Harmattan Foods: Best Foods To Help You Stay Healthy During The Harmattan

'To everything, there's time, and to everything, there's a season', says the Holy Book. Harmattan is here again. And with it comes many infections, including flu, colds, and other respiratory infections. For the record, the harmattan does not necessarily make us sick. Other factors associated with the harmattan does.

We are all susceptible to infections during this season. It gets worse for kids, people with low immune systems, and if you're already battling with a chronic disease. Staying healthy automatically becomes crucial. A perfect balance of healthy meals and a healthy lifestyle can help lower your risk of infections during the harmattan. Here are the top foods to help keep you warm and healthy during these cold and dry days.

Top 6 Foods to Eat In the Harmattan

Soup

Hot soup is at the top of meals to stay healthy and warm during the harmattan. Thanks to their reasonable amount of vegetables and calories, homemade soups are the number one choice meal. A hot bowl of soup passing down your gut can work wonders in your body—keep you warm, rejuvenated, and full and provide all the nutrition your body needs. However, avoid adding too much salt to your soup this season.

Veggies

When the harmattan hits, one thing that slightly goes is fresh vegetables. No matter how far you search, fresh vegetables are hard to see during the harmattan. It does not help that your body needs it to stay healthy. In the absence of fresh vegetables, root vegetables are great alternatives. They pack the same nutritious benefits as fresh ones.

When eaten raw or boiled, root vegetables like carrots and beets give you vitamins A and C and beta carotene—all of which boost your immune system.

Fruits (wet & dry fruits)

You should never be short of fruits this season, from bananas to dates, almonds, apples, papaya, plums, cashews, and so much more. Seasonal fruits grown during the harmattan can help boost your immunity and lower your chances of falling ill. They're packed with vitamins, dietary fibre, and nutrients that will help keep you warm.

Fruits like bananas pack magnesium that can help in regulating your body temperature. Dry fruits like cashews and walnuts are good sources of fats, which also help regulate the body temperature.

Spices/Herbs

Herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, black pepper, and many more should never be out of your meals. Besides their flavour properties, herbs and spices help maintain thermogenesis, pack antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. When added to meals, these healthy ingredients can boost your body's immune system, relieve coughs, colds, and sore throats, and support respiratory health.

Never underestimate the importance of local herbs and spices in your meal. A cup of hot ginger can bring so much positive change to your body. If you've been neglecting herbs and spices in your meals, now is the time for a change.

Protein

Proteinaceous foods are another great meal choice for the harmattan. Foods like milk, fish, meat, eggs, beans, and other dairy products have so much to offer. Milk and its by-products like cheese and yoghurt, besides being a rich protein source, packs vitamins A, B12, and calcium, which boost your health. A glass of warm milk can help keep cold away from you.

The vitamin B12 loaded in these protein-rich foods encourages the optimum functioning of your immune system. Beans also come with all the essential nutrients like vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus.

Vitamin C-Rich Foods

One thing you should strive to boost this season is your immune system. A strong immune system is what you need this season to fight colds and other infections. Vitamin C-rich foods like oranges, grapefruit, limes, lemons, and kiwi are great immune boosters. You should also consider adding other fruits like mangoes and strawberries.

Vitamin D-Rich Foods

The harmattan is characterized by less sunlight and staying indoors. But spending more time indoors can never help you overcome the various illnesses that come with the weather. Your body needs vitamin D-rich foods. These foods include eggs, salmon, red meat, and mushrooms. Besides providing your body with vitamin D, they are a great source of other essential vitamins A, B6, B12, E, K, and minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, selenium, fatty acids, and amino acids.

When the harmattan breeze comes, besides getting holed up inside, eating and drinking the right foods can help you enjoy this holiday season. Stay healthy, eat the right foods!