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" You&amp;#039;ve stocked up on cold and flu medicine and have enough hand sanitizer and tissues to last for decades, but have you considered how your diet affects your health? Most people opt for orange juice and chicken noodle soup when they feel the sniffles coming on, but those aren&amp;#039;t the only foods that can help fend off disease. Vitamins A, C and E as well as other nutrients are important in boosting immunity and are found in a variety of foods like carrots, almonds and bell peppers.   The key to staying healthy, advises Eric Plasker, DC, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle, is to make healthy foods part of your daily life. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s important not to be crisis-motivated: Don&amp;#039;t wait until you&amp;#039;re sick and use foods as drugs,&amp;quot; Dr. Plasker says. &amp;quot;They need to be a regular part of your diet.&amp;quot; Sheana Brighton, RD, LDN, a clinical dietitian at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, Illinois, stresses including a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet because they contain phytochemicals, which are thought to have health-protective qualities. She says, &amp;quot;They may have similar effects as antioxidants. They boost the immune system, provide anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties, and promote cell repair.&amp;quot;   Below, check out 10 flu-fighting foods that boost your immunity, help fight infection and more. Plus, we&amp;#039;ve also included tasty recipes that contain each of these super ingredients, so you can start battling the season&amp;#039;s worst colds tonight.   1. Red Bell Peppers Savvy flu-fighters always increase vitamin C intake when they feel illness coming on, and with good reason: It not only helps fight off illness, but can decrease the severity and duration of symptoms. But chugging OJ isn&amp;#039;t your only option; tasty and versatile, red bell peppers contain twice as much immune-enhancing vitamin C as oranges and work in a variety of dishes. Try one of these recipes: Sausage and Pepper Pies or Chicken with Peppers &amp;amp;amp; Cauliflower.   2. Carrots Jennifer Zartarian, ND, Wellness and Research Coordinator at Long Island College Hospital in New York City, says yellow and orange veggies, like carrots, contain beta-carotene. This compound is converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps increase T-cells and boost immunity. Carrots are great in side dishes. Try one of these recipes: Roasted Ginger Carrots or Mashed Carrots &amp;amp;amp; Rutabaga.   3. Almonds This popular nut is a good source of vitamin E, which is a disease-fighting antioxidant. Grab a handful for your midafternoon snack or use them to flavor main dishes. Try one of these recipes: Wasabi Almond Catfish with Roasted Baby Squash or Paprika-Almond Chicken Breasts.   4. Sweet Potatoes Like carrots, sweet potatoes are an orange-colored food that contains beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body and has been shown to help fight respiratory infections. Use sweet potatoes in soups, salads and side dishes. Try one of these recipes: Mexican Pork &amp;amp;amp; Sweet Potato Stew or Ham and Sweet Potato Salad.   5. Chicken Soup No surprise that this common cold remedy made our list, but do you know why moms having been ladling it out for years? Chicken soup does a body good because of the healthy veggies in the broth (like carrots). It also has mild anti-inflammatory properties, which may help decrease mucus production and throat swelling. But one of the main benefits of this winter staple may just be how it makes us feel. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a comfort food that makes the soul feel good, and what&amp;#039;s good for the soul is good for the body,&amp;quot; says Dr. Plasker. &amp;quot;It also temporarily raises your body temperature, which can help you fight infection.&amp;quot; Try one of these recipes: Chicken Noodle Soup or Spring Vegetable &amp;amp;amp; Chicken Stew.   6. Garlic The sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to kill viruses and may help prevent sickness. Adding garlic to your cooking is a good idea, but Darwin Deen, MD, senior attending physician at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, warns that while garlic is a very potent compound, you will have to take a supplement in addition to eating garlic-enriched foods to get a dose high enough to affect your health. Garlic works well in a variety of main dishes\u2014from pastas to meat. Try one of these recipes: Garlic Shrimp with Angel Hair or Garlic and Rosemary Leg of Lamb.   7. Ginger The natural plant compound gingerol, which is found in fresh ginger, can help fight off infection. This root is used to spice up entr\u00E9es as well as side dishes. Try one of these recipes: Gingered Squash and Pear Soup or Ginger-Soy Salmon &amp;amp;amp; Bok Choy.   8. Salmon Dr. Zartarian advises that salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 as well as fish oil, which has been shown to boost immunity. This fatty fish works well as a main dish or a salad topper. Try one of these recipes: Salmon with Curry Yogurt Sauce or Glazed Salmon on Greens and Orange Salad.   9. Mushrooms This favorite fungus for pizza toppings and soup stocks alike contains selenium, which helps white blood cells produce cytokines to clear up sickness, as well as beta-glucan, an antimicrobial type of sugar that fights infections. Mushrooms can be thrown into soups, salads, side dishes and entr\u00E9es. Try one of these recipes: Mushroom Bolognese or Pierogies with Smoky Mushrooms.   10. Dark Chocolate Luckily, fending off illness doesn&amp;#039;t mean you can&amp;#039;t indulge your sweet tooth. The high doses of cocoa in dark chocolate support the growth of T-cells and increase the immune system&amp;#039;s ability to defend against infection. Don&amp;#039;t think this is a free pass to load up on the sweets, though; Dr. Plasker says that laying off sugar and alcohol can be just as important as loading up on healthy foods. &amp;quot;If you consume too much of them, they can offset the good things,&amp;quot; he adds. Snacking on a few dark chocolate squares can do the trick, or you can mix it into a dessert. Try one of these recipes: Dark Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons or Orange-Chocolate Nut Tart. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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