If you’re wondering why everyone seems to be ill this summer, you are not alone.
“All my clients seem to have coughs and colds,” says Inverurie nutritionist Laura Leslie.
“Even this week, I’ve had four clients who’ve been coughing and two that have rescheduled.”
Laura isn’t working with these clients because they are sick — they just happen to be ill.
But the clinical nutritional therapist and health coach who specialises in gut health, does have a few ideas about why so many people are under the weather at the moment.
And it’s got something to do with those summer blues.
“My clients that are sick have been really stressed over the past couple of months,” she says. “Work stress, going out to socialize, just maybe pushing themselves further than they have done for a while.”
Keep reading for Laura’s fantastic immunity-boosting recipe for Creamy Roasted Garlic & Kale Soup with Cauliflower.
Laura says that while the winter tends to see people paring back the social calendar, we are far more inclined to go all out in the summer.
Holidays, barbeques, weddings — they come thick and fast at this time of year, which means the body has less time to recover.
And though the sun does now appear to be out, it’s been a miserable summer in terms of weather, more suited to raincoats than Ray-Bans.
Northern Scotland received a third more rain than usual in June, according to the Met Office, while changes to the jet stream — the air current that usually warms the country — meant temperatures dropped.
All of this affects the body, especially for us north and north–east Scots who don’t get enough sun — and the vitamin D it helps create — in the first place.
“I work with a testing company in London and whenever we go through reports, the guy that owns it always jokes with me, saying, ‘Come on, Laura, let’s see how Vitamin D deficient your clients are today,’” Laura laughs.
Vitamin D and mushrooms on windowsills
So what can be done about it?
Laura says boosting your immune system by eating the right foods is the right thing to do at any time of year. But luckily, that process is even easier in the summer because of the range of fresh fruit and vegetables that are available.
“Lots of color is really important,” she continues. “Like berries, strawberries, and raspberries and blueberries and blackberries — they’re all in season at the minute.
“They’re rich in antioxidants. And they’re also a source of fibre too, which is great for gut health and that is really important for the immune system as well.
“Also, antioxidant-rich foods, from green leafy veg to salads and fruits.”
As for Vitamin D, that’s not something we can easily source from food, says Laura.
Nevertheless, she has an unusual tip on how to increase our Vitamin D levels — mushrooms on the windowsill.
“One of the best tips for getting Vitamin D in our food is with mushrooms,” she explains. “So just put some mushrooms on the windowsill, they absorb Vitamin D and then you can eat them.”
She adds: “In an ideal world, we would live somewhere we can store Vitamin D up during the summer and use those stores during the winter. If we lived somewhere tropical, we wouldn’t probably need to worry too much.”
Listen to your body to beat the summer blues
To help guard against those summer bugs, and boost your chances of recovery, Laura, who runs a virtual clinic, has put together an immune-boosting recipe.
She also has a few lifestyle tips for people struggling to shake off a bout of illness.
“Whenever you first start to feel a bit better, it’s so easy get back on the treadmill of life quickly,” she says.
“We plan so many things in the summer, but if you listen to your body then you won’t let yourself slip back.”
Creamy Roasted Garlic & Kale Soup with Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 12 garlic (cloves, peeled and trimmed)
- 1 yellow onion (large, roughly chopped)
- 1 head cauliflower (sliced into florets)
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 1/3 tbsps Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 8 cups kale leaves (packed)
- 3 3/4 cups vegetable broth (divided)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (204ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the garlic cloves, onion and cauliflower on the baking sheet. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt. Using your hand or a spatula, toss until vegetables are evenly coated in the spices. Roast for about 40 minutes or until very tender and caramelized, flipping halfway through.
- When vegetables are just about done, heat remaining olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the kale and 1/2 of the vegetable broth to the pot and cover. Let steam for 2 minutes, or until kale is wilted and tender.
- Add the roasted vegetables and remaining vegetable stock in with the wilted kale. Bring soup to a gentle boil then remove from heat.
- Puree soup in batches in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Divide into bowls and enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serve it With
An extra drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs or a pinch of red chili flakes.
Too Thick?
If soup is too thick in consistency, use water or more stock (1/2 cup at a time) to thin until desired consistency is reached.
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