Immunity is a little off subject from books, but since flu and virus season is here – we’d like to share some tips we’ve tried that have helped boost our immunity and improved our life. These ideas can be used anytime of year but are especially important in winter.
Vegan and Vegetarian
Immunity Boosting Tips
Please Note: All food, teas, and herbs should be organic and locally produced. Support your local organic independent and farmers markets as much as possible. Please leave your own immune boosting in the comments section, thank you.
• Hibiscus Tea: brew a large 32 oz pot every day. Use a French Press (it’s easy to make and keep clean). Put in 3-4 tbl. crushed organic Hibiscus and add a thumb sized piece of thinly sliced ginger to just boiled water. Very high in vitamin C!
•Elderberry Syrup. Keep a jar in fridge beginning in fall and all winter. To make: slow boil 1 cup dried Elderberries in a pot with 32 oz. use purified, filtered or distilled water. Cook for 45min -1 hr, slowly stir and press berries against the pot with a wooden spoon to release their juice. The last 15-20 minutes add in 4-5 tablespoons of hibiscus tea and a generous amount of thinly sliced or grated ginger. Now you can add additions you might like; cloves, Ceylon cinnamon, Ashwagandha or Reishi powder are good choices.
When water is about a third to half-way evaporated or at the one hour period, turn off heat and let it cool down. When still warm, strain the mixture and flatten berries with a wooden spoon through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl and transfer to a 16 oz. canning Jar – you should have about 8-12 oz. of pure syrup. Add 4-6 oz. dark raw buckwheat honey (if available) to the mixture. A local honey is also fine. Mix throughly and keep in the fridge. Dosage: 1 teaspoon daily if feeling well. 1 tablespoon every 3-4 hours if sick or at first signs of sickness or exposure. A very strong antioxident.
• Other Berries. Wild Blueberries have the strongest antioxidents of all blueberries and are good for the gut microbiome. Use in shakes, desserts, and mix with other berries. Strawberries have been shown to be beneficial for acid reflux and are another excellent berry for the gut.
• Spices: Turmeric is a strong antioxident. Mix with grains or vegetables when cooking. Coriander and Cumin are low in acid and aid in digestion.
• Red Peppers have high levels of vitamin C.
• Fat Free Greek Yogurt Shakes: blend 2/3 cup non-fat Greek style yogurt per person with 1 mango, 1 banana, and 1/2 cup berries (wild blueberries have the highest antioxidants). Note: do not mix banana’s with blueberries as they will help cancel out antioxidant levels. Fat free Greek yogurt has the highest level of protien. Add frozen Acai if available, it mixes well with mango and blueberries.
• Lacinato kale or Dinosaur kale has one of the highest levels of dark green phytonutrients, the chemical antioxidant in plants.
• Miso is high in sodium and also a probiotic. It has been proven to even lower blood pressure.
• Add beans, lentils and grains into your daily diet. Use canned beans as last resort. Dried beans are cheaper, last longer and taste better. Soak beans 24 hours in water a couple inches over the bean level, change water bring to a fast boil then drop to medium heat snf cook of sbout 1 hour, checking on beans until they squash easily. Adzuki, navy and smaller beans cook faster than larger beans. Add a small piece of Kombu seaweed into beans during last 15-20 minutes, helps it cook faster and aids in digestion.
• Make salads. Add as many different greens and sprouts as possible. Broccoli sprouts have the high nutrition. Make your own sprouts. Buy low acid tomatoes if acid is a problem. Use fresh organic lemons in dressings. Make a weekly pot of quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat farro, to use in salads and meals.
• Make Green Shakes. 1-apple cut and 1/2 water to blend, and more greens, sprouts, bee pollen, and water to taste.
• Matcha (green tea) have daily.
• Manuka Honey is a strong antioxidant, good for oral health or with tea. Buckwheat honey is a super honey too.
• Watch Dr. Jia-Yia Lio, MD at Healthy Immune Doc videos on Youtube.Many great ideas have come from watching and practicing Dr. Lio’s healthy suggestions.
• Read about and try to use more adaptogens, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms in diet.