By Laetitia Canonica, Certified Nutritionist
Is winter over yet?
Not quite, and our health is feeling it.
Spring will be here soon and the next few months will bring a lot of sun and more variety of fruits and vegetables, but for now, we still have very little choice in local vegetables. Preparing nutrient-packed recipes can get tricky during the winter, with such little choice of vegetables, but we got creative! We put together a very quick easy to make a healthy winter bullet-proof salad that combines seasonal nutrient-packed vegetables with delicious taste. This salad is here to kick your tastebuds with vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin A, E & C, and selenium & zinc. These are the antioxidant nutrients that, together with Olixir will give you the energy to get through the rest of winter.
You know what they say: “A winter bullet-proof salad a day keeps the doctor away”
Laetitia Canonica
Certified Nutritionist AfN (Association for Nutrition, UK)
IG: @canonica.nutrition
Antioxidants and vitamins for the cold weather? We got you!
Antioxidants are elements that play an important role in the well-being and health of our body. They are either provided by the food we eat or produced by our cells. We have all heard about antioxidants, but what are they really and why are they so important, especially nowadays?
Naturally present in several types of food, antioxidants are molecules responsible for protecting cells from the effects of free radicals. Their action aims to neutralise free radicals, especially when there is an excess in the body. Free radicals occur in our bodies for numerous reasons that are beyond our control, such as the UV-rays (from the sun), air pollution, pollutants present in foods we eat, but also factors that we can control such as alcohol or smoking.
For those reasons, it is important to keep our antioxidant levels up. The more antioxidants we eat, the better!
Where can we find them?
In addition to being present in certain foods, such as quality extra virgin olive oil, antioxidants include certain vitamins, trace elements and micronutrients.
Here are the vitamins and minerals which are antioxidants: Vitamin A/beta-carotene; Vitamin E/tocopherol; Vitamin C/ascorbic acid; Zinc and Selenium.
An imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralise them will cause oxidative stress. The excess of these toxic compounds damages many cells by accelerating cellular aging (nervous, cerebral, etc.) The best-known antioxidants for fighting oxidative stress are vitamins C and E, carotenoids and polyphenols.
Antioxidants are essential for our body. They help the body fight against the adverse effects of free radicals. This prevents certain more or less serious illnesses. They play an important role in the immune system, as many factors can disrupt and weaken the immune system. When this happens, the body becomes more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria which leads to various infections. Hence, the importance of favouring antioxidant foods. They help strengthen the body’s natural defence and optimise resistance against aggressors.
What is a Bullet-Proof Salad?
A delicious, well-balanced salad that delivers a significant amount of micronutrients that our body requires during a given season.
Check out this winter bullet-proof salad put together by a certified nutritionist!
Nutritional Values
| Micronutrients | per Portion | RDA (%) | Vitamin A (betacarotene) (μg/portion) | 6 901 μg | 920% |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C (mg/per portion) | 162.7 mg | 154% |
| Vitamin D (μg/portion) | 1.4 μg | 3% |
| Potassium (mg/per portion) | 1 248 mg | 36% |
| Calcium (mg/per portion) | 228 mg | 22% |
| Magnesium (mg/per portion) | 141 mg | 43% |
| Iron (mg/per portion) | 7.8 mg | 65% |
| Zinc (mg/per portion) | 1.7 mg | 15% |
| Selenium (μg/portion) | 18.1 μg | 25% |
Easy recipes to boost your immune system? Download our e-book here
