7 Fruits and Vegetables That Boost Your Immune System

With cold and flu season just around the corner, now it’s more important than ever to get your immune system in the best shape you can. Getting enough sleep and exercise, and keeping your stress level down, can really do a lot for your health. But having a right diet is just, if not more, important. Luckily, there are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables out there that have immunity-boosting properties.

1. Sweet Potatoes.

And just in time for Thanksgiving! Sweet potatoes owe their orange hue to beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into Vitamin A, an essential nutrient for fighting against disease. Sweet potatoes are actually one of the best fresh sources of immunity-boosting properties out there.  

2. Berries.

Packed with Vitamins C and E,berries truly are a nutritional powerhouse. Some of your best bests are common berries like raspberries and blueberries, as well as less common ones like acai and goji. Try eating berries with yogurt, another great-immunity boosting food.  

3. Mushrooms.

Mushrooms are one of, if not the best, vegetarian foods for preventing and fighting disease. That’s because mushrooms help the maturation of your white blood cells, and, as some research suggest, might actually help them ward off disease better!  

4. Carrots.

Though they probably won’t help you see in the dark, carrots might just help you ward off seasonal colds and flus. Like sweet potatoes, carrots are full of beta-carotene. For the best immune system-boosting results, stick to eating raw carrots.  

5. Garlic.

People have been using garlic to ward of disease for thousands of years. And, more and more research suggest, it’s more than just folk medicine. One  prominent study (PDF) found that people who took garlic supplements got few cold symptoms, and, if they did get sick, they were ill for less time than the placebo group.

If you can handle it, try eating a clove of garlic every day. But it doesn’t just have to be the hard way — adding some minced garlic, fresh or cooked, is beneficial.  

6. Kiwi.

Kiwifruit is a great natural source of vitamin E, a key nutrient for your immune system. Vitamin E helps protect your body from viral and bacterial infections. Though the jury is still out on whether or not vitamin C helps boost immunity, kiwifruit does have more of the stuff than most citrus fruits, including oranges!  

7. Spinach.

Like kiwi, spinach is loaded with vitamin E. But that’s not all. Spinach really packs a huge nutritional punch. it has loads of beta-carotene, folate and vitamins A, C and K, as well as minerals like copper and iron — all nutrients vital to maintaining a healthy immune system. 

12 Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight

So you’re eating well, working out, and that number on the scale still won’t budge. Even worse: Between tailgating season, Halloween, and the holidays, losing weight is about to get even harder. There is good news, though. You can take control. Just eliminate these surprisingly destructive habits and the sneaky foods that are responsible for destroying your diet.

You Eat with Your Hands
A new study suggests that people who use tongs to serve themselves food actually eat about 30 percent less of it. 


You Eat Fruity Yogurt
Most fruit-flavored yogurts—and plenty of other healthy-sounding foods—are sweetened with fructose. But unlike other sweeteners, this one doesn’t tell your brain you’re full, according to a new study. The result: You end up eating way more calories than your body actually needs. 


You’re Drinking Too Much
Most people overlook liquid calories entirely, says Felicia Stoler, registered dietician and author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes. So don’t expect to notice when a seemingly single-sized juice can or bottle actually contains two or three servings—and two to three times more calories. Your best bet: Replace juice with water, and eat your calories instead of drinking them, she says. 


Your Fave Team is Losing
Turns out, you’re more likely to binge eat the day after your sports team bombs a big game, according to a 2013 French study. 


You Hit Up Happy Hour—A LOT
People don’t realize just how many calories they drink, says Stoler. What’s more, the alcohol in your cocktail can reduce your inhibitions, so you hit the happy hour menu (hello, nachos!) even harder. 


You’re Overdoing It at Breakfast
While the standard serving size for cereal is about two-thirds of a cup, breakfast bowls can hold much, much more. So when you fill yours to the brim with cereal, and top it off with milk, you could be eating twice as many calories as you think—or more.


You Treat Yourself a Little TOO Often
When you indulge in sweet or fatty foods like ice cream regularly, you end up craving larger portions to feel satisfied, says Stoler. Need a sweet treat every day? A new studypublished in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that a few bites really will satisfy you just as much as a larger serving. 


You’re Guzzling Diet Soda
Drinking calorie-free sweeteners is like dumping water in your gas tank instead of gasoline, says Stoler. (For non-mechanics: It fills you up, but doesn’t keep your motor running.) When hunger strikes, drink water instead, and fill up on wholesome foods to drive off hunger pangs later. 


You’re Depriving Yourself
When you cut out whole food groups (like carbs or fat, for instance) you set yourself up to binge eat them the next time you let yourself splurge. So instead of crossing them off your grocery list, entirely, learn how to manage your strongest cravings with these tips.


You Order the “Regular” Size
Think you’re in the clear because you downsized your large order of fries? Turns out, people actually consume more calories when they order regular-sized menu items than when they order portions advertised as “double-sized”, according to a new study. 


You’re Staying Up Too Late
People who hit the sack on the late side tend to eat more high-fat and high-calories foods than those who tuck in earlier, according to a recent study. No wonder they also gain more weight. 


You Think Working Out Gives You A “Pass”
Exercising can make you want to eat more—but that doesn’t mean you should, says Stoler. And it doesn’t help that most people grossly overestimate the number of calories they torch at the gym. The good news: Picking up the pace might actually decrease foods cravings, according to a new study.  

The Highest-Ranking Passports For Traveling Without A Visa (13 pics)

Passport Index provides you with the information about what rights your passport gives you and the number of countries you can visit without a visa. Check out the highest ranking passports in the world.

13. Norway — 156 countries

12. South Korea — 156 countries

11. Belgium — 156 countries

10. The Netherlands — 156 countries

9. Italy — 156 countries

8. Denmark— 156 countries

7. The United Kingdom — 157 countries

6. Spain — 157 countries

5. Switzerland — 157 countries

4. France — 157 countries

3. Finland — 157 countries

2. Sweden — 158 countries

1. Germany — 158 countries

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