It is the perfect time for natural remedies that could boost our immune system. Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. Start planning your meals to include these 10 powerful immune system boosters.

• Citrus Fruits: grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, clementines

Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal. You can also infuse your water with any citrus fruit to enhance your drinking habit and to insure daily vitamin C intake.

• Red bell peppers

We all tend to think that Vitamin C is only found in citrus fruits well, let’s think again. Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contains twice as much vitamin C as citrus. Besides boosting your immune system, vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin.

• Broccoli

Broccoli is super charged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table. It will be a plus if you can find organic broccolis around you or even better if you can grow your own. Remember to cook it as little as possible or not at all to keep its power intact.

• Garlic

Garlic is foud in most of our Mediterranean dishes and it is a must-have for your health. A part from it known value in fighting infections, garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin. Our advice though is to make your own garlic paste or add natural garlic to your recipes.

• Ginger

Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger is a strong antioxidant that has been shown to naturally boost the immune system. It contains tons of vitamins, some of which are magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium. Ginger helps kill cold viruses and has been said to combat chills and fever.

• Spinach

Yes we all know the importance of spinach and the Popeye’s good old magic potion. Spinach is not only rich in vitamin C but also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection fighting ability of our immune systems. Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients.

• Almonds

Almonds are a great source of vitamin E which is key to a healthy immune system. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts, such as almonds, provides nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E.

• Turmeric

We like to call it the gold of all spices. This bright yellow, bitter spice has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory. Turmeric is a natural way to help bolster the immune system by increasing the immunomodulation capacity of the body. Try adding extra turmeric into your diet during this period.

• Green Tea

Both green and black teas are packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Where green tea really excels is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, another powerful antioxidant. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. The fermentation process black tea goes through destroys a lot of the EGCG. Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed and not fermented, so the EGCG is preserved.

• Kiwi

Kiwis are naturally full of a ton of essentials nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K and Vitamin C. Vitamin C boosts white blood cells to fight infection, while kiwi’s other nutrients keep the rest of your body functioning properly.

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