This flu season is the worst. Nope, that’s not hyperbole, it’s literally the worst flu season on record since health authorities started keeping track more than 12 years ago. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
I spent much of last week shivering beneath a pile of blankets, with a temperature that reached 105 at one point. This stuff is definitely no joke. But it seems to have left our house, at least for now, and I’ve been on the hunt to implement any and every strategy to make sure it doesn’t return.
On the checklist:
- Everyone washes their hands when they walk in the door
- Clean and disinfect high-touch points (e.g. doorknobs, light switches, remotes)
- Get plenty of sleep/exercise
Quit grazing on my kids’ leftovers- Build immunity with Vitamin C
Checking off the latter was easier than I expected. No gross vitamins to swallow because the produce aisles are filled with glorious, succulent, vitamin C-laden, citrus surprises.* The oranges were so incredible, our oldest asked to take them in as a snack for her “star day” at school. She reported that a kid at her table said the oranges were the most incredible, amazing, yummy “treat” he’s ever tasted. Oranges FTW!
A quick look at the numbers:
90 mg: The recommended daily dosage of vitamin C for males over 18
75 mg: The recommended daily dosage of vitamin C for women over 18
51 mg: The amount of vitamin C in one small orange.
23.5 mg: The amount of vitamin C in a medium-sized tangerine.
37 million: The number of results that appear when you search “orange recipes” on Google.
A couple of oranges a day, in addition to a lot of other fruits and vegetables, can do the body good. In addition to supporting healthy immune function and shortening the duration of an illness like the common cold, vitamin C is also supposed to be effective in protecting against heart disease, lowering cholesterol, preventing eye disease — even protecting against wrinkles…
I try to make most of the salad dressings we eat (not as big of a PITA as it sounds), so in my newfound effort to ward off wrinkles the flu, I found a few ways to work oranges/juice onto a salad. The first was a creamy orange poppyseed dressing that was pretty sweet, but tasted great with tuna, red pepper and hard boiled eggs.
- 2 tbs mayo
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt
- 2 tbs orange juice
- 1 tsp honey
- Orange zest
- 3 tsp of poppy seeds
For last night’s dinner, I had been marinating some pork chops for a few days using our new vacuum sealer (not paid endorsement, and totally BOSS as the name suggests) and threw together an orange/blue cheese/toasted walnut salad to serve with it. The standout was this Orange Vinaigrette dressing that has just FIVE ingredients. If you’re looking for flavor without the juice, throwing some orange zest into your pancake or waffle batter can liven things up.
Here’s a roundup of some other amazing orange [healthy-ish?] things I’ve seen on Insta and around the web that look pretty darned tasty:
Cookie + Kate’s Vibrant Orange + Arugula Salad
Ina Garten’s Orange Cream Dessert
Taste of Home’s Orange Cream Cheesecake… a stellar way to get your Vitamin C.
Or, just grab a bag of oranges from the store to keep in your car. Don’t skip on the plastic bag with this one, because it can be great to keep all those peel pieces from finding their way to the floor. The little mandarins are easier for the kids to peel and make a great snack after school.
Here’s to staying healthy during flu season and beyond!
*Clinks juice glass*
*** I’m not a doctor, I’m not a nutritionist, this is not advice.