adding vitamin c rich foods to boost immunity

Vitamin C isn't just in oranges! Here are some simple ways to increase your Vitamin C intake just in time for cold and flu season.

As summer draws to a close, my thoughts turn to all things Fall! I happen to love Fall and all that it includes — cooler weather (perfect for camping!), the leaves turning beautiful colors, and of course, the delicious fall comfort foods. However, I'm not trying to rush my Fall favorites, or looking for premature consumption of all things Pumpkin Spice!!

But I do start thinking about Fall before it's here for one very important reason: Unfortunately, a byproduct of that perfect, cool Fall weather, is an increase in the number of illnesses we see going around. If you have young children, you probably notice that every year by about the third week of September, they start to have a runny nose! And, if you are like many, and have spent a lot more time indoors over the past few years, or even outdoors, but away from others, your immune system may have weakened, predisposing you to catching more colds than you typically would.

The best time to start rebuilding that immune system is BEFORE it's needed -- which is right now.

Our bodies are an amazing weapon again illness, when we give them the right ammunition! Most people love to eat, so if we can focus on eating the right foods to keep our immune system strong, we can get through this upcoming cold and flu season despite having not been exposed to as many germs over the past months or years as we typically would.

A strong immune system is key to staying healthy during cold and flu season. Not only may it help keep you from catching the next cold, it could also help you recover more quickly. There are a few key vitamins and nutrients that are important to your immune system. By finding easy (and delicious!) ways to add these to your diet, you’ll be feeling better all winter long.

Vitamin C 

When you think of Vitamin C you probably think of an orange. But there are so many different ways to add Vitamin C to your diet, aside from citrus. Vitamin C is a key nutrient for building a strong immune system, and it’s most important to add to our daily diet because our bodies cannot make it on its own!

But first, WHY is Vitamin C so important?  Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells — which is the key to fighting infection. Also, many studies have shown that Vitamin C will help you recover from illnesses more quickly. And, as a bonus, Vitamin C has also been shown to help maintain healthy skin. So, not only will you be feeling good, you’ll be looking good, too!

What foods contain large amounts of Vitamin C? My go to veggie for Vitamin C is the Red Bell Pepper. A red bell pepper contains almost three times as much Vitamin C as an orange!!! Anytime a recipe calls for a bell pepper, I choose at least one red bell pepper. My last choice is always a green pepper.

Of course, Citrus fruits contain a lot of Vitamin C. That’s the reason we all think of drinking orange juice when we are sick. By consuming citrus fruits all year long, however, we may be able to prevent getting sick in the first place. A great way to add citrus to your diet is to add a squeeze of lemon, lime or even orange to whatever you are making for dinner. Not only will you increase your Vitamin C intake, you may find that you won’t need to use as much salt, because citrus adds a natural “salt” flavor to many foods! Also, try adding a squeeze or a slice of these citrus fruits to your water. You’ll find yourself drinking more water while at the same time adding more Vitamin C to your diet.

One of the healthiest vegetables out there, Broccoli, also contains Vitamin C. It is also loaded with Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. It contains lots of fiber and many antioxidants. Talk about getting a lot of bang for your buck!! If you aren’t a fan of steamed broccoli, try sautéing it in some olive or avocado oil, or, my favorite, roast it in the oven, tossed with olive or avocado oil and a dusting of salt.

An easy way to add both red bell peppers and broccoli to your diet is to dunk them into a healthy dip. We often think of dips as being unhealthy -- and they sure can be -- but there's also lots of healthy dips for your veggies, as well!

Tomatoes are another excellent source of Vitamin C. While all tomatoes contain Vitamin C, different varieties of tomatoes contain varying amounts. For the highest quantities of Vitamin C you’ll want to eat green tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes. This time of year you may have a lot of green tomatoes in your garden. You can find lots of great recipes for them — last year I made a delicious frittata to use up some of my late season green tomatoes.

Another source of Vitamin C is Spinach. In addition to Vitamin C it contains antioxidants and beta carotene, which is believed to increase the infection building ability our our immune system.

Now that you know a few key foods to add to your diet for increasing your Vitamin C supply, let’s talk about implementing what you’ve just learned! By making a few modifications to your favorite recipes, you can boost their illness fighting power! A few changes you can easily make to recipes:

• Use Red Bell Peppers anytime a recipe calls for peppers

• Add Cherry Tomatoes to recipes when possible, or include them in a side salad

• Add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to most recipes

• Use Spinach in place of other greens in salads, or use in your daily smoothie

• Make a side salad containing Spinach, Red Bell Pepper and Cherry Tomatoes, flavored with a squeeze of Orange

If you'd like dinner time recipes to go with these suggestions, or you'd like other tips on boosting your immunity and living a healthy lifestyle, I invite you join my Simply Clean Living Facebook Community.

Here you will find lots of delicious, wholesome recipes (all made in minutes!), as well as other simple ways to reduce stress and save time while keeping yourself, and your family, healthy!

Got questions? Feel free to contact me directly! I'd love to hear from you!

What are some of your favorite recipes that include these Vitamin C ingredients? Please share!

xoxo,

Kim