It’s a fact: From Oct 31 Easter Sunday we tend to over-indulge in sweets and sweets compromise the immune system in a major way. And when the immune system is compromised (or weakened in any way), we can say “HELLO!” to colds and flu.

Since we’re in the middle of this immune-compromising season, I thought I’d touch on an easy way to counteract this damage and increase the chance of maintaining immunity strength, thus hopefully warding off those dreaded colds and flu.

The solution? One word: ZINC. Zinc is one of the most critical nutrients needed for maintaining a strong immune system. It’s also imperative for digestion and utilization of carbohydrates like grains, vegetables, fruits, and sugars as well as protein foods.

Besides the crucial job of keeping the immune system strong, it also helps to ensure healing from wounds and burns and supports healthy prostate function in men. It is necessary for healthy blood, bones, brain, heart, liver, and muscles. If you haven’t already concluded, adequate zinc is essential for great health.

And if you’re not getting enough, there are blatant clues. Some of the symptoms of a zinc deficiency include: acne, a small appetite, brittle nails, growing pains or stunted growth in children, diarrhea, difficulty conceiving children, frequent colds or flu, hair or nails grow slowly, prostate disorders or impotence in men, sleep disturbances, and slow-healing wounds or injuries. Zinc depletion can also lead to loss of sense of taste and appetite. This is a common ailment in the elderly.

Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, seafood, spinach, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and crimini mushrooms are shown to offer the most abundant sources of zinc. But for the vegetarians and vegans, there are many plant-based sources of zinc besides spinach, asparagus, and mushrooms. Here are some of the best plant sources (listed in order of most to least):

• Beans/Legumes, including: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, Romano beans, etc.
• Beets and beet greens
• Brazil nuts (other nuts as well, but Brazils contain higher amounts of zinc)
• Cashews
• Carrots
• Dark leafy green vegetable
• Nuts and nut butters
• Onions
• Peas
• Cocoa powder and dark baking chocolate
• Sesame seeds
• Chia seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Sprouts
• Whole grains and breads made with whole grains

Be sure to eat fermented foods as well since zinc tends to become more bio-available during the fermentation process. These foods include: miso, tempeh, sourdough breads, fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, seed and nut cheeses that are fermented, and non-dairy yogurt.

This is a pretty encouraging list, don’t you think? So from now until after Easter Sunday, why not consider building as many meals as you can around foods that keep the immune system strong and functioning well? Throw some fresh carrots into your banana smoothie, eat almond butter on some whole grain toast in the morning, and have lots of salads with dark leafy greens, for instance. Consciously and deliberately plan your diet around keeping yourself healthy this winter—and boosting your zinc intake is the place to start.