When it comes to Canadian cities, Toronto’s GTA (6.5 million) is just a little smaller than New York City (about 8.5 million). And it has the normal big-city challenges, ranging from population density issues, inequality complications and the type of pollution you’d expect for a city that large. The bottom line? It can be hard to stay healthy and safe, especially during cold and flu season.
Here are just a few tried-and-true tips for living healthy in Toronto.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fruit smoothies in the morning deliver a blast of vitamin C, while butternut soup for lunch keeps you warm and toasty. Adding dark leafy greens at dinner top you up for the day. Eat a variety every day for good health!
- Did you know omega-3 fatty acids rich in DHA and EPA can help to stave off the flu and other viruses? They’re great at fighting off inflammation and provide a solid immune defense against the winter woefuls of colds and flu. If you’re not into eating oily cold-water fish like salmon, herring, trout, anchovy, tuna or sardine a fish oil supplement from a Toronto health store can help you get the omega-3 fatty acids you need.
- Add in some turmeric! Turmeric root gives curries their distinctive, rich, yellow-orange color. One of its key components is curcumin – a key component in Ayurvedic medicine. Adding in black pepper’s piperine extract helps absorption, and so does taking the supplement with a high-fat meal. You can even take it with fish oil or coconut oil.
- Rose hips are powerful antioxidants, immune boosters, anti-inflammatories, in addition to being potent sources of both vitamin C and iron. These little beauties help to fight off colds, flu, UTIs, prevent scurvy, and metabolize fat. You can find them in a lot of commercially available tees, or in multiple forms at a local health store.
Check out your local health store for other supplements, teas, foods, and treatments to keep you healthy all year round.
