Vitamin C and Your Immune System

I have a cold. I’m not sure how I got it, but ‘tis the season and I felt like if I have a cold, maybe going back to basics and eating for immunity this week would help me — and others.

I have written about this before. But, I’m here to say it again: Vitamin C is a biggie for keeping us strong and healthy. It won’t prevent you from getting a cold, but eating foods rich in Vitamin C will help reduce the duration of a cold.

Vitamin C Food Sources:

• Oranges
• Red/yellow bell peppers
• Kiwi
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Lemon
• Strawberries
• Tomato
• Broccoli

There are others, but this list is readily available at all grocery stores and easy to incorporate into your diet this week.

Here’s what I’m making to get better fast:

Lemon Water: Simply adding lemon to your water bottle does actually help. It’s so easy and helps me drink more water, which helps to flush the virus away quicker.

Wilted Kale and Chickpea Salad
Modified from Hetty McKinnon

Salad
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunches of kale leaves (6 cups)
1 Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Handful of mint leaves, optional
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Sea salt

Crispy roasted chickpeas
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
Extra-virgin olive oil to toss
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and black pepper

Lemon tahini dressing
1/3 cup tahini paste
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if needed
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, cumin and paprika. Stir to combine. Roast for about 35 minutes, until chickpeas are crispy.

Next, place large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add kale, in batches, along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2–3 minutes until wilted.

Make the dressing: Whisk tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the sauce is the consistency of thickened cream. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and add more lemon juice if you like it lemony. Combine crispy chickpeas (and their cooking oil) with kale, cucumber and herbs. Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Drizzle
Clean, chop and toss a bunch of broccoli with avocado oil (1 head broccoli to 2 tbsp oil), salt and pepper. Roast at 375 until crispy (about 20 mins). Drizzle with 2 tbsp tahini thinned out with 1 tsbp water. That’s it!

Tomato Soup
If you haven’t made tomato soup since fall, like me, it’s time! Here’s my go-to slow cooker recipe.
Modified from Monique Volz

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can whole plum tomatoes (28 ounces) with juices
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken or veg broth
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 medium potato, cubed
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
2-3 cups spinach, small chop
Toppers: fresh chopped basil or parsley

Lightly coat a slow cooker with olive oil. Add onions, potato and garlic. Top with tomatoes, broth, salt, paprika and black pepper, then stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours, until the tomatoes are very soft. With an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth or blend. Next, stir in the coconut milk and spinach. Top with herbs.

Vitamin C Supplements
We always prefer eating food over supplementation, but sometimes you just need some extra help. Our favorite Vitamin C supplement is Billy’s Infinity C made by Infinity Greens. We have some in office that you can pick up (message me), or you can order via the link above.

For more healthy tips and recipes, visit healthynestnutrition.com/blog/. Need a hand finding your personalized nutrition plan? Book a free 20-minute consultation with Healthy Nest Nutrition owner Robin Hutchinson to see if our programs are right for you.