Nutrition- FOOD AS MEDICINE: WARDING OFF THE WINTER COLD NATURALLY

Connect & Grow Magazine: Issue 21 June 2025

As the temperatures drop and winter settles in, so too does the season of sniffles, sore throats and stubborn colds. But what if your kitchen could double as your medicine cabinet? The right foods — eaten daily, not just when symptoms strike — can help strengthen your immune system, protect your gut, and keep common colds at bay. It’s all about prevention, nourishment, and consistency.

The Gut-Immune Connection

Did you know that around 70% of your immune system lives in your gut? A thriving gut microbiome — that diverse colony of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract — plays a vital role in your body’s defence system. When your microbiome is well-nourished, it supports your immune cells in recognising and fighting off viruses before they take hold.

Winter colds often gain a foothold when the gut is inflamed, undernourished, or out of balance due to processed foods, alcohol, or stress. That’s why I encourage clients to think of food not just as fuel, but as medicine. What we eat every day sends a message to our microbiome — either to heal and protect, or to weaken and inflame.

Start Your Day with a Gut-Loving Green Smoothie

One of the easiest and most powerful ways to build resilience this winter is with a green smoothie. It’s quick, nourishing, and—when made right—a true immune booster. Packed with chlorophyll-rich greens, fibre, antioxidants, and prebiotics, green smoothies help feed your beneficial gut bacteria, reduce inflammation, and flood your cells with protective nutrients.

Winter Immunity Green Smoothie

One fruit, all power.

Ingredients:

• 1 green apple (or 1/2 banana if you prefer)

• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach or kale

• 1 celery stalk

• 1/2 cucumber

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Small chunk of fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed

• 1/4 avocado

• 1 cup water (or unsweetened plant-based milk)

Optional immune boosters:

• Pinch of turmeric + black pepper

• 1 teaspoon spirulina or barley grass powder

• A few fresh mint leaves

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Method:Blend until smooth. Drink immediately to maximise the nutrient hit.

This smoothie is a true gut and immune tonic — hydrating, alkalising, and filled with fibre to feed your good bacteria. It’s also anti-inflammatory thanks to ingredients like ginger, lemon, and leafy greens.

Midday Medicine: Immune-Boosting Soup

Soups are the winter comfort food we all crave, but they can also be therapeutic. This immune soup is packed with antiviral garlic, prebiotic leeks, fibre-rich legumes, and warming spices to support your microbiome and fight inflammation.

Nourishing Immunity Soup

Warming, healing, and deeply satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 leek (white and light green parts), sliced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1/2 cup red lentils (rinsed)

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 5 cups vegetable broth

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Handful of silverbeet or spinach (added at the end)

• Fresh parsley to serve

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

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Method:

1. In a large pot, sauté garlic, ginger and leek in a splash of water until soft.

2. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, turmeric and cumin. Stir to coat.

3. Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25–30 minutes until lentils are soft.

4. Stir in greens and lemon juice. Season and serve with parsley on top.

This soup is anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and filled with prebiotics to nourish your gut flora. It’s easy to digest and deeply satisfying.

Something Sweet: Gut-Loving Immune Dessert

Yes — dessert can be medicinal too! This simple creation uses vitamin C-rich citrus, warming spices, and gut-friendly seeds. It's free from processed sugars and packed with natural plant power.

Golden Citrus Chia Pots

Like sunshine in a jar.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk

• Zest and juice of 1 orange

• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

• Pinch of cinnamon and black pepper

• 1–2 tsp maple syrup or date paste

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds

Optional topping:

• Coconut yoghurt, pumpkin seeds, or a few pomegranate seeds

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Method:

1. In a jar or bowl, whisk milk, orange juice and zest, spices, and sweetener.

2. Stir in chia seeds. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir again.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

4. Top and enjoy chilled.

This dessert supports digestion, calms inflammation, and offers a gentle immune lift — all in a spoonful.

Other Winter Wellness Food Tips

• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut yoghurt, and miso introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut and boost microbial diversity.

• Prebiotic foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and oats feed your existing good bacteria, helping them thrive.

• Zinc-rich foods like pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas, and quinoa are vital for immune function.

• Vitamin C is found abundantly in capsicum, broccoli, kiwi fruit, citrus, and leafy greens — it’s not just about oranges!

• Spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and rosemary help reduce inflammation and have natural antimicrobial properties.

• Bone broth alternatives like vegetable mineral broth (made with garlic, onion, celery, carrot, seaweed, herbs, and miso) are warming, mineral-rich, and deeply nourishing.

• Hydration is still essential in winter — warm water with lemon, herbal teas (ginger, echinacea, licorice root), and clear broths help keep your system flushed and resilient.

Consistency is Key

One smoothie, one soup, and one dessert might not keep a cold away, but enjoying them regularly can help build resilience. Food works best when it’s used consistently, long before symptoms strike. So, as we embrace the slower, cosier pace of winter, let’s also embrace daily nourishment. Whole plant foods, eaten regularly and with intention, can help us build a foundation of true resilience — one that starts in the gut and shines through in our immunity, energy, and vitality.

Let food be your first defence — and let your day begin with green.

Kathy Ashton

Registered Clinical/Medicinal Nutritionist

T:   0413 604 712

E: admin@flourishln.com.au

(C) 2025 Break Free Consultancy

Disclaimer: all information is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change. Always seek input from a professional