Happy hump day!

Who remembers the happy hump day camel? That's really good marketing when you can remember a commercial for YEARS! I have procrastinated my new weekly blog, but hey I am human too right? I visited Pittsburg, KS for the first time this past weekend to celebrate my husband's birthday. We went to a casino there, enjoyed some local cuisine, and stopped at Big Brewtus on the way home. Who knew Kansas had such cool things to discover? Monday my kids were home for President's Day and yesterday I think I started coming down with the flu.

Let's talk vitamins that support our immune system. All of these can be taken as supplements, but I'm going to include foods that are rich in these vitamins as well.

1. Vitamin C

-antioxidant and protects your body from toxins that cause inflammation

-Vitamin C rich foods: red and green bell peppers, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries, brussel sprouts

2. Vitamin B6

-helps produce white blood cells and T cells. These cells fight off bacteria and viruses

-Vitamin B6 rich foods: chickpeas, beef and beef liver, salmon, tuna, chicken breast, fortified cereal, potatoes, turkey, bananas, cottage cheese, winter squash

3. Vitamin E

-antioxidant that keeps your T cells performing like a rock star

-Vitamin E rich foods: sunflower seeds, nuts, spinach, broccoli, kiwi, mango, tomatoes

4. Zinc

-anti-inflammatory that is responsible for making your immune cells function properly

-Zinc rich foods: oysters, beef, blue crab, pumpkin seeds, pork, turkey, cheddar cheese, shrimp, lentils, canned sardines, Greek yogurt, milk

5. Selenium

-this vitamin activates your immune response, but it also stops it from going overboard

-Selenium rich foods: Brazil nuts, tune, halibut, canned sardines, lean meats, cottage cheese, brown rice, eggs, oatmeal, dairy, lentils, nuts and seeds, peas.

I am grateful to have a mild case of the flu. Maybe it is because I eat a lot of these foods regularly and take several supplements, who knows?!?! I am just grateful to still be feeling pretty good. Stay healthy!