Boost up for winter

A sneeze here, a sniffle there, itchy throat, joint pains. When this happens, we know winter has arrived. We just need to boost our immunity with antioxidants from the plant kingdom. We can live without food or water for days, but we cannot live without breathing for more than a few minutes.

When we breathe, we take in oxygen which is every cell’s basis for survival. Think of oxygen as a fuel and just as a fuel produces ashes as residuary, free radicals are residuary of oxygen. Free radicals are harmful to the body as every cell they touch is scarred with holes. When these cells become infected because of free radicals, they swell in size causing various ailments from low energy to chronic diseases as well as cancer.

The saviours here are antioxidants. I like to think of them as the little soldiers that protect our body against damage caused by free radicals, pollution, toxins chemicals. Antioxidants are your rainbow foods – white, red, yellow, orange, green and purple and are produced in phytochemicals (plant food).

These are non-nutrients as they have no calories but are absolutely necessary for good health. Scientific research is claiming the benefits of antioxidants and how they can reduce, reverse and retard chronic conditions, heart diseases and even cancer.

Antioxidants are wonder drugs found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, herbs and spices. The winter season lets you fill your plate with a variety of antioxidant-rich foods. Add on these magical guardians for your well-being.

Purple Yam: It is low in the glycemic index and is a good source of carbohydrates. These also keep you full for a long time. I many times replace my grain with purple yam patties and accompany it with vegetables and soup.

Purple & green grapes: The seed of purple and green grapes contain the antioxidants, so we need to consume grapes with seeds.

Leafy greens: They are your powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. The winter has an amazing quality of spinach, fenugreek and mustard leaves. So, add your ‘sarso ka sag’ and methi vegetables in your food.

Guava: It contains four times more vitamin C than an orange. Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant that improves health.

Tomato: Call it a fruit or a vegetable, the tomato is a treasure of nutrients. Its red pigment lycopene which is a carotenoid in other words a beta-carotenes chemical, the cousin a powerful antioxidant.

Strawberry: This fruit has one of the highest counts of antioxidants and also a good amount of vitamin C.

Garlic: It is amazing for joint pains thus great during the
winter.

Ginger: It aids digestion, cleans the sinuses and prevents joint aches.

Turmeric: Fresh turmeric root is available during winter. It cleans up the respiratory tract, purifies the blood and is a natural histamine preventing coughs and colds.

Amla: This little berry comes fresh in the winter months just chop it and add it your vegetable juice. A very good source of Vitamin C making it a powerful antioxidant.

Nuts: Walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios are your good quality fat that lubricates your joint preventing body pains.