Vitamin C is crucial for winter bodies

My husband and I recently had a funny discussion about our summer bodies — and the fact that we don’t have them. However, we did manage to make ourselves feel better by discussing our winter bodies.

We don’t mean a big fluffy body that is prepared for winter weather, but an intrinsic body that is prepared for winter ailments, such as the cold and the flu. Many of us have spent the summer living a life of over indulgence leaving our immune systems to do a lot of damage control and in need of a boost before winter.

Yes, winter is coming (in my "Game of Thrones" voice), and we want to be able to hold the white walkers at the gate.

One way to prepare your body is to begin a vitamin and supplement regime to give your immune system a boost. You can also alter your diet to include more food that contain antioxidants and vitamin C. There are a lot of options besides oranges that can give you just as much vitamin C as most citrus fruits or almost double the dose, such as guava which contains 125 mg of vitamin C. That's 140% of your recommended daily value. Although our bodies cannot store or produce vitamin C, it's vital that we get as much as possible each day.

I do not expect readers to go out and buy vitamin C tablets. However, you can turn your life around by increasing immune boosters in your daily food intake.

Try this recipe because it is loaded with vitamin C. It tastes so good, and no one will realize how good it is for you. Lemons have 30 mg, and broccoli, when raw, has 132 mg of vitamin C, so you may just want to slightly cook your broccoli. Happy eating!

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ZE'S LEMON PEPPER BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from fresh lemon, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• cauliflower rice

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. In a bowl combine remaining dry ingredients. In another shallow bowl whisk egg and 1 tablespoon of water.
2. Heat skillet on medium-high heat, then add olive oil. Once oil is hot, dip chicken in egg mixture then dip into flour and seasoning mixture. Place chicken in skillet then cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Once done remove chicken and set aside.
3. Next add broth, lemon zest and the remaining lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil. Carefully removing some of the fond from the bottom of the pan that was left from frying chicken. Once boiling add broccoli, reduce heat and let broccoli steam for 3-4 minutes. The more raw broccoli is the healthier. Place precooked chicken in pan with broccoli and cover for 3-4 minutes remove from heat. Serve over cauliflower rice.

Ze Carter is a food columnist for the Daily Commercial. Email her at zecarter12@gmail.com.