the greatest amount of natural antioxidants for your body available. It not only contains catechins, polyphenolic compounds that have been linked to heightened cardiovascular health, but it also contains the infamous EGCG which is the bioactive component most effective in eliminating free radicals, decreasing inflammation, and oxidizing and preventing cell damage, so that your body has the cleanest cells possible to fight off disease. Buy Your Green Tea (to get the most bang for your buck, go with a loose leaf brand), heat up your water (but not boiling), steep for 45 seconds so you don’t scald the leaves, and drink in the immune boost on the go!
Why Say Yes To Leafy Greens?
There is a reason your mother told you to eat your Spinach-it is a superfood that has the power to repair, oxidize and fill your cells with amazing vitamins and nutrients such as; vitamin C, (an antioxidant), vitamin K (“siphoning” calcium out of the bloodstream which, when combined with specialized proteins in the blood, helps the blood to clot properly so that cuts and scrapes can heal quickly and without excessive bleeding), and Lueitin (which is a key element to maintaining healthy vision and preventing sight degeneration- imperative when you spend your day looking at a screen all day). 2 cups of fresh spinach provides about 25% of our daily iron needs and at only 23 calories per serving, is the perfect snack! Pack 2 cups of spinach in a reusable container the night before work, along with a small reusable container of olive oil based dressing, grab a fork and head to the office!
Why Stick To An Apple A Day?
One of the most powerful sources of antioxidants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C in an edible product, apples are also packed with soluble fiber and potassium to help your body digest like a BOSS. Since most cold and flu viruses live in our digestive organs, it’s so important to eat the apple’s skin which offers up to 6 times the antioxidant activity of the apple itself. To give your body the best chance at getting rid of immunity threats in your body, eat your apples! Cut them up or wash and eat them whole-either way they are a great grab and go snack for the office.
Why Are Blackberries So Good For Immune Boosting?
Blackberries are very low in calories at approximately 66 calories per ½ cup, low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium (great news for our heart and arteries), an excellent source of Fiber at 8 g/serving (benefitting our digestive system), they’re full of Vitamin E, (a key ingredient in fighting off disease and repairing and strengthening our muscles). Blackberries can be added to your dark leafy greens for a small snack salad, or can be washed, thrown into a plastic container and eaten by themselves to replace the candy bar you would normally have.
How is Tuna or other Fish Great For Adding Some Spring To Your Step?
You may want to eat this immune boosting snack in kitchen at work as it smells pretty fishy! Tuna has one of the highest percentages of Omega 3 Fatty acids which helps balance blood vessels by reducing cholesterol in your arteries, which means better heart health. Tuna meat is nutrient dense with immune boosting manganese, zinc, vitamin C, and selenium – these free radical fighting properties are paramount to fighting disease at a cellular level. Just one serving of Tuna meat gives your body approximately 200% of your daily antioxidant needs. All in all-this fish is a must have in rebooting your Spring immunity. Buy it prepackaged, mix it with a little bit of dill, lemon juice and Himalayan salt and black pepper, put it in an airtight container the night before work, grab it and go in the morning and make sure you have mints for that important staff meeting after eating it!