Spring is a time when the sun lazily shows its dreary face. Spring is also a time when the world fills with all the colours of the rainbow and the most delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables slowly show their colourful heads. It is a time to shed our winter coats, strengthen our immune system and revive our energy!
All fruits and vegetables are seasonal and are therefore at their best at a particular time of year. For that reason, it makes sense that they be consumed at their peak, when their tastes, colours and textures are in full bloom and are unbeatable in terms of diversity and nutritional value! It is to our own interest that we take advantage of nature's goodness in this way as we strive to sustain a healthy lifestyle. However, these days, our veggies as well as our fruits are stored for longer periods of time and most are available all year round. We have subsequently lost track of what is in season and when.
Your nutritionist or naturopath can advise on seasonal produce.
Strengthen Your Immune System
Once we have cleaned our house from a state of disarray to organised chaos, the next matter of attendance needs to be ourselves, a 'spring clean your body' time. Food is the miracle nature has to offer do cleanse and detoxify, to shrug off those winter blues and unreservedly embrace the sunshine.
- Antioxidants fight off free radicals and are found in abundance in fruit (especially berries), and veggies. It is important to consume an assortment of colours - of 2-4 fruits and 3-6 veggies per day.
- It has long been known that Vitamin C tops the list of immune boosters. This vitamin is readily available in many fruits and veggies.
- Zinc helps to increase the production of white blood cells which helps fight off infection. Zinc can be found in all animal foods as well as oysters and beans.
- Garlic is another great immune booster and infection fighter, acting as an antibiotic. It also contains antioxidant properties.
- Water is an unsurpassed cleanser. It is important to drink 8 cups of water per day. This can also be in the form of herbal teas. A great start to the day would be a mug of boiling water with a splash of lemon juice. Our liver is the organ that is responsible for detoxifying our bodies, so this start to the day gives it a great lift off.
- Dandelion contains powerful properties that aid cleansing and detoxifying of the liver. Fortunately this comes in a suitably packaged tea, making it effortlessly painless to support our bodies along the cleansing process!
- Bromelain contains anti-inflammatory properties and aids with the digestion of protein. Bromelain is readily available in the juice and stem of the pineapple.
- Processed food heightens inflammation, it also may leave us feeling quite sluggish and low in energy. It is important to replace processed foods and trans fats such as cakes, french fries, crisps, biscuits with whole grains, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Good fats can be found in olive oil, coconut oil, avocadoes and fish.
- Avoid highly refined sugars. Dates can be consumed in order to combat that sweet tooth. A great idea is to take the stone out of the date and replace with a Brazil nut. Dates are a great source of iron and Brazil nuts provide us with an excellent source of selenium.
