Boosting Your Immune System For The Winter Months, By Renee Clayton

As winter arrives and with it the many winter bugs it’s important that your immune system is in tip top shape to fight off the viruses when they try to invade. The majority of your immune system starts in your gut and so looking after your gut health is vital. Food plays a huge role in how healthy your gut is and provides us with the nutrients required for immunity. Your food choices will have a huge effect on how well your body deals with the winter illnesses. I am sure that you have heard of the famous quote “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. 

Here are some of my top immune boosting tips that you can work on now to really boost your immunity:

1. Eat whole natural unprocessed foods. These foods are much more nutrient dense than processed foods and will therefore provide your body with the tools it needs to fight viruses and other nasties.

2. Drink Bone/fish or vegetable broth a couple of times a day. These drinks are a great natural way to boost vitamins and minerals in an easily absorbed immune boosting, gut soothing way. See below for a recipe to make your own or purchase in powder form and add hot water.

3. Add green vegetables, spirulina, garlic, onion and ginger into your daily meal plan.

4. Soups, stews and green smoothies can be a great way to boost nutrients in a person who is unwell and perhaps does not have much appetite or strength.

5. Include fermented food in your diet each day such as: Noni, Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kefir drinks, apple cider vinegar, Kimchi, low-sugar pro-biotic yoghurt or take a pro-biotic supplement. Our guts naturally have good bacteria that aids in boosting our immune system. When these good bacteria are low ( illness, stress, antibiotic and medication use all reduce levels) our immune system does not work properly. By adding foods that contain these good bacteria we help improve our immune system.

6. Get some sunshine time between 10am-2pm. Vitamin D is mostly made from sunlight absorbed through the skin and is vital for a healthy immune system. If you are unable to get in some sun time then maybe consider supplementation

7. Prioritise good quality sleep this is a time of rest and repair for the body which helps boost immunity.

8. Exercise it’s a great immune system booster

Small changes to your diet and lifestyle can have a huge impact on your life. These changes will benefit you in so many ways from it immune boosting effects, clearer mind, more energy, reduced inflammation and more.  Check out these great recipes and give your body an immediate nutrient boost. 

Immune Boosting Green Drink

Ingredients

• 400 mls Water

• 1 Teaspoon Organic Spirulina Powder

• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar or Juice of half a Lemon

• 1 teaspoon Glutamine Powder

• Stevia drops to sweeten to taste (or alternative such as Monkfruit, Erythritol, Allulose)

Mix all ingredients together in a large glass and enjoy.

Bone Broth

Ingredients

• 1 kg of bones from a healthy source

• 2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)

• 2 carrots

• 2 stalks of celery

• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

• Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, 1 tablespoon or more of sea salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, additional herbs or spices to taste. I also add 2 cloves of garlic for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Note: You will also need a large pot to cook the broth in and a strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.

Instructions

1. If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, it improves flavour by roasting them in the oven first. Place them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 180 C.

2. Next, place the bones in a large stock pot. Pour (filtered) water over the bones and add the vinegar. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available.

3. Roughly chop and add the vegetables (except the parsley and garlic, if using) to the pot. Add any salt, pepper, spices, or herbs, if using.

4. Now, bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until done (see cooking times below). At this point you could place it into a crock pot.

5. During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Throw this part away. Check it every 20 minutes for the first 2 hours to remove this. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than conventional animals.

6. During the last 30 minutes, add the garlic and parsley, if using.

7. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.

Cooking times (broth can also be made in a crock pot and will cook faster):

• Beef Broth: simmer for 24-48 hours

• Chicken/poultry Broth: Simmer 12 -24 hours

• Fish and Vegetable Broth: 8 hours

Nutrition & Health Consultations

Nutrition Consultations are available by appointment online and at our Warkworth Clinic.