It’s the first day of June, marking the unofficial start of winter in New Zealand for the first time this new decade - 2020! 

With winter comes the dreaded cold and rain (currently great for Auckland!), and the seasonal flu virus. Read HERE to learn more about the flu (hint: it’s not a bad case of cold) and the resources that are available to you and your loved ones.

To build your immune system for a healthier winter this season, check out 3 superfoods that you should be picking up on your next grocery shop!

Raw cacao

Dark chocolate have been known to be good for health for sometime now. However, its raw form has been picking up in popularity as it has shown to be even more beneficial to our health as its nutritional goodness does not get diluted in the cooking process. 

Raw cacao is high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc that are essential for healthy bones and red blood cell production. Antioxidants is another reason for consumption as it protect our cells from damage. With its high nutrient and antioxidant levels, it’s shown to reduce inflammation in our body, boost our immune system, improve our heart health and blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of certain cancers. 

Raw cacao is mostly available in powder or nib form from the supermarket, with the nibs going for about $6.00 for 250g at PAKnSAVE and Countdown.

Manuka honey 

This one should come as no surprise to you. The price of liquid gold has gone up notably on the shelves of our supermarkets over the last few years as its health benefits has been touted across the world. A Netflix show has even been made about the dishonest peddling of fake honey as its price skyrockets. 

The benefits of Manuka honey comes from methylglyoxal (MGO), it’s antibacterial factor. The higher the level of MGO, the more beneficial it is. UMF is the scale that measures the level of MGO and a rating of 10-15 suggests it contains useful levels, and a rating of 16 and above suggest high levels of MGO. Manuka honey is known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties, and is said to improve immune systems when taken regularly. It can help with healing wounds, digestive health and is commonly taken to help with sore throats. 

A bottle of 250g UMF 10+ Manuka honey is current $18 at PAKnSAVE. 

Tamarillos

This common local winter fruit also called “tree tomato” is notably packed with vitamins A, C and E. It is also high in dietary fiber and a good source of minerals such as iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. This means that it is good for the healthy functioning of your eyes, lowers the risk of certain cancers, builds up immune system through enhancing mucous barriers, supports healthy bones and reproductive systems in both males and females. 

Currently unavailable but keep a lookout for this at your local grocer or supermarket. 

Prevention is better than cure, but be prepared for the unexpected

Prevention is certainly better than cure. Eating right is definitely part of preventing against unwanted health issues. However, even the best of us may suffer from unexpected and unfortunate health issues. If that happens, do you have insurance in place to help pay for the increasingly expensive cost of treatment or to help with your income and cost of supporting your loved ones?

If you have insurance already, but you're finding it a hassle to manage, why not make it easy for yourself to manage - Get Quashed! It's the simplest way to manage your insurance. Everything is online these days, even grocery shopping is increasingly online. Bring all your insurance policies online into one place with Quashed. Make insurance easy!