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The Free Fitness
Tips Newsletter - December 2008
brought to you by
http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
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The Free Fitness Tips Newsletter -
December 2008 is sponsored by:
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Hello everyone. Welcome to the
last Free Fitness Tips Newsletter of 2008. I hope you had a
Merry Christmas and are looking forward to celebrating the New
Year tonight. This month I've been getting in the Christmas
spirit by posting a number of festive articles to the
Free Fitness Tips Blog.
Hopefully these will help you keep your fitness levels up during the
holiday period. So without further ado let's get on with this
month's newsletter:
1)
Featured Article
This month
I've been working extra hard to get the
Free Fitness Tips Blog
ready for the festive period. As a result I've got even more
articles than usual to choose this month's featured entry from.
However, as regular blog visitors will probably have guessed I have
decided to go with...
6
Foods to Boost your Immune System this Christmas
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In one of my
recent articles I discussed how Christmas unfortunately brings with
it an increased chance of getting the
common cold or the flu. Since there are so many different types
of cold and flu virus the body can never be completely immune to
them. However, by making sure your immune system is working at full
strength you can ensure that your body is in the best position
possible to fight the common cold or the flu if you contract them.
That’s why today I will be sharing with you six foods that can keep
your immune system strong over Christmas.
1) ORANGES:- Oranges seem to be a lot more abundant
over Christmas with the main reason being that people use them to
make their own Christingles. Luckily, they are also a rich source
of
vitamin C. As I discussed in a
recent post, whilst vitamin C does not have a significant impact
on your ability to prevent colds it can help boost your immune
system by promoting the production of white blood cells that fight
infection.
Oranges are
small, easy to carry and can be pretty much eaten at any time making
them a perfect immune system boosting snack. Try snacking on them
at work or grabbing one instead of a mince pie next time the
Christmas treats come out.
2) NUTS:- Nuts are another food that seem to get
associated with Christmas. Yesterday I walked through the
supermarket and saw a packet of fruit and nuts rebranded as
‘Christmas’ fruit and nuts (I wonder how long it took them to come
up with that :-)). However, the marketing guys may have it right in
terms of your immune system. Nuts are rich in
vitamin B6,
vitamin B9,
vitamin E and selenium. Research suggests that both vitamin B6
and B9 support a healthy immune system. Vitamin E and selenium work
together to enhance the production of immune system B-cells that
produce antibodies to destroy bacteria and also act as antioxidants
that protect the immune system’s cells from oxidative damage.
Nuts are
also very portable and make the perfect snack to keep at your work
desk. If you find them too dry or bland then you could even pick up
a ‘Christmas’ fruit and nut mix to give you some variety. Not only
are they a festive snack but they are much better for your immune
system than the sweets and chocolates that will undoubtedly be
offered around.
3) TURKEY:- Turkey is probably the most festive food
you can find. Unless you are vegetarian, it is highly likely that
you will eat some turkey during the holiday period. Luckily, it is
quite a healthy choice and it is good for your immune system too.
It is rich in
vitamin B1, B6 and zinc. As discussed above the
B vitamins have been linked with enhancing the immune system
whilst zinc helps the body produce infection fighting white blood
cells.
Unlike the
other foods discussed in this article you are not going to have to
go out of your way to get some turkey this Christmas. It’s more
than likely that turkey will be part of your Christmas meal and the
leftovers can then be used to make some
wholemeal sandwiches that you can bring to work. Alternatively,
you can use the leftovers to cook up another meal such as a curry,
casserole or stew.
4) MUSHROOMS:- Mushrooms are not very festive at all.
However, they are good for your immune system (and in my opinion
very tasty too) so you should try to incorporate them into your
Christmas meals. Mushrooms are rich in a number of B-vitamins,
vitamin C and zinc all of which can help boost your immune system
(as I discussed above). Research also suggests that mushrooms
activate the T cells of the immune system which help the body defend
itself from viruses and infection.
Mushrooms
are available in all supermarkets and most small grocery stores.
They are amazingly versatile and can be eaten with most foods. I
use them in curries, fajitas, pasta bakes, salads, omelettes and
much more. Since it’s Christmas you should have lots of turkey left
over so why not make a turkey casserole, stew or curry and throw in
lots of mushrooms. Not only will it add a new level of texture and
taste to the meal but it will also keep your immune system in top
shape.
5) GREEN TEA:- Green tea isn’t the most popular drink
around Christmas with hot chocolate and coffee being most people’s
first choice. However, of the hot drinks available it is one of the
best for your immune system. Research suggests that green tea can
enhance the disease fighting capacity of the immune system’s T
cells.
Green tea is
relatively easy to source and available from most supermarkets.
Whilst the taste may take some getting used to it can be drank at
any time during the day. All you need is access to some hot water.
You don’t have to replace all your hot drinks with green tea but if
you normally have six cups of coffee and tea per day, why not try
replacing three of them with green tea? That way you will still be
able to have your normal hot drinks whilst also boosting your immune
system.
6) YOGURT:- Yogurt has gained a lot of publicity
recently with a lot of companies now selling it as a ‘natural immune
system booster’ in small bottles. Although it’s not a very festive
food, research suggests that these companies are right. A lot of
the cells that power the immune system are found in the gut and
yoghurt contains pro-biotics which help keep the gut healthy. A
healthy gut therefore supports a healthy immune system.
Yogurt is
available in most supermarkets and small grocery stores. Plus, you
do not need to go for the bottled ‘natural immune system boosters’.
A pot of natural or live yoghurt can do just as much for your immune
system and costs a lot less. Whilst I find natural yoghurt quite
plain on its own, if you eat it with fruit such as blueberries or
pineapple it becomes a really tasty meal. I have natural yogurt and
fruit for breakfast most mornings so why not try having yogurt first
thing in the morning or even have it as a dessert option on
Christmas day. It’s still very tasty and will do much more for your
immune system than the mince pies and cakes.
I hope this
article has helped you understand how you can keep your immune
system strong this Christmas. Whilst some (or even most of these
foods) would not be your first festive food choice they will do
wonders for your immune system. Try incorporating them into your
diet using some of the suggestions I have suggested and hopefully
you can avoid any colds and flu this Christmas.
2)
Free Fitness Tips Blog Updates
As I mentioned since it's Christmas this has been the key topic for
December. However, since this is a fitness blog I wanted these
articles to have a healthy focus. You can check out all this
month's healthy Christmas articles below:
-
The Common Cold & The Flu Explained - December 2nd 2008
-
Can Vitamin C Help You Avoid the Christmas Colds? - December 4th
2008
-
6 Foods to Boost your Immune System this Christmas - December 7th
2008
-
Don't
let SAD Ruin your Christmas - December 8th 2008
-
4 Foods that could Improve your Mood this Christmas - December 11th
2008
-
The Importance of Getting Enough Sleep this Christmas - December
14th 2008
-
6 Christmas Exercise Ideas - December 16th 2008
-
5 Outdoor Exercises you can do this Christmas - December 18th 2008
-
4 Top Tips for Improving your Mood this Christmas - December 20th
2008
-
The Importance of getting enough Vitamin D this Christmas - December
22nd 2008
-
8 Ways to Lighten your Christmas Dinner - December 24th
2008
-
5 Healthy Winter Breakfast Ideas - December 27th 2008
-
Replace Christmas Candy with Dried Fruit and Nuts - December 29th
2008
3) Final Words
December's been an incredibly busy
month for me. I've tried to get a new festive article posted
to this blog every couple of days plus I've been extremely busy at
work. Thankfully the time off over the Christmas period has
allowed me to have a little rest. Hopefully these festive
fitness articles have helped you stay relatively healthy during the
testing times (in fitness terms) that are the Christmas holidays.
It is almost impossible to stick to
your usual diet and keep up a consistent exercise routine during
this busy period but every little helps. Even if you only do a
small amount of exercise and eat a couple of pieces of fruit per day
it is much better than completely letting yourself go. Most of
these articles contain practical tips to help you get some healthy
foods into your diet and do some exercise in the cold and wet
conditions. I strongly advise you to have a read (if you have
not done so already) and use the information to work on your
Christmas fitness.
Next month it will be business as
usual at Free Fitness
Tips. I have so many ideas floating around in my head for
what to write about and I'm really not sure where to start.
However, you will know what I decided on in the next couple of days.
That's it for another month.
Thanks for reading. All I've got to say is I hope you have a
Happy New Year tonight. Try not to party too hard but if you
do don't dwell on it. Just make sure you get back on with your
healthy eating and fitness training early in January 2009.
Until next time,
Tom Parker (Owner and Creator of Free
Fitness Tips)
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December 2008 is sponsored by:
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