Though there's not always much you can do to avoid being exposed to cold and flu germs -- think of the person hacking away in the cubicle next to you or your preschooler coughing in your face -- you can protect yourself from viruses by eating a healthy diet. Good nutrition helps your body run well, and that includes your immune system. Not only that, but when you're in good health, it's easier to fight off the bugs you do catch.

Ediets has a list of foods that, eaten regularly, can give your body the antioxidants it needs to fight off flu this season. Get essential fatty acids from nuts and seeds, antioxidants from citrus fruit and leafy greens, and energy from complex carbs. Take a look at the gallery below for more flu-busting good nutrition choices.

Source

It's interesting to hear that an increase in healthy (or unhealthy, I suppose) salad consumption around the world is increasing the risk of disease and illness, but that is what U.S. scientists are saying.

The law of averages takes over here -- the more people consume a certain food type (which could have E.-coli or other bacterial problems), the more incidents of sickness will result.

On one hand, it's great to see more folks around the world eating vegetables and salads as opposed to more unhealthy food products or items. But, if the safety of those vegetables is of concern, there's going to be more possible problems. Are you going to stop eating salads. I won't.

Source

Are you a fan of kale, chard and spinach? Maybe not, since those are leafy greens that send some folks scurrying away fast. Although raw (and cooked) vegetables are not that palatable to many people, the vitamins and minerals many of them have should be a powerful motivator to eat them.

A secret of mine is spices -- I use spices like majoram, bay leaves, sage, garlic and pepper on so many things it would make even my head spin. The reason? The lack of "taste" is a common reason why good foods are not eaten as much as nutritionally-dead foods are eaten.

A history of processed food tastes is hard to overcome, but getting vegetables right with spices and taste (while adding hardly any calories) can be a great method for eating those "bland" leafy greens. Try it and see what you think. Fresh garlic is a taste that I'd rather have than a quarter-pound cheeseburger any day -- but it didn't happen overnight.

Source

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Until several years ago, I really didn't know that kale was an edible vegetable. I honestly thought it was just used as a garnish in buffets, to make the trays set in ice look pretty.

Imagine my surprise, when my family adopted a healthy and green lifestyle and I began to shop at Whole foods, and kale was for sale . . . to eat!

Now that I am wiser and more well-informed, I really do believe kale is one of the best vegetables you can eat. It has all of the benefits of leafy greens, combined with all of the goodies in cruciferous veggies. How can you go wrong?

Source