Boost Your Immune System with a Comforting Soup

This cold and flu season, it’s more important than ever to find ways to boost your immune system, rather than just addressing illness after it hits. Aside from getting the flu shot and washing your hands, is there much you can do to keep yourself healthy this winter? Yes! Here are some simple reminders of immune-boosting habits.

• Steer clear of unhealthy habits. Don’t smoke, limit alcohol, and maintain a healthy weight. If your baseline is good health, you’re more likely to stay well.
• Exercise regularly. It’s not just about weight loss: exercise contributes to overall good health and strengthens your immune system. It promotes good blood circulation, allowing your immune system to work more efficiently.
• Get plenty of sleep. During the regenerative process of sleep, your body repairs itself. Conversely, sleep deprivation weakens your immune system.
• Manage your stress. Stress pushes your system, so it’s essential to make time for self-care. What that means varies between people, but essentially it just means doing things to help you feel refreshed. Reading, exercise and things like singing, prayer, and meditation can all be uplifting.
• Stay hydrated. We’ve all heard that drinking 64 ounces of water each day is optimal, and water is undoubtedly the best fluid for hydration, especially when you first wake up. Other beverages are hydrating as well, though.  In the cold winter months, hot, non-caffeinated teas keep you hydrated and cozy.
• Focus on nutrition. What we eat affects how the immune system defends itself against pathogens, so it’s essential to pack your diet with nutrient-dense foods. Probiotics, including fermented and cultured foods, can be beneficial to your health, and so can nutrients like vitamins C, D, and E, selenium, and zinc. Pack your diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables, along with lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, limiting processed foods and empty calories.

If you’re looking for a soup that fits the bill, providing immune-boosting benefits and tasting great, try this Better Than Chicken Soup. Packed with powerful nutrients, this soup has mushrooms, kale, and butternut squash and is flavored with ginger, garlic, turmeric, miso, and cayenne pepper. It’s dairy-free, high fiber, and sugar conscious, as well. It’s a great example of nutrient-dense food, and it’s comfortingly warm and delicious.

When you’re gathering ingredients for a soul-warming soup, make NetCost Market your first stop. For over 20 years, we’ve been committed to helping our customers save time and money while offering them the world of food all in one place. We’re a local grocer with a global reach, providing a selection of everyday food products and a variety of culinary delights from around the world. It’s our goal to provide authentic, high-quality food products from local farmers and suppliers from around the world. When you shop with NetCost Market, you’ll find a comfortable and gratifying shopping experience that even includes online grocery shopping, curbside delivery, and home delivery options.