For anyone marching through winter †with a box of tissues on hand, you are not alone. The 2022 flu season in America has reached unprecedented highs, arriving six weeks earlier than anticipated and making the holidays far from merry and bright for many.
Adding insult to injury, with the quick onset of the flu, over 200 drugs used to treat this year’s common illnesses are noticeably absent from many pharmacies, amounting to a nationwide shortage.
“As a parent of a 2-year-old, I know the frustration of not having the essentials on hand when your child is sick,” Alex Jackson, director of sales and procurement at Frieda’s Branded Produce, said in a news release. “In our home, we are doing everything we can to prevent the spread of germs, while building our immunity.”
In the face of a record-setting cold and flu season, Los Alamitos, Calif.-based produce company Frieda’s Branded Produce suggests shoppers look to the produce aisle to boost immunity with whole food, plant-based nourishment, according to the release.
“We know 68% of shoppers are looking to bolster their immunity and having the essentials in one location is next level,” Jackson said in the release. “We are recommending that retailers create a space in stores for easy access to fresh, colorful, in-season produce that supports proper immune balance and function.”
Jackson suggests building produce “wellness stations” that include immune-boosting fresh produce like Frieda’s Mahana Ginger, Stokes Purple sweet potatoes and Mighty Gold Turmeric as natural, food-as-medicine nourishment for winter bodies.
Retailers can venture out of the produce aisle and create inspired displays using citrus as an anchor point to build an immunity display with pink lemons and honey. Offering Popjoys kumquats instead of chips or candy at the checkout aisle is another way to provide shoppers with last-minute, health-boosting grab-and-go options, according to the release.
