Body

If it’s cold and flu season where you are, this immune booster juice is perfect to keep it at bay, besides, it tastes deliciously, nutritiously fresh! This recipe offers a plethora of nutrients and antioxidants your body needs to heal and in juiced form, it allows your body to easily absorb the nutrients to keep your immune system strong and ticking! Think Popeye!

Ginger and turmeric both contain magical medicinal uses. Ginger is a great anti-nausea spice. Turmeric is a wonderful natural anti-inflammatory spice. And everyone knows that chicken (noodle) rice soup is good for everyone’s soul. This soup is the culinary form of a warm hug that we all need when we’re sick with a cold or flu!

If you haven’t heard of the amazing benefits of bone broth, one question? Have you been under a rock? Kidding!! Bone broth is said to be a fantastic food source of anti-aging collagen (bonus), is also healing, cleansing and nourishing all at the same time. It’s rich in minerals that need replenishing when you have a cold or flu. Making bone broth is super simple — if you have a pot, then you can make bone broth! Giddy-up to feeling better!

Cordial, in the European meaning of the word, is a sweet concentrated syrup that is diluted and then mixed either with still or carbonated water. Elderflower cordial is simply that – an elderflower syrup that can be added to the drink of your choice for a sweet, fragrant beverage. This has a zing to it from the lime, but the aroma is all elderflower. It is a delicate scent, slightly floral, very sweet and just a bit spicy. Elderflower is said to help boost your immune system, aid with swollen sinuses (sinusitis), colds, influenza (flu), bronchitis, diabetes, constipation, as well as a diuretic (increase urine volume).

This is one of the most delicious syrups I’ve ever tasted. Yes, I created it and yes, I’m a bit biased, BUT it tastes amazing and it works from personal experience! It’s a thick, rich delicious berry-flavoured syrup rich in vitamin C and a wealth of other critical vitamins, minerals, antioxidants! Elderberries are said to be one of the most effective remedies for viral and bacterial infections, colds and flu and can even shorten their duration!! Have a cough, no worries, elderberries are even said to be beneficial for bronchial and respiratory issues and can help loosen and expel congestion in the lungs. Elderberries contain special proteins and bioflavonoids that may have the ability to destroy viruses on contact that infect cells in the body. Elderberries are also said to have the ability to significantly enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines in the body.

Elderberry is a natural diuretic that helps to eliminate toxins at the cellular level and astragalus is a fantastic herb that can help build defenses in your body too! This soothing tea tonic has a nice tart berry flavour combined with rich spices! By building up your immune system, you are stimulating your body and maintaining your natural defenses strong against the many threats around you such as germs, bacteria and viruses. By producing antibodies and revitalizing your white blood cells, this also means you will be able to recover faster from illness and prevent premature aging and even diseases. Your skin mirrors your internal health, so when you are healthy and strong, you look younger and fresher (and who doesn’t want that)! Cheers!

Turmeric spice is definitely a winner!! Not only touted as a star in Indian cuisine, used in bright yellow ‘ballpark’ mustard, it’s also a protector against inflammation!! Turmeric, ginger and lemon combined boost your immune system and can be sipped on all day when you have a cold or flu or anytime for that matter. This is a delicious, perfect, warming tea for chilly sweater weather.

Ginger will be your best friend if you have a cold or flu! Fresh ginger targets ‘rhinoviruses,’ which are one of the most common causes of a cold! I know, who knew?! Use fresh ginger for your tea and then supercharge by adding honey (another immune booster)! It you reduce your tea tonic to almost half, you’ll find it nicely spicy!
Here are a few other ‘Healing Ginger Tips’:
Ginger Steam Inhalation: If you’re congested, for a fresh steam inhalation, add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to a pot of boiling water, boil for a few minutes then remove from heat and inhale deeply with a big towel draped over you head (it works, believe me)! Or just steam with your tea tonic before you add honey!
Ginger Bath: Mix one tablespoon ground ginger with 1-2 cups of Epsom Salts under hot running water and run yourself a warm cold-easing, muscle-soothing bath. Ahhh, heaven.

If you’re under the weather, this delicious Cold Buster Vitamin C Smoothie will come to your rescue!! Adding loads of antioxidants like Vitamin C helps to boost your immunity and this smoothie is jam-packed with delicious sources of Vitamin C! Hemp hearts are a great zinc source and also provide protein, which is also critical for immune function! And to top all that off, it tastes amazing, too.

Refreshing and full of great immune system boosting benefits! This simple, easy to make refreshing ‘foam’ is chock full of vitamin C from the oranges, plus electrolytes and rehydration from the coconut water, an ‘all in one’ delicious glass of foamed coconut water!!

Drink this infused water ASAP if you feel like you’re coming down with a cold or flu or if you’re already sick! Here’s why! Lemon water by itself, is excellent for helping to boost your immune system, rehydrating and detoxifying your liver and body! If you add fresh ginger to your water, it can possibly help with preventing colds/flus, alleviate sore throats, plus is an excellent source of vitamin C! Now for triple protection, if you add raw honey that’s another immune booster, assisting your body in keeping a strong first line of defense to fight off pathogens or to help you recover. Here’s a sweet tip, if you feel like you’re coming down with the cold or flu, take a teaspoon of raw honey before bedtime!

This delicious refreshing, healthy, balanced ice cream option has a light coconut flavour and a crisp bite. Cinnamon is also excellent for balancing blood sugar levels too. Enjoy!

This is a delicious take on potato salad with sweet potatoes and the Green Temptress Dressing is absolutely delicious! Trust me! To keep your blood sugar levels in check, reach for sweet potatoes, which are high in fiber (eat the skin for even more fiber), as well lots of other vitamins. When boiled, they are a low glycemic index food, meaning they won’t spike your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes. Enjoy your guilt-free delicious potato salad!

This refreshing salsa with healthy ingredients will give you ‘boat’ loads of nutrition!

You’ll LOVE this smoky Chipotle Vinaigrette drizzled over your healthy salad. It’ll be your new favourite salad dressing! I’m using coconut palm sugar as a sweetener, it has a lower glycemic index (35) than white sugar (60 to 65), meaning it doesn’t spike your blood glucose and insulin as table sugar does.

This unique asparagus dish is not only quick and delicious, it’s nutritious and good for your blood sugar levels! Research has shown that asparagus may keep diabetes at bay by helping blood sugar levels stay under control while boosting output of insulin. Cinnamon is also very helpful for balancing blood sugar levels.

Green smoothies are perfect for getting more greens and minerals into your diet in a delicious and highly digestible way and keeping blood sugar levels balanced. Plus, chia seeds are a good source of dietary fibre that helps to prevent blood sugar spike.

This parsley tea is simple to make, has a light ‘parsley’ flavour and is chock-full of health benefits. Not only is parsley said to aid with managing blood sugar levels, it is also used for the treatment of UTI’s, it’s considered a diuretic (increasing urine volume), a uterine stimulant and even can assist with the prevention of kidney stones. Parsley is also high in antioxidants, a good source of Vitamin C and may potentially provide cancer-fighting properties. Believe it or not, I even give my dog parsley tea (without the honey/lemon) for his doggy health!

This highly nutritional Nettle Tea is satisfyingly refreshing, with a mellow, rich, gentle ‘green’ flavour and a slightly bitter ‘hay-like’ taste (not that I make it a habit to eat hay)! Nettles are said to be deeply supportive and nurturing, both physically and emotionally, supporting our hair, nails, organs and other bodily systems. Dried Nettle leaves are full of essential minerals and vitamins, this is one of the most nourishing drinks you can drink! Nettle tea is even helpful when coping with allergies, believe it or not! Note: Nettles work well for balancing blood sugar levels for some people, however, use stinging nettles with caution if you have diabetes because of the potential that nettles may lower or may also raise blood sugar levels.

You might be wondering, who on earth would want to drink apple cider vinegar (ACV)?? I know…BUT, this ‘shot’ is delicious and ACV has a ton of benefits! Just ensure that you select ACV that is raw, unfiltered, with the ‘mother’ (the ‘mother’ is the best part, containing dozens of strains of bacteria (probiotics), as well as digestive enzymes)! Drinking a ‘shot’ daily is said to: Help balance blood sugar by blocking the absorption of starch in the body, aid in digestion by boosting the acidity and production of stomach acid, contains pectin, which also aids in digestion and has been found in a number of studies to help with weight loss, balances PH to support detoxification (the acetic acid in ACV naturally helps balance your body’s pH, this stimulates your circulation, thereby aiding your body’s detox abilities), cleanses lymph nodes to support detoxification (ACV has unique acids that act as a chelator – binding with toxins to help safely remove them from the body), rich in enzymes and nutrients (ACV is actually a nutrient powerhouse, full of enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals). Basically, you can think of these shots as a multivitamin, a digestion booster, a probiotic, and a blood sugar balancer in liquid form. Last, but not least, if you’ve been overindulgent with eating sweets or carb-heavy foods, take a few shots and it’ll help you. Need anymore reasons to drink a shot a day?!?!?! it’s worth it, trust me, I drink a shot daily!

Refreshing and full of great benefits, this simple, easy to make aloe vera, orange juice is a perfect morning drink every day of the week! Regularly drinking aloe vera stimulates the secretion of insulin, which is particularly useful for those with diabetes.

These ‘bombs’ are ‘the bomb,’ a completely satisfying, healthy anti-inflammatory alternative to muffins! Plus – the bananas and raw cacao powder contain the amino acid tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain which in turn is converted to serotonin (a relaxing neurotransmitter) and melatonin! Ahhh, peace out!

This is a delicious rice has an unusual healthy twist – matcha! Matcha teas are excellent sources of the anti-inflammatory polyphenol EGCG, which may reduce inflammation and other inflammation-driven chronic conditions. A great healthy addition to rice!

This healthy salad takes minimal time, lasts up to a week in your fridge and and gets better each day that it sits in this divine dressing.

This seaweed salad is refreshingly delicious, it’s also healthy! Seaweed contains an anti-inflammatory complex carbohydrate called fucoidan, so why not enjoy this yummy salad and eat for your health!

By eating foods like this delicious fermented sauerkraut, you can enhance the health of your digestive system by optimizing your gut flora and balancing your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is an ‘ecosystem’ of bacteria that live in your large intestine and is not only important for your physical health, but your mental wellbeing too. Your gut microbiome health is reflected in many processes in your body, including chronic inflammation and associated disease risks. So…start with your gut! With this knowledge…I’m sure you’ll want to try this sauerkraut dish! Store-bought sauerkraut, yet again, undergoes an amazing transformation when gently simmered with apples and spice, serving up a nice blend of tangy and sweet flavours. Love your sauerkraut!

By eating foods like this delicious fermented sauerkraut, you can enhance the health of your digestive system by optimizing your gut flora and balancing your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is an ‘ecosystem’ of bacteria that live in your large intestine and is not only important for your physical health, but your mental wellbeing too. Your gut microbiome health is reflected in many processes in your body, including chronic inflammation and associated disease risks. So…start with your gut! With this knowledge…I’m sure you’ll want to try this sauerkraut dish! I’ve MacGyvered a store-bought ‘off-the-shelf’ sauerkraut into a nice tangy dish! With the healthy addition of carrots & herbs adding really nice flavours too. Love your sauerkraut, you can dress it up and take it out!

This Wild Blueberry & Cherry Smoothie is as delicious as it is vibrant and is jam-packed full of antioxidants and is said to help reverse and prevent aging! It also contains some of the most powerfully healing foods on our planet, including the number one most nutritionally dense food in existence—wild blueberries – which have chemicals that help regulate your immune system, which can also reduce chronic inflammation! What a perfect cocktail of health! Cheers.

Turmeric tea is a popular beverage throughout Asia and is known by some as “liquid gold.” Turmeric is a prized spice, the active ingredient curcumin, is one of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatory spices. This milk also works well as a sleeping aid, but feel free to drink anytime, day or night! It’s absolutely delicious, warming and I love the hint of black pepper, try it, you’ll like it, and so will your body…mmm.

Cat’s claw is said to be excellent for inflammation, MS, UTI’s, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, parasites, digestion, sleep, brain health, anxiety (avoid if pregnant or trying to conceive). Cat’s claw is native to the Amazon rainforest and other areas of Central and South America. The tea flavour is slightly bitter, woody (makes sense, it comes from the bark and root of a woody vine), but it also has nice chai tea overtones.